Thailand Criticized For Blocking Protest News

[dee123]

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/ap/20090415/tap-a...ip-7934085.html

[GungaDin]

To stop a fire, you have to cut off the oxygen.

Why give red-eyed rioters and their leader/s, oxygen!

edit: I don't favour either of these 2 buffaloes. UDD or PAD.

.

Edited April 16, 2009 by GungaDin

[cmsally]

Community radio will also be closed as of Monday. Be interesting to see if this is published in the newspapers. The last time community radio was closed was after the coup.

Apparently certain "red shirt" songs are also banned from being played.

[kennkate]

Getting more Chinese than China

What Next ???

[dbrenn]

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/ap/20090415/tap-a...ip-7934085.html

Interestingly, censorship was one of the main reasons for the PAD forming in the first place. Guess what? Now they are back in control, they are censoring the media.

What a sinister lot.

[Changian]

And yet the PAD satellite TV station and radio was never cut during the airport demos. Interesting . . .

[slapout]

The dtv channel that was taken off the air was a stage for the Red shirt protest leaders to stir up the troops and attempt to brainwash the public (successful in some cases) The term news 'channel' if applied to them, would be the most loose use of the term, that I have encountered in quite some time.

[Koo82]

They block many websites too.

Previously they said Khun Thaksin interfered media. Now they don't interfere. They simply block.

[cmsally]

The dtv channel that was taken off the air was a stage for the Red shirt protest leaders to stir up the troops and attempt to brainwash the public (successful in some cases) The term news 'channel' if applied to them, would be the most loose use of the term, that I have encountered in quite some time.

The same could be said of ASTV.

[geriatrickid]

Silly people. It's all very clear. How many times do you need to be told? Some pigs are more equal than others...........

[cmsally]

For those who read Thai here is an article on shutting down community radio.

Matichon

It seems they are only closing down in some provinces - guess what the ones that give out the "wrong" info.

I haven't read the whole article but it seems they mostly rely on the Emergency Law to give them powers to close down. But the emergency law doesn't cover all provinces, so they have to find some kind of criminal case against the other provinces.

To me it looks as though closing down comes first and criminal case later. Surely it should be the other way around at least the provinces that the emergency law doesn't cover.

On a lighter note another article in Matichon yesterday was that a number of ambassadors were summoned to govt house for a meeting and the S. African ambassador turned up in a TAXI ! Whether that was meant as symbolism I don't know but highly amusing.

Apparently he was questioned by security and his reply was that taxi was far more convenient as it was an extended holiday. Presumably he'd given his driver the extra days off.

Matichon

[h90]

http://ph.news.yahoo.com/ap/20090415/tap-a...ip-7934085.html

Interestingly, censorship was one of the main reasons for the PAD forming in the first place. Guess what? Now they are back in control, they are censoring the media.

What a sinister lot.

Since when is the PAD in control??

[thailandlover]

My what short memories we all have

www.theasiamediaforum.org/node/302

Am I the only one who recalls ITV? The independent television news station famous for its exposes into corruption bought out by Thaksin, reporters fired and the station turned into yet another game show/soap opera channel?

Oh, and just in case anyone else forgets, the ITV reporters did win their court case for unlawful termination.

www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/print.asp?parentid=41489

Edited April 17, 2009 by thailandlover

[Jimjim]

The watchdog isn't taking into account the difference between media and propaganda, which they should. I demand they retract their statement.