Thai Generals In New Media Muzzle

[gjones]

The military council that led the coup in Thailand last September has told all local media they can no longer report comments by the lawyer for former PM Thaksin Shinawatra, citing reasons of national security.

Although the council appointed a civilian government three months ago, it still retains significant powers.

This is its first attempt at media censorship since the immediate aftermath of the coup.

The military has tightened security since a series of bomb blasts in the capital, Bangkok, on New Year's Eve.

One of the earliest promises made by the generals when they seized power was that they would quickly lift the censorship of the media imposed in the hours after the coup.

For the most part they kept that promise, an important one for Thailand, which has long enjoyed a reputation for having one of the freest media environments in Asia.

Now they appear to have had second thoughts.

All local media have been told they cannot report comments made by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's lawyer.

Mr Thaksin has been barred from returning to Thailand, but has continued to state his case against the coup through his lawyer.

The Thai media have been holding crisis meetings to decide how they should respond.

It is not clear what will happen if they defy the military council, nor is it clear why the generals felt they had to impose the ban now.

The country was badly shaken by a series of bomb blasts on New Year's Eve, but there is no evidence yet pointing to who was behind the attacks.

Coming at a time when confidence in the interim government has slumped, this measure is bound to cause further alarm, both inside Thailand and abroad, over the direction the country is taking.

Source BBC NEWS - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6247273.stm

[gjones]

Urgent: Thaksin's diplomatic passport revoked

The Foreign Ministry has revoked diplomatic passports of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife after months of suggestion to block his activities in abroad which the junta deemed as a political threat to national harmony.

Deputy Foreign Ministry Sawanit Kongsivi told a National Legislative Assembly close session yesterday that the ministry has terminated the travelling document since December 31 to bar him and his family from convenient travelling in foreign countries which waive visa for Thai diplomats.

The Nation

[Mid]

Urgent: Thaksin's diplomatic passport revoked

The Foreign Ministry has revoked diplomatic passports of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife after months of suggestion to block his activities in abroad which the junta deemed as a political threat to national harmony.

Deputy Foreign Ministry Sawanit Kongsivi told a National Legislative Assembly close session yesterday that the ministry has terminated the travelling document since December 31 to bar him and his family from convenient travelling in foreign countries which waive visa for Thai diplomats.

The Nation

Credit , where credit is due

ABOUT BLOODY TIME

[kmart]

They might be using dear old Thaksin in the way that the US uses bogeymen like Osama; to bring in sweeping new powers?

[sbk]

Urgent: Thaksin's diplomatic passport revoked

The Foreign Ministry has revoked diplomatic passports of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife after months of suggestion to block his activities in abroad which the junta deemed as a political threat to national harmony.

Deputy Foreign Ministry Sawanit Kongsivi told a National Legislative Assembly close session yesterday that the ministry has terminated the travelling document since December 31 to bar him and his family from convenient travelling in foreign countries which waive visa for Thai diplomats.

The Nation

Please post a link to your source, thanks

[sbk]

The news about his passport has already been reported here

[Bruce1]

I don't care about them scrapping Thaksin's passport, but I do think it's a bad sign to gag his lawyer. Ordinary people are supposed to have some rights in this country, aren't they? The charges against him are yet to be proven and no proof has been produced that he was behind the bombings, it's only assertions, so presumably the regime doesn't believe in the old "innocent until proven guilty" idea, which must be a foreign western concept. It wasn't so long ago that people were complaining that Thaksin was supposed to be gagging the media, but now the boot is on the other foot, it seems.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6247273.stm

Edited January 10, 2007 by Bruce1

[gjones]

Urgent: Thaksin's diplomatic passport revoked

The Foreign Ministry has revoked diplomatic passports of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife after months of suggestion to block his activities in abroad which the junta deemed as a political threat to national harmony.

Deputy Foreign Ministry Sawanit Kongsivi told a National Legislative Assembly close session yesterday that the ministry has terminated the travelling document since December 31 to bar him and his family from convenient travelling in foreign countries which waive visa for Thai diplomats.

The Nation

Please post a link to your source, thanks

Sorr about that -> here is the link http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingne...newsid=30023785

[slimdog]

Regarding the original post. There is also a mention in the bangkok post:

CNS to get tough with broadcast media

Broadcast media were told this afternoon to stop airing news about former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his cronies.

Representatives of all television and radio stations were today invited to meet with members of the Council of National Security to be notified of the CNS's ''request for cooperation'' to refrain from airing news about the deposted prime minister and his cronies.

source: http://www.bangkokpost.net/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=115911

Edited January 10, 2007 by sbk
Only allowed to post the first two sentences of Bangkok Post articles

[Rinrada]

A bunch of un-elected squaddies telling a democractically appointed Prime Minister of HIS country that they dont want to play the game with him...gorra larff .........YA BOO...

[Meerkat]

I'm not convinced it was a fair move to revoke the passport. Other former PMs, even those ousted in prior coups, were allowed to keep theirs. If Thaksin is taken to trial and found guilty, then no problem, but it does kind of smack of finding him guilty before the verdict - ironically the central tenet of one of the complaints used against Thaksin in the first place (which he should stand trial for).

The story about the clamping-down on the media is also ironic, as media control for political gain was again one the points used by the coup leaders to justify the change of power.

Be careful what you wish for boys.

[Mid]

A bunch of un-elected squaddies telling a democractically appointed Prime Minister of HIS country that they dont want to play the game with him...gorra larff .........YA BOO...

democractically appointed ,

rubbish ............

very short memory

[pnustedt]

democractically appointed ,

rubbish ............

very short memory

The Thaksin government was elected by the overwhelming majority of the Thai electorate. Further elections were called for 14th October 2006 but the military illegally seized power, scrapped the Thai constitution and declared martial law.

It is commonly believed that Thaksin's government would have been re-elected on October 14 and, indeed, if free unhindered elections were held now Thaksin would be returned to power by the majority of Thai electorate.

It is your memory that is flawed!

[Mid]

nope ,

Takie resigned ..................................

[Rinrada]

nope ,

Takie resigned ..................................

To be replaced by ...Whom.?.. ....a grunt....

[Mid]

nope ,

Takie resigned ..................................

To be replaced by ...Whom.?.. ....a grunt....

irrelevant ......................

he resigned .

[Rinrada]

nope ,

Takie resigned ..................................

To be replaced by ...Whom.?.. ....a grunt....

irrelevant ......................

he resigned .

From not too long ago......depends on how you look at it.....

Thai Prime Minister to step aside

Mr Thaksin said he was stepping down out of respect for the king

Thailand's embattled Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra says he is stepping down, and has urged Thais to re-unite after months of political crisis.

Speaking on national TV, he said he would remain a caretaker prime minister until a new premier was chosen.

Monday saw Mr Thaksin claim 57% of the vote in Sunday's snap election, which he called in a bid to end the crisis.

His opponents, who accuse him of abuse of power and corruption, had threatened fresh street protests unless he quit.

Mr Thaksin's televised news conference came after he met the country's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

This is our victory. If we had not helped each other [in the protests], today would not have happened

He said he was "sorry" he would not be accepting the post of prime minister when the post-election parliament convened.

But he said he would remain a caretaker prime minister "until the selection process for the next prime minister is complete".

He apologised to the 16 million people who voted from him on Sunday, but said he had made the decision out of respect for the king, who marks his 60th anniversary on the throne this year.

"I decided that the unity of the country is the most important thing for Thailand," he said. ....etc...

from the BEEB at the time......