PM wants media to act as 'mouth, eyes and ears' of Thailand

[webfact]

PM wants media to act as “mouth, eyes and ears” of Thailand

 

 

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut chan-ocha said Thursday that he would like the Thai media to act as “mouth, eyes and ears” of the country and to report on things which will not cause damage to the country.

 

The media, he said, should be well aware of the problems facing the country and the problems are complicated so they should not quickly jump into conclusions but should wait until the truths reveal themselves.

 

Touching on confidence issue, the prime minister said that all Thais must help in confidence building and the best way of confidence building is for all Thais to have unity.

 

“For those who do not cooperate in confidence building, just leave them alone and do not pay them any attention. If they engage in any (illegal) activities, it is their business and the law will take care of them,” said the prime minister.

 

He said that he is ready to invoke his special powers, but he does not want to and he does not want anyone to force him to do so.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/176730-2/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-19

[NongKhaiKid]

Doesn't all his reasoning not amount to self-censorship at least,   and all in the knowledge it's not a good idea to cross him   ?

[Rykbanlor]

He's going to invoke his special powers - x ray bullshit?

 

This guy would be hilariously pathetic if he wasn't in charge, as it stands he is dangerously singleminded.

If the media had paid heed to his advice they could have avoided all those messy details surrounding the Koh Tao murders.

If the media had paid heed to his advice Thailand would still be a flawless smiling land of benign farmers providing lifts to Russian tourists and rescuing elderly couples from mudbanks.

 

The media is truly destroying this country.

[brucec64]

If the media are the “mouth, eyes and ears” of the country, what body part is left, and what does that make Prayuth of the country?

[Plutojames88]

This is a discernible shift...asking reporters essentially  to suppress news like warning Tourists of violence in their streets, albeit it by thugs, or explosions, civil strife....""report on things which will not cause damage to the country""

 

 

He goes on to imply he will deem it illegal to do so.

 

 

But he is basically saying if it can hurt tourism and you report it....gaol.
If it hurts my reputation ( Nation) ..he will gaol you.
Human slavery stories ....anything .

It's Orwellian BS that needs calling out.

Who the hell wants to visit a country where journalists risk life and limb and their freedom disclosing events to the world?
Run by a junta arresting opponents and crushing protest of any form?

It's actually disgraceful he is not being told to stand down by foreign powers, let alone no sanctions imposed.

It's unbelievable how dark this place has become behind the stage managed welcoming faces of the junta to world.
Real people in real gaols for no crimes.

Giving them your tourist dollar is now in itself a kind of karmic wrong doing in a sense.....certainly risky given the amount of westerners dying there these days ...

Time the world moved on this army run nation to restore democracy.....this guy certainly has no intension of doing so.

Edited August 18, 2016 by Plutojames88

[Somtamnication]

It will be a very quiet, short and nothing to report information system. 

[Thechook]

3 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

It will be a very quiet, short and nothing to report information system. 

There is always the feel good taxi driver stories issued by TAT to report on.

[JAG]

19 minutes ago, Somtamnication said:

It will be a very quiet, short and nothing to report information system. 

Just what he wants then...

 

 

 

[DrTuner]

[phycokiller]

very childish, but if you look at the american elections you can see that many people like to be talked to like they are kids at school, so maybe it makes them happy

[Thailand]

Do as I say or else!

[waldroj]

So, junta-head, let the media be the face of Thailand! 

 

Metaphorically speaking, seeing the junta is so full of "it",  you, and the rest of your junta cronies have already taken another part of Thailands body! 

 

A word of caution - just be careful that those in senior military positions don't become Its feet, and march right over you (only it won't be a metaphor)! 

[tbthailand]

maybe they should act as journalists?

 

moron... 

[Eligius]

Things are going from bad to worse - and the Thai people (in their millions) stand for it. I know there are many good, decent, freedom-loving Thais in Thailand - but they seem to be outnumbered by the literally millions and millions of supine, spineless Thais who will take anything that is defecated all over them. They might whisper about how they dislike it - and then clap and cheer a 'minister' when she appears in public before them.

 

 In the end - and it grieves me to say this -  a people get the government they deserve - if they are not prepared to develop  a moral backbone and proudly and bravely proclaim, in their many millions,  'enough is enough'. Will the Thais ever utter these words, I wonder?

[NongKhaiKid]

12 minutes ago, Eligius said:

Things are going from bad to worse - and the Thai people (in their millions) stand for it. I know there are many good, decent, freedom-loving Thais in Thailand - but they seem to be outnumbered by the literally millions and millions of supine, spineless Thais who will take anything that is defecated all over them. They might whisper about how they dislike it - and then clap and cheer a 'minister' when she appears in public before them.

 

 In the end - and it grieves me to say this -  a people get the government they deserve - if they are not prepared to develop  a moral backbone and proudly and bravely proclaim, in their many millions,  'enough is enough'. Will the Thais ever utter these words, I wonder?

With you all the way about this but,   and it's a big but,   there's an feeling of defeatism to add to the general couldn't care attitude.

I picked this up many years ago from my then gf,   a lovely girl,   well educated and feisty so always good for a discussion and argument.

However when she would complain about the govt,   politicians etc and I would ask why the Thais don't do something about it her stock response was that they 're just   '   little people  '   so what can they do   ?

 

Just the way the elite want them defeated before they start because the system has them that way and it's accepted.

[chrisinth]

Well it seems there you have it.

 

The prime minister would like the media to act as mouth, eyes & ears for the country, with the stipulation that they are gagged and blindfolded when doing their jobs.

 

He who controls the media controls the world springs to mind. IMO, a dangerous venture by the government to further restrict reporting in an apparent democracy.

[canuckamuck]

If the press were to agree, the first story they would suppress is this speech by the Pm. Because what he is asking for is, that the press to agree to only report propaganda and turn a blind eye to corruption, malfeasance, and any incompetent moves from the government as well.

Reporting on this request would be very damaging to Thailand's image abroad. In fact it is shocking and disturbing.

[baboon]

30 minutes ago, Eligius said:

Things are going from bad to worse - and the Thai people (in their millions) stand for it. I know there are many good, decent, freedom-loving Thais in Thailand - but they seem to be outnumbered by the literally millions and millions of supine, spineless Thais who will take anything that is defecated all over them. They might whisper about how they dislike it - and then clap and cheer a 'minister' when she appears in public before them.

 

 In the end - and it grieves me to say this -  a people get the government they deserve - if they are not prepared to develop  a moral backbone and proudly and bravely proclaim, in their many millions,  'enough is enough'. Will the Thais ever utter these words, I wonder?

I hear you. The media is set to basically become a branch of the state and... Nothing. Once again, nothing.

After all the crackdowns, the referendum where the people voted for more of the same and now this, the expression 'Nobody else gives a sh!t so why should I' is springing to mind more and more often...

[sweatalot]

Why not?

 

If the government takes care that their is nothing negative to report?

 

If they take care for for having just and wise courts, well prepared and effective police, eliminating violence, crime, unjustice ...

 

Even the actions of the government to achieve this would be well worth reporting, wouldn't it?

 

 

[Plutojames88]

48 minutes ago, Eligius said:

Things are going from bad to worse - and the Thai people (in their millions) stand for it. I know there are many good, decent, freedom-loving Thais in Thailand - but they seem to be outnumbered by the literally millions and millions of supine, spineless Thais who will take anything that is defecated all over them. They might whisper about how they dislike it - and then clap and cheer a 'minister' when she appears in public before them.

 

 In the end - and it grieves me to say this -  a people get the government they deserve - if they are not prepared to develop  a moral backbone and proudly and bravely proclaim, in their many millions,  'enough is enough'. Will the Thais ever utter these words, I wonder?

I agree , there is a boiling point to which a Nation as a whole presents its passionate youth in deviance of tyranny ...that millions together can defeat.

Yet nothing .

Draconian laws and oppression and fear become even more entrenched?

 

i though do see the signs of a Tsunami of civil unrest.

Those bombings rattled the Government ....fires and mayhem provide a fertile ground for people to move on something.

 

If one day an attack say killed the PM you may well see mass civilian disruption.

 

The soldiers may well kill a hundred or even a Thousand .

But never a hundred Thousand or a million.

 

Thailand is theirs for the taking.

 

This is why we see the junta battle to literally survive .

They try desperately to keep a lid on things boiling over.

But in doing so turn up the heat.

 

The chances of these people being alive running this government in 5 years is at best 50-50.

 

When it comes the people rising up it will not be pretty.

All that's needed is a trigger.

A soldier gunning down 30. -40 people? 

Yingluck Placed in prison where she allegedly suicides?

 

Thaksin assassinated ?

A major death of someone revered .?

 

But Thais respond out of the blue .

A chain reaction of some sort will break the levee ....and the Junta Dam break.

Ironically the non action by citizens is speeding up the process by creating a run away leader shutting down the country.

 

Its dark days ahead that's for sure.

But something will eventually give.

People residing there should follow events here closely.

For their own good 

Edited August 19, 2016 by Plutojames88

[robblok]

30 minutes ago, sweatalot said:

Why not?

 

If the government takes care that their is nothing negative to report?

 

If they take care for for having just and wise courts, well prepared and effective police, eliminating violence, crime, unjustice ...

 

Even the actions of the government to achieve this would be well worth reporting, wouldn't it?

 

 

Indeed.. bad news need to be reported no matter how much governments want them not too. Fix the problems.. don't shoot the messengers. 

 

But he said he would not do anything about those who do report the truth unless they are doing illegal things. So no censoring just yet. Just begging people to not report news.

Edited August 19, 2016 by robblok

[robblok]

28 minutes ago, Plutojames88 said:

I agree , there is a boiling point to which a Nation as a whole presents its passionate youth in deviance of tyranny ...that millions together can defeat.

Yet nothing .

Draconian laws and oppression and fear become even more entrenched?

 

i though do see the signs of a Tsunami of civil unrest.

Those bombings rattled the Government ....fires and mayhem provide a fertile ground for people to move on something.

 

If one day an attack say killed the PM you may well see mass civilian disruption.

 

The soldiers may well kill a hundred or even a Thousand .

But never a hundred Thousand or a million.

 

Thailand is theirs for the taking.

 

This is why we see the junta battle to literally survive .

They try desperately to keep a lid on things boiling over.

But in doing so turn up the heat.

 

The chances of these people being alive running this government in 5 years is at best 50-50.

 

When it comes the people rising up it will not be pretty.

All that's needed is a trigger.

A soldier gunning down 30. -40 people? 

Yingluck Placed in prison where she allegedly suicides?

 

Thaksin assassinated ?

A major death of someone revered .?

 

But Thais respond out of the blue .

A chain reaction of some sort will break the levee ....and the Junta Dam break.

Ironically the non action by citizens is speeding up the process by creating a run away leader shutting down the country.

 

Its dark days ahead that's for sure.

But something will eventually give.

People residing there should follow events here closely.

For their own good 

 

Im all for that revolution you describe and your war mongering. Just make sure your in the front when the soldiers start shooting. It will be a sacrifice well worth (in your eyes) and in mine too. I gladly let the junta go if that means you are gone too and your warmongering revolution preaching stuff is no longer on Thaivisa. 

[The stuttering parrot]

It's 2016 and people still support this type of behaviour or at the very least try and defend it.

Shame on all of you.

[robblok]

Just now, The stuttering parrot said:

It's 2016 and people still support this type of behaviour or at the very least try and defend it.

Shame on all of you.

Defend what.. calling people up to not report bad news out of their own free will without sanction. I hate it just as much if they were FORCED not to report bad news. Now he is just asking / begging.

 

I want bad news to be reported as i said before I am against shooting the messenger but he just has to fix the problems. But for now he is just asking.. bad but nothing special from someone like him who is in the army and loves his country (I dislike nationalists like this and dislike Prayut and think he is a walking PR disaster have said this in the past).

 

Just a lesser evil. How much lesser remains to be seen. But with elections next year and a new party on the horizon the PTP will surely win. The democrats will loose votes to the new party the PTP probably not. So at that point the leaders in charge can right this stuff. Maybe even change the defamation laws just like they did when they were in power.. oh they did not.. guess they like these kind of tools too. 

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Anything to get the mouths, eyes and ears off of his ass...

[canuckamuck]

8 minutes ago, robblok said:

Defend what.. calling people up to not report bad news out of their own free will without sanction. I hate it just as much if they were FORCED not to report bad news. Now he is just asking / begging.

 

I want bad news to be reported as i said before I am against shooting the messenger but he just has to fix the problems. But for now he is just asking.. bad but nothing special from someone like him who is in the army and loves his country (I dislike nationalists like this and dislike Prayut and think he is a walking PR disaster have said this in the past).

 

Just a lesser evil. How much lesser remains to be seen. But with elections next year and a new party on the horizon the PTP will surely win. The democrats will loose votes to the new party the PTP probably not. So at that point the leaders in charge can right this stuff. Maybe even change the defamation laws just like they did when they were in power.. oh they did not.. guess they like these kind of tools too. 

Isn't it very odd to you that someone who claims to be committed to wiping out corruption seems determined to enhance the mechanisms which enable it?

 

Would it not be better to introduce laws which give the press immunity from defamation charges as long as what they report is true?

 

Surely this would have been useful during Thaksin's era as well?

Edited August 19, 2016 by canuckamuck

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Isn't it very odd to you that someone who claims to be committed to wiping out corruption seems determined to enhance the mechanisms which enable it?

 

Would it not be better to introduce laws which give the press immunity from defamation charges as long as what they report is true?

 

Surely this would have been useful during Thaksin's era as well?

Nobody in power want the defamation laws gone its a tool (PTP have been in power for ages but never removed it in fact they charged the democrats when they came with reports on the rice program. So this is quite common among all of them).

 

The PM now has an even bigger stick to hit those he does not like, but he has not YET used this stick to silence the reporters. For now he is asking (bad enough but could be worse).

 

I agree 100% with what you say about the defamation laws and the press. I actually think they should be totally gone. But so far no government in the last 20 years has touched them. Must give you a hint about that they all like them. 

[Thian]

Thailand needs more carcams and homemade video's.

 

Also stop arresting people who upload video's to youtube if they film authorities do wrong.

[Plutojames88]

44 minutes ago, robblok said:

 

Im all for that revolution you describe and your war mongering. Just make sure your in the front when the soldiers start shooting. It will be a sacrifice well worth (in your eyes) and in mine too. I gladly let the junta go if that means you are gone too and your warmongering revolution preaching stuff is no longer on Thaivisa. 

Recently a Thai academic wrote to the United States Ambassador in Bangkok accusing theirs and other Embassies of wanting those bombings that occurred .
The rationale much the same as yours was they had warned their citizens prior to the events leading up to it to exercise caution. ( referendum )

 

Observing potential dangers and manifesting them or wanting them are not the same thing.

 

War is sometimes justified - but that is a matter for the Thai people.
I advocate only westerners maybe consider it is likely at some point civil unrest will occur.

This is part opinion ( on a forum and legal in context of it being an opinion ) not under junta law from Australia..
I neither wish or take delight in events that might be required.
But nor do I shun away from the reasons or justifications.

Junta fan boys have a role to play much the same as court jesters or devils advocates.Opinions are a democratic process on forums and elsewhere.
But embracing the junta censorship and mistaking a viewpoint with national security another.
We are only observers.
If you want peace so much perhaps the juntas demise will herald that in for you.

Meantime wishing them away peacefully the Thais are learning is not going to work.
So the more practical solution may just well entail pitch folks on mass.
Who knows.
Lighten up sunshine .

[Bluespunk]

''PM wants media to act as 'mouth, eyes and ears' of Thailand''

Be good.

 

Do as we require.

 

Don't report on any truth we wish was otherwise.