Military junta shuts down a satellite TV channel for defying Order 44



BANGKOK: -- The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has ordered the shut down of a satellite TV channel, Fa Hai TV, after the news channel broadcast contents that it considered detrimental to national security and peace and order of the country.

Five station staffers were detained for questioning it freed later on bails, while two others who included a DJ and a former commissioner of the Royal Thai Police are being sought for questioning.

The shut down of the satellite TV station came after a combined force of soldiers and Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police raided the station located off Tivanond road in Pak Kred district of Nonthaburi late Wednesday evening on the order of the military junta after a new programme it aired carried contents that were considered breaching Order 44 of the interim constitution, or detrimental to national security and disturb peace and order of the country.

Six station staffers were arrested. They were Ms Pornthipa Supatananukul or known as DJ Fah, also former programme organiser of Channel 13 (Siam Thai), Chaiwat Chantem, Kunnam Nerunchara, Narongrit Poothavi, and Warit Arkham.

Two others, one identified as DJ Pan Pan or Panatorn Ratapuridet, and a former national police chief, were also sought after when they were not at the station at the time of the raid.

The police and soldiers also seized 44 items of materials that were vital to the operation of the station for inspection.

All were later brought to the CSD headquarters for questionings.

They were initially charged for breaching the military junta’s order for broadcasting contents detrimental to national security, and also operated the news channel without licence from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.

They were later freed after each of them posted 20,000 baht in cash as bail.

For the two other persons, a DJ and a former national police chief, the military was coordinating with the CSD to issue warrants to summon them for questioning.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/military-junta-shuts-down-a-satellite-tv-channel-for-defying-order-44


-- Thai PBS 2015-11-20

Not to worry, the great general has already explained the Thai human rights issues to Obama.

So questioning the Park corruption is now deemed a threat to National security.....

Not to worry, the great general has already explained the Thai human rights issues to Obama.

Obama has enough human rights issues of his own

Article .44 Magnum

Not to worry, the great general has already explained the Thai human rights issues to Obama.

Obama has enough human rights issues of his own

Mmm, not bad, a whole 5 posts before we get an Obama rant. Still, makes a change from obsessing about Thaksin, I suppose.

Edited November 20, 201510 yr by thelonius

after the news channel broadcast contents that it considered detrimental to national security and peace and order of the country.

Well, this sure ain't the way to reconciliation, peace, order and brotherly love. The government seem determined to create more and more enemies.

So questioning the Park corruption is now deemed a threat to National security.....

Is that the reason they shut down the station?

Not to worry, the great general has already explained the Thai human rights issues to Obama.

Obama who?

But we still have peace and order. So maybe the show they broadcasted was not that detrimental.

So questioning the Park corruption is now deemed a threat to National security.....

Is that the reason they shut down the station?

According to reports in the other paper yes, as well as an ex Chief of police commenting that the army should clean their own shop before looking at others.,

So questioning the Park corruption is now deemed a threat to National security.....

Is that the reason they shut down the station?

Basically, yes. I think they were the ones who blew the whistle on the military corruption at the park. Bad form to out the defense minister after all, as he was the guy previously in charge of it.

But not to worry, today's report of the investigation into the corruption will whitewash prove that there was no corruption at all, it is just a figment of your imagination. And if you believe that, I have a lovely bit of land in South Florida I would like to sell you.

I wonder if this is the police chief that was unable to arrest a single red terrorist a couple of years ago or maybe the police chief that cheered the deaths of protestors, or maybe the police chief that thought that there was no ethical issue with hanging a photo of a convicted criminal in his office at police HQ while the polices job was to arrest convicted criminals. Or maybe.....and it goes on.

One thing can be assured if it was an ex police chief from the above era then we are assured he is not talking about reconciliation or moving the country forward. More likely hate speeches being broadcast and removing them is simply following Australia's suit. Take it off the air.

Edited November 20, 201510 yr by djjamie

I wonder if this is the police chief that was unable to arrest a single red terrorist a couple of years ago or maybe the police chief that cheered the deaths of protestors, or maybe the police chief that thought that there was no ethical issue with hanging a photo of a convicted criminal in his office at police HQ while the polices job was to arrest convicted criminals. Or maybe.....and it goes on.

One thing can be assured if it was an ex police chief from the above era then we are assured he is not talking about reconciliation or moving the country forward. More likely hate speeches being broadcast and removing them is simply following Australia's suit. Take it off the air.

Was he not the police chief appointed by the previous military junta after the 2006 coup who was responsible for putting away Kanman Poh amongst others.

Obama has just been lucky that he listened to his advisers

The truth is he is useless man and alone could run a 7 Eleven... Prayut is merely seeking total power.

The talk of a democracy is just that talk. The US can not keep you at the wheel forever old boy. There only one country.

All this national security talk please people have a right to express there side

This is called a DEMOCRACY

Give the civilized western voting system and the voting date

Edited November 20, 201510 yr by Siammodels

I wonder if this is the police chief that was unable to arrest a single red terrorist a couple of years ago or maybe the police chief that cheered the deaths of protestors, or maybe the police chief that thought that there was no ethical issue with hanging a photo of a convicted criminal in his office at police HQ while the polices job was to arrest convicted criminals. Or maybe.....and it goes on.

One thing can be assured if it was an ex police chief from the above era then we are assured he is not talking about reconciliation or moving the country forward. More likely hate speeches being broadcast and removing them is simply following Australia's suit. Take it off the air.

I believe he was made chief of police by the Junta after the 2006 coup if that answers your question?

So questioning the Park corruption is now deemed a threat to National security.....

Is that the reason they shut down the station?

According to reports in the other paper yes, as well as an ex Chief of police commenting that the army should clean their own shop before looking at others.,

While true, that coming out from a corrupt police man is a joke.....(at police you have to pay for promotions so automatically if you make it to Police chief, you have been corrupt at some point)

This Thai PBS report includes many facts, but not what the station actually broadcast that was considered an offense.

The LM law, by its nature, precludes discussion of the actual offense, as such discussion would also be an infraction (and so on, in a death spiral of lawlessness).

Evidently, Article 44 "national security" offenses inspire this same sort of introspection. We can say it happened, but we cannot say what it is.

That is rather convenient for the Junta.

So questioning the Park corruption is now deemed a threat to National security.....

Is that the reason they shut down the station?

According to reports in the other paper yes, as well as an ex Chief of police commenting that the army should clean their own shop before looking at others.,

So in other words the army can dish the dirt, they just can't take it.

So questioning the Park corruption is now deemed a threat to National security.....

Is that the reason they shut down the station?

According to reports in the other paper yes, as well as an ex Chief of police commenting that the army should clean their own shop before looking at others.,

While true, that coming out from a corrupt police man is a joke.....(at police you have to pay for promotions so automatically if you make it to Police chief, you have been corrupt at some point)

So you mean exactly the same as the army.... So why dont they clean their own ranks first!! It is a perfectly valid comment if a little rich.

The police cheif was also a staunch royalist and PAD supporter, who was put as chief of police by the previous Junta in 2006.

I think its what so many people find so laughable about the current situation, is the fact that the army are here talking about cleaning up corruption like some moral crusaders when they themselves are as bad if not worse than any of the others.

They forgot to broadcast the "Lalala HappyLands" song 10 times a day?

Shut them down.... Out of Lalala Lands...

There, happiness index must have increased already

Edited November 20, 201510 yr by CantSpell

So questioning the Park corruption is now deemed a threat to National security.....

Is that the reason they shut down the station?

According to reports in the other paper yes, as well as an ex Chief of police commenting that the army should clean their own shop before looking at others.,

Ooh, rather brave!

Especially bearing in mind what happened to a senior policeman in military custody recently!

Edited November 20, 201510 yr by JAG

Is that the reason they shut down the station?

According to reports in the other paper yes, as well as an ex Chief of police commenting that the army should clean their own shop before looking at others.,

While true, that coming out from a corrupt police man is a joke.....(at police you have to pay for promotions so automatically if you make it to Police chief, you have been corrupt at some point)

So you mean exactly the same as the army.... So why dont they clean their own ranks first!! It is a perfectly valid comment if a little rich.

The police cheif was also a staunch royalist and PAD supporter, who was put as chief of police by the previous Junta in 2006.

I think its what so many people find so laughable about the current situation, is the fact that the army are here talking about cleaning up corruption like some moral crusaders when they themselves are as bad if not worse than any of the others.

yeah why didn't he clean the police force?

Finger pointing....why clean my house why not clean the others house, why jail the bank robber while there are still murder running around....the others not me.....

I wonder if this is the police chief that was unable to arrest a single red terrorist a couple of years ago or maybe the police chief that cheered the deaths of protestors, or maybe the police chief that thought that there was no ethical issue with hanging a photo of a convicted criminal in his office at police HQ while the polices job was to arrest convicted criminals. Or maybe.....and it goes on.

One thing can be assured if it was an ex police chief from the above era then we are assured he is not talking about reconciliation or moving the country forward. More likely hate speeches being broadcast and removing them is simply following Australia's suit. Take it off the air.

Spoken like a true believer in freedom of speech...

yeah why didn't he clean the police force?

Finger pointing....why clean my house why not clean the others house, why jail the bank robber while there are still murder running around....the others not me.....

I presume he did not because i dont really think its possible for them to reform without widespread civil society forcing it. If he tried to change anything he would be out very quickly, the same within any of these organizations.

However he is not the one riding around screaming and shouting about reform/anti corruption when it is going on all around him within his own organization.

"They were initially charged for breaching the military junta’s order for broadcasting contents detrimental to national security, and also operated the news channel without license from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission."

The junta seems to step in it no matter what they do. Had they just said they shut down station due to a licensing issue, all might be forgotten. But no. They must make a judgment call on the content too, making themselves the enemy of free speech.

Are unlicensed station operating which follow the junta's anti critical guidelines ?

What's new? It's just the junta digging their hole deeper and deeper.

A description of the content seems to be missing...and yes, it can be described without violating the saw rule.

yeah why didn't he clean the police force?

Finger pointing....why clean my house why not clean the others house, why jail the bank robber while there are still murder running around....the others not me.....

I presume he did not because i dont really think its possible for them to reform without widespread civil society forcing it. If he tried to change anything he would be out very quickly, the same within any of these organizations.

However he is not the one riding around screaming and shouting about reform/anti corruption when it is going on all around him within his own organization.

Note...he did not and he did not try! If he want to do something against corruption than he should turn himself in with a list of who he paid for promotions....It is just hypocrite....

One baiting troll post and subsequent replies have been removed from this thread.