Thai Army spokesman urges media to be understanding of its endeavours

[webfact]

Army spokesman urges media to be understanding of its endeavours
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Army spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvari yesterday urged the media to have sympathy for the job the National Council for Peace and Order was doing and refrain from peppering it with negativity.

Winthai said any issues the media and the NCPO had could be resolved through discussion without targeting the junta with legal action.

The officer said he and the NCPO spokesmen talked to Thai PBS management about its programme People's Voices Must Be Heard Before Reformation because the junta wanted to head off anything that would lead to confusion and conflict.

Then show was suspended last week.

"The NCPO was just trying to negotiate and asked for Thai PBS's cooperation, not order or force them to suspend or shut down the show," he said.

Winthai said the action typified the NCPO's determination to ensure cooperation was given to maintain the country's stability.

He said the NCPO respected the media and believed it had good intentions towards the country, but the difference between the government and the media largely related to their perspectives on issues. The junta did not want any misinterpretations to arise about its relationship with the media.

Winthai said concerns raised by the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association and Thai Journalists Association regarding the junta's treatment of the media could be resolved through discussion.

Duty Government spokesman Major-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the government did not obstruct the media but merely proposed media organisations presented the public with the true facts.

"The media must be careful with what they broadcast to the public," he said.

"Moreover, there is an effort to create conflict within society, and they [the media] have to respect national laws because right now the country is not fully stable … the government insists on bringing peace [to the nation] and solving the country's issues."

The Thai Broadcast Journalists Association and the Thai Journalists Association issued a joint statement calling on the government and the NCPO to stop intervening in the running of media operations and stop threatening the media.

But Sansern insisted the NCPO did not intentionally pressure Thai PBS to suspend the show, but the independent public broadcaster misunderstood the position it was in and the negative effect a show could have on society.

After the issue was raised the NCPO arranged a meeting with the broadcaster's management and it did not abuse its authority - it merely proposed making the show more appropriate given the current situation.

He said the military did not want the show to pose questions to people that related to previous conflicts that could be misinterpreted and prevent the issues facing the country never being resolved.

The government also wanted the media to understand the NCPO's determination in trying to keep the country stable. Everyone realised the country had not fully recovered and if there were an attempt to air grievances the problems would never be eradicate.

Sansern urged the media to be more cautious when presenting news which could inflame the situation.

Most people believed the government and the NCPO could reduce social disputes, which would promote peace and reconciliation, he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Army-spokesman-urges-media-to-be-understanding-of--30247910.html


-- The Nation 2014-11-17

[englishoak]

Kind of a jittery bunch arnt they ?

[NongKhaiKid]

Another ' do as you're told message ' but to show the kinder, cuddlier side of the junta ' or else ' was omitted, THIS TIME !

[Suriya4]

Bad journalist should be arrested and charged with the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to thaksin. Army should not give in or explain themselves.

[jonclark]

Bad journalist should be arrested and charged with the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to thaksin. Army should not give in or explain themselves.

TiT

[Emster23]

Maybe find a board game called something like "Role of the press in a functional democracy", and pass it around to the ruling class. This statement indicates they are clueless in this area.

[spidermike007]

If you want us to be patient, show us something. We are people of action, and words mean very little to us. Show us real reform. Show us follow up, to the limited number of crackdowns. If you crack down, and do not follow up, the Thai people know you are not serious, which they do by now. Be strong. Show some courage. Arrest real perpetrators like Nomsod, the son of the headman of Sairee, who has gotten away with murder, due to your indifference, and unwillingness to go after the rich, powerful, influential, and connected. If you want to be taken seriously, be serious. Do not ask for patience. Do some real work. Do not arrest scapegoats, and then ask us to take you seriously. You say you are interested in reform. Show us. Show us something please.

[The manic]

Support your army - shoot yourself!

[Fat Haggis]

Bad journalist should be arrested and charged with the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to thaksin. Army should not give in or explain themselves.

But what about the bad military people who had the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to .......

NOBODY should be above the law but TiT and in most cases anyone with influence and power seem to be above it !!

[ginjag]

Bad journalist should be arrested and charged with the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to thaksin. Army should not give in or explain themselves.

But what about the bad military people who had the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to .......

NOBODY should be above the law but TiT and in most cases anyone with influence and power seem to be above it !!

Destroy democracy in Thailand Never had it here, had an elected non governing government though.

[metisdead]

Posts referring to the government as a dictatorship, military dictatorship or other such terms have been removed.

[HooHaa]

good to see that thaivisa remains transparent, open and unaffected.

[rickirs]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Bad journalist should be arrested and charged with the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to thaksin. Army should not give in or explain themselves.

How can one destroy democracy after it has already been eradicated? No constitution, no elections, no government by the People, martial law, absolute power of the NCPO, etc. - a dictatorship by any other name. North Korea must seem to be a people's paradise to you.

[Rimmer]

And another post removed.

Please do read the pinned notice at the top of Thailand News Clippings before you find yourself suspended from the forum:

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[Fat Haggis]

Bad journalist should be arrested and charged with the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to thaksin. Army should not give in or explain themselves.

But what about the bad military people who had the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to .......

NOBODY should be above the law but TiT and in most cases anyone with influence and power seem to be above it !!

Destroy democracy in Thailand Never had it here, had an elected non governing government though.

I have to ask, seeing as it's been a shambles for the past 30 years of your tenure, what makes you stay in such a messes up place? ?

Me I love the mess it's a talking point !!

[Laughing Gravy]

I would like the NCPO to stop spoiling my movie time, as it always comes on just at the beginning of a good film, sometimes at 6pm and other times later. I actually have listened to the drivel of what a great job is getting done and how things are moving forward. Funny that I haven't seen anything of value yet and it has been 6 months. As I am in the mood for quoting Benjamin Disraeli so aptly mentioned

“There are three types of lies -- lies, damn lies, and statistics.”

Edited November 17, 2014 by Laughing Gravy

[Fat Haggis]

There's another type of lie and that's "flied lie" 555

[ginjag]

Bad journalist should be arrested and charged with the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to thaksin. Army should not give in or explain themselves.

But what about the bad military people who had the intention to destroy democracy and hand the country to .......

NOBODY should be above the law but TiT and in most cases anyone with influence and power seem to be above it !!

Destroy democracy in Thailand Never had it here, had an elected non governing government though.

I have to ask, seeing as it's been a shambles for the past 30 years of your tenure, what makes you stay in such a messes up place? ?

Me I love the mess it's a talking point !!

If you want decent people to run the country, have the mandate to do it, I would look for Prem or Abhisit. it would in my eyes be more of a democracy.

Nice people with a bit of brain power. Abhisit never had the backing he was put into the job to take care. Anyone who is favourable to the PM or Abhisit etc are cried down upon by this minority on TVF.

Love it here, cheap to live, luxuries I wouldn't have in the UK, keep my self to myself in general, have NO hangers on as in Thai families to beg borrow or steal. If you were Thai then my words are for Them, not so much myself, half of them are helpless to know what democracy---most Thais are SHEEPLE.

[Dogmatix]

Actions speak louder than words. If the army and the NCPO do a good job, people will praise them without the need for martial law and censorship. Anand Panyarachun has gone down in Thai history as the best PMs Thailand ever had, despite being appointed by a military junta after a coup. Anand never had to order media to say good things about him.

[pookiki]

Support your army - shoot yourself!

Or stop shooting your mouth off!!