Five 'rogue' Radio Stations Face Closure

[cmsally]

Supinya is probably right here - according to "military" consitution the government cannot open or close radio stations as it pleases.

As I said in a previous post as far as I know orders to close Northern comunity radio stations rest with 3rd military division based in Phitsanuloke. So now we have a situation where if the military follow their constitution they have to close down the radio stations themselves. If they do this of course it just goes to show who is really in control. Maybe they should do it quickly while Abhisit is in Switzerland, at least he would have an excuse and could claim he knew nothing about it.

[Plus]

orders to close Northern comunity radio stations rest with 3rd military division

I'm not aware of any such orders and, as Supinya is quoted here, the government doesn't have the authority to issue them in the first place, let alone to the military.

So far the govt spokesman only warned and threatened the stations, what they can actually do is a different matter.

Orders to the military to close the stations (I think you imply "by force, if necessary", too) - do you have any basis for such claim?

[cmsally]

I am not saying that news of military orders to close stations have been published , I am merely saying I heard this from a credible source.

Looking at some articles on history of community radio it seems to follow previous happenings under military rule after coup

Nation - 2006 - Over 300 community radio stations suspended

Chiang Mai Community radio actually received a donation from the US Govt back in 2006 as they saw it stood for increased democracy in broadcasting.

US Vice Consul speaking at community radio workshop

Thailand at a crossroads - Crispin

Edited January 30, 2009 by cmsally

[samgrowth]

I am not saying that news of military orders to close stations have been published , I am merely saying I heard this from a credible source.

Looking at some articles on history of community radio it seems to follow previous happenings under military rule after coup

Nation - 2006 - Over 300 community radio stations suspended

Chiang Mai Community radio actually received a donation from the US Govt back in 2006 as they saw it stood for increased democracy in broadcasting.

US Vice Consul speaking at community radio workshop

No US or any foreign power may have a say in Thai politics. Americans go home.

[Bangyai]

Hello Bangyai, yes happy post festive season to you too.

I have not been around because I did a 2 week 2,000km trip south to north

in Myanmar, much of it back country in mini-vans and low level transport.

By coincidence just got back from a 2100 k northern hike myself touching at Mae Sot, along the border to Mae Sariang and Mae Hong Song and finaly Chiang Mai

I thought the 'not standing in theater' was quite provocative,

but then also found posting their addresses was worse.

I agree with you on that. I did before too.

But I don't remember it being a call for actual violence against him.

I see second hand reports, and loud outrage,

but never the quoted text of the Manager daily,

with 'the words used' calling for actual physical violence to be used against them.

Granted, the article was by Khun Giles but the gist of it was also reported in the Bangkok Post. Unfortunately the given link doesn't seem to work. As for the actual text of the Manager , I admit to not having read it myself and to being too lazy to chase up. However, knowing that Sondhi is not one to mince words and the fact that several other academics signed the letter of condemnation it seems probable that some kind of encouragement was given to pay the targets a home visit, otherwise adding their home addresses would not have been necessary. In fact, Mr Chotisak was obliged to quit his home address and stay with friends as a direct result.

As for the radio stations in question , I am reading what other posters have to say and some interesting points seem to be emerging.

( BTW , the red comments on your post are mine in case anyone thinks otherwise )

Edited January 30, 2009 by Bangyai

[Bangyai]

I see the point against the Manager. Since it's a registered, licensed and juristic entity, why don't they just sue them? Is it because there are no actual grounds for the suit? A few fiery words is all there is to it?

From the article, they originaly filed complaints with the police against the man who had argued with them for verbal and physical abuse but he in turn countered with an LM charge......say no more.

[hammered]

The radio stations basically operate because there is an opposition to the present govt situation. They have only risen in importance as the channels of dissent have been squeezed.

There is obviously the willpower to squeeze further in order to try and achieve a national consensus that probably doesn't exist. In doing so national interest may become more polarised from the interests of certain groups. The govt is playing a game of squashing the opposing voice. They are gambling on whether the genie can be forced into the bottle again, except they maybe creating more internal pressure within the bottle. Presumably one day something triggers the lid to come off.

I think it is getting a bit more complicated than just the genie right now. The size of the genie is amplified by the masses. Right now there is an attempt to bring the masses on board and to identify the radical elements of the opposition with that which is unacceptable and with violence and street protest which people have had enough of. If succesful these will be rammed back into th ebottle and seperated form the numbers and be hung out to dry. Unless of course they come running to do a deal, and there are signs Khwanchai may be doing this as the red side gets squeezed, divided and seperated from support in what may be a final way. Things dont look rosy for the red movement itself.

However, that will still leave the very real aspirations of the masses to deal with. That however, is a very different and more diffiicult issue to solve than the destruction of the red dudes, and this wont go away even if the red dudes get a mashing. In fact that may well atcually create conditions where the masses can negotiate or demand from a position of strength and no longer tied into all kinds of unacceptable people and ideas.

The community stations mentioned are just part of all this isolate and expose the enemy for a full frontal assualt when they have few allies left and as they face desertions.

It will be interesting to watch. In the short term th egovernment hold all the cards. In the longer term with a weakening economy a politcal rapprochemnt with the politcal power figures on the outside is needed. I guess this is ongoing now as we get constant rumours of fissures in camp Thaksin. One thing is for sure come the next election - unless elections get scrapped (possible) - the bureacracy will feel a lot happier if there is a nice provincail warlord party as an option to the demos as long as said party is onside.

In the meantime lets see how the assault on red things goes.