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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Thailand suspends TV station over protests coverage

    BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai court on Tuesday ordered the suspension of an online TV station critical of the government, which has accused it of violating emergency measures aimed at ending three months of protests.

    Voice TV had also been found to have breached the Computer Crime Act by uploading “false information,” digital ministry spokesman Putchapong Nodthaisong told reporters.


    Thailand has drawn criticism from rights groups for banning demonstrations and the publication of news seen as damaging by the government as it tries to end the protests against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and the powerful monarchy.


    Rittikorn Mahakhachabhorn, Editor-in-Chief of Voice TV, said it would continue broadcasting until the court order arrived.


    “We insist that we have been operating based on journalistic principles and we will continue our work presently,” he said.

    Thailand said on Monday that three other media organisations are under investigation.


    Voice TV is owned in part by the Shinawatra family of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck, who was overthrown by Prayuth in a 2014 coup. Both fled Thailand to escape corruption cases they branded political.


    Street protests since mid-July are the biggest challenge in decades to the monarchy under King Maha Vajiralongkorn and to Prayuth, who rejects accusations of engineering an election last year to keep power.


    The demonstrations have been largely led by youths and students in contrast with a decade of street violence between supporters of Thaksin and conservative royalists before Prayuth seized power.

    Thailand suspends TV station over protests coverage | Reuters

  2. #2
    Days Work Done! Norton's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by misskit View Post
    Voice TV is owned in part by the Shinawatra family
    Can't have this stuff here in the LoS.

  3. #3
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Norton View Post
    Can't have this stuff here in the LoS.
    No, ya can't.
    Wouldn't be proper.


    A sound and intelligent authority might even go to lengths to shut down their principle interweb site and the variety of back door access that they enjoy, less the satellite television broadcast.

  4. #4
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    MarilynMonroe's Avatar
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    Thailand: Outspoken TV Channel Banned






    Thailand: Outspoken TV Channel Banned


    End Suppression of Media, Free Expression


    (Bangkok) – The
    Thai government’s shutdown of the outspoken Voice TV channel misuses Thailand’s emergency decree to censor the media, Human Rights Watch said today.

    On October 20, 2020, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society
    announced at a news conference that the government had obtained a court order to close down Voice TV on all online platforms. The ministry alleged that the station’s coverage of a democracy protest in Bangkok on October 16 violated media restrictions under the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations and the Computer-Related Crime Act.

    “Banning Voice TV is the Thai government’s latest attempt to stop the reporting about democracy protests and ensuing abuses against protesters,” said
    Brad Adams, Asia director. “The crackdown is part of a bigger effort to bully and control the media into becoming a government mouthpiece.”

    On October 15, before the station’s online platforms were shut down, the Thai authorities pressed satellite service providers to block the broadcast of Voice TV. Since the May 2014 military coup that brought Prime Minister Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha to power, the government has
    targeted Voice TV for censorship and punitive sanctions more than any other TV station in Thailand.

    The government has also requested a shutdown order for three other online media services –
    The Reporters, The Standard, and Prachatai – citing similar reasons. In addition, Human Rights Watch obtained a document showing that the government is also seeking to block the Free Youth democracy movement’s accounts on the Telegram application.

    On October 15, Prime Minister Prayuth
    declared a state of emergency in Bangkok. The United Nations, Thai human rights organizations, and Human Rights Watch, among others, raised concerns about the state of emergency on human rights and fundamental freedoms in Thailand.

    The
    Emergency Decree empowers Thai authorities to impose broad censorship that violates the right to free expression and media freedom. On October 16, the police issued several warnings against news reports and social media commentary critical of the monarchy, the government, and the political situation in the country. Livestreaming pro-democracy protests was declared illegal, as well as posting selfies at a protest site.

    That day, police arrested a Prachatai journalist, Kitti Pantapak, while was he was
    broadcasting the police’s dispersal of a democracy protest in Bangkok. True Visions is licensed to run the BBC World Service, CNN, and Al Jazeera English on its cable TV network, but it has blocked the broadcast of news reporting on the protests in Thailand. In addition, Thai authorities have blocked access to the online petition site Change.org, after it hosted a petition calling for King Maha Vajiralongkorn to be declared persona non grata in Germany.

    The government has shown increasing
    hostility toward pro-democracy protests, which started on July 18 and later spread across the country. The protesters called for the resignation of the government, the drafting of a new constitution, and an end to the authorities harassing people who exercise their freedom of expression. Some of the protests included demands for reforms to curb the king’s powers. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights reported that at least 81 protesters have been arrested since the declaration of state of emergency in Bangkok.

    International human rights law, as reflected in the
    International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which Thailand ratified in 1996, protects the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. But Thai authorities have routinely enforced censorship and gagged public discussions about human rights, political reform, and the role of the monarchy in society. Over the past decade, hundreds of activists and dissidents have been prosecuted on serious criminal charges such as sedition, computer-related crimes, and lese majeste (insulting the monarchy) for the peaceful expression of their views.

    In addition, over the past five months, the authorities have used emergency measures to help control the Covid-19 pandemic as a pretext to ban anti-government rallies, harass pro-democracy activists, and enforce censorship.

    “Concerned governments and the United Nations should publicly demand an immediate end to the Thai government’s censorship and political repression,” Adams said. “Prime Minister Prayuth should immediately lift Voice TV’s ban and end further attempts to stifle media freedom and free speech in Thailand.”
    https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/10/21/...channel-banned
    ---

    Sad stuff... but not surprising.




  5. #5
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
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    Indefinite suspension and blocked.
    Not banned.

    A Voice TV petition has won the [dismissal] favour of a court this morning, as to the complete shut-down/removal of the popular media group.
    Yet, nothing was mentioned about a temporary injunction to suspend the television broadcast.

    I'm assuming that this means that they will be off the air until further notice.
    Last edited by HuangLao; 22-10-2020 at 07:33 AM.

  6. #6
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  7. #7
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    Third world country preserving the position of those in power by controlling the flow of information.

    Usual antics but the silence of the western diplomatic corps is of course deafening but then, integrity was never an issue.

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat jabir's Avatar
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    Good that they were closed, they shouldn't be allowed to broadcast information that out glorious leaders say is false.

    And ftr, there were NO chemicals in the water from the cannon, and serves them right those criminals complaining that they were stung by it, they shouldn't have been out there rioting anyway.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabir View Post
    And ftr, there were NO chemicals in the water from the cannon, and serves them right those criminals complaining that they were stung by it, they shouldn't have been out there rioting anyway.
    WTF?

    From the Post,

    Pol Maj Gen Yingyos said the water did not contain dangerous chemicals or cause harm to the lives of demonstrators. However, he acknowledged that some people might experience skin irritation. He said police officials could not confirm exactly what chemicals were used.
    When asked why the police did not appear more curious about the chemicals they had purchased, the spokesman said that they were used by "civilised countries" to make it easier for police to identify people who broke the law. Pol Maj Gen Samart Muangsiri, a doctor of the Police General Hospital, said five police and three protesters were injured during the crowd dispersal. Social media images showed senior police visiting the victims.

    Who among the students were rioting? Nobody, they were peacefully protesting which is fine in a democracy.


    The young Thai's have a word for old guys like you Jabir. Salim. We now have our own Salim at TD. Well done mate.

    If this was an attempt at tongue and cheek humor you did not pull it off well at all.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabir View Post
    Good that they were closed, they shouldn't be allowed to broadcast information that out glorious leaders say is false.

    And ftr, there were NO chemicals in the water from the cannon, and serves them right those criminals complaining that they were stung by it, they shouldn't have been out there rioting anyway.
    Jeez Jabir,good to see you've been following the riots over the last few weeks.

    let the Govt suspend all the stations,the more the merrier, will just bring out more people, the govt are slowly but surely committing hari kari

    These protestors are making a mockery of the police and govt

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat jabir's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chico View Post
    Jeez Jabir,good to see you've been following the riots over the last few weeks.

    let the Govt suspend all the stations,the more the merrier, will just bring out more people, the govt are slowly but surely committing hari kari

    These protestors are making a mockery of the police and govt
    Spot on, though some of the usual humourless suspects (see above, outrage to follow) don't appear to realise they're getting heaps of help from the gov.

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabir View Post
    Spot on, though some of the usual humourless suspects (see above, outrage to follow) don't appear to realise they're getting heaps of help from the gov.




    Quote Originally Posted by aging one View Post
    If this was an attempt at tongue and cheek humor you did not pull it off well at all.
    As I said..

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat jabir's Avatar
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    Me too...though it clearly didn't suit your particular taste!

  14. #14
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    MarilynMonroe's Avatar
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    So what will become of this.. just more censorship and top down government. Do you think anything will change in Thailand over these protests or.. does the UN need to step in? I really feel bad for some of these Thai people, especially in this day and age.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabir View Post
    Good that they were closed, they shouldn't be allowed to broadcast information that out glorious leaders say is false.

    And ftr, there were NO chemicals in the water from the cannon, and serves them right those criminals complaining that they were stung by it, they shouldn't have been out there rioting anyway.
    Haha, oh the irony!

  16. #16
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarilynMonroe View Post
    So what will become of this.. just more censorship and top down government. Do you think anything will change in Thailand over these protests or.. does the UN need to step in? I really feel bad for some of these Thai people, especially in this day and age.
    Huh?
    The U.N.?

    Oh dear....

    As these activities/issues have been cycling around for decades, there's probably no reason for folks who haven't a clue, or real intrinsic interest, to pundit on.


  17. #17
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    MarilynMonroe's Avatar
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    ^FOJ

    From the article I posted. “Concerned governments and the United Nations should publicly demand an immediate end to the Thai government’s censorship and political repression,” Adams said. “Prime Minister Prayuth should immediately lift Voice TV’s ban and end further attempts to stifle media freedom and free speech in Thailand.”

  18. #18
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    MM that would happen if they gave a fek,but they don't.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by MarilynMonroe View Post
    does the UN need to step in?
    excuse me?

    Just like they did in Hong Kong and Beijing?

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