Junta moves closer to regulating media

[snoop1130]

Junta moves closer to regulating media

By The Nation

 

 

The military government’s so-called “agreement of truth” will likely include a mechanism to oversee media in the name of ensuring the press “act responsibly to society” by following an imposed code of conduct and professional morality.
 

The agreement will likely require approval from major political parties before being put into practice.

 

But the same mechanism will also help protect media from interference and threats, ensuring them freedom of the press, Maj-General Kongcheep Tantravanich said on Monday.

 

Kongcheep, a spokesperson to the junta government’s committee on reconciliation building, said that the tool is necessary because media “have been manipulated to provide political discourses and biased information” in ways that fracture society.

 

While Kongcheep did not elaborate details regarding the control mechanism, the junta-appointed, now-defunct National Steering Reform Assembly earlier proposed a plan that will allow state authorities to take part in media affairs.

 

Their proposed media regulation draft bill called for creation of a “national media council” that would include two government representatives to oversee the media landscape.

 

Although much opposed by journalists and media professionals, the draft was eventually forwarded to the Cabinet, who will decide on what points of the NRSA’s draft they agree with before forwarding it to the National Legislative Assembly to pass into law.

 

Kongcheep’s mechanism could be the junta’s latest step to create a body to regulate media with endorsements from political parties and figures.

 

Since the beginning of this year, the junta government has been drafting an agreement, along with seeking input from political players. The input is never detailed for the public.

 

Political actors are expected to approve the agreement, which also covers other social and economic issues, as “another step to achieve reconciliation”. How closely they will be bound to the final agreement is not yet clear.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30323792

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-8-14

[tbthailand]

1 minute ago, snoop1130 said:

But the same mechanism will also help protect media from interference and threats, ensuring them freedom of the press, Maj-General Kongcheep Tantravanich said on Monday.

yeah, right... 

[Caps]

The military government’s so-called “agreement of truth” 

 

Maybe it should be called "agreement so the public don't get the truth"?

[seajae]

would be refreshing to get the truth from the media, all we get are there own biased crap at the moment depending on who they prefer/like, they make up stories  etc just to grab headlines, even better would be making them research their stories fully before twisting it all around.....

[zzaa09]

Not like the mainstream media hasn't be regulated, restricted, censored and lorded over for decades.

 

What's the revelation?

 

Same as it ever was.

[lonewolf99]

will this be closely followed by the Junta's nuclear armaments program ? .....just like cousin Kim's.

 

[wakeupplease]

2 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

You could see this coming since the 2006 coup. 

 

It won't be long before those websites they cannot control will be banned, just like China. 

Banned where local, that's ok VPN solves that but what the do not understand a banned site local is still viewed across the world by all other country's, so the story still gets out. Many Thais live abroad, word of mouth takes over and that cannot be stopped.

 

The place is doomed the sooner the better for the majority.

[NanLaew]

Just now, seajae said:

would be refreshing to get the truth from the media, all we get are there own biased crap at the moment depending on who they prefer/like, they make up stories  etc just to grab headlines, even better would be making them research their stories fully before twisting it all around.....

Exactly. The decades of media manipulation by corrupt politicians and non-elected juntas has resulted in a mainstream media that hasn't a clue on policing itself, setting standards or doing proper due diligence on stories. Investigative journalism is largely unknown here. Thai media thus will never be able to bear the responsibilities incumbent on what is known as the fourth estate and will be perpetually vulnerable to control by influential persons, elected and otherwise.

 

But right now, it's the media they deserve.

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

Not like the mainstream media hasn't be regulated, restricted, censored and lorded over for decades.

 

What's the revelation?

 

Same as it ever was.

 

"Not like the mainstream media hasn't be regulated, restricted, censored and lorded over for decades."

 

How true, think back a decade and the media was terrified of the then PM and his threats to reporters and he did sue several reporters. Plus he used his YES and NO bats to indicate what questions he didn't like, and no reporter would dare pursue a story which got a NO sign.  

 

Plus the case of a foreign journalist who asked him an awkward question, the journalist was deported the next day.

 

 

[Becker]

1 hour ago, scorecard said:

 

"Not like the mainstream media hasn't be regulated, restricted, censored and lorded over for decades."

 

How true, think back a decade and the media was terrified of the then PM and his threats to reporters and he did sue several reporters. Plus he used his YES and NO bats to indicate what questions he didn't like, and no reporter would dare pursue a story which got a NO sign.  

 

Plus the case of a foreign journalist who asked him an awkward question, the journalist was deported the next day.

 

 

There certainly was intimidation but nothing like what is happening now. Just have a look at the press freedom index for the years following the last coup and you see a steady decline.

And contrary to the situation under the Shins the junta can only be removed by guns, are accountable to no one and have given themselves amnesties covering any and all crimes. So I'm sure you agree with me when I say that the situation today is worse that it has ever been, right?

[heybruce]

"Kongcheep, a spokesperson to the junta government’s committee on reconciliation building, said that the tool is necessary because media “have been manipulated to provide political discourses and biased information” in ways that fracture society. "

 

Very true.  For example, there was the Thai government that made it illegal to criticize the government after it seized power in 2014.  It was the same government that flooded the country with heavy-handed propaganda before a referendum on a new constitution, and threatened prison to any who criticized the constitution in an impolite manner.

 

Clearly unbiased reporting would be impossible under these conditions.  I'm just not convinced the proposed regulation is really meant to change that.

[heybruce]

3 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

Banned where local, that's ok VPN solves that but what the do not understand a banned site local is still viewed across the world by all other country's, so the story still gets out. Many Thais live abroad, word of mouth takes over and that cannot be stopped.

 

The place is doomed the sooner the better for the majority.

China and Russia are working on "regulating" (banning) VPNs.  I'm sure this government will try the same eventually.

[Thechook]

Can't regulate much more, the are already gagged and tied, then prayuth himself said he can have them executed if they wrote things he didn't like.

[gk10002000]

7 hours ago, tbthailand said:

yeah, right... 

 

7 hours ago, tbthailand said:

  7 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

But the same mechanism will also help protect media from interference and threats, ensuring them freedom of the press, Maj-General Kongcheep Tantravanich said on Monday.

Sure print what they want, then get sued and put in prison for those other laws that get you in trouble if anybody claims harm from you even if you posted an opinion, never mind truth, or an editorial

[Khun Han]

As if the meek Thai press needed regulating further. This stinks. Big time.

[Muhendis]

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

But the same mechanism will also help protect media from interference and threats, ensuring them freedom of the press

The only limitation on the so called freedom of the press is the defamation law. Until this law is revoked there can be no freedom all other mechanisms are nothing but window dressing.

[NanLaew]

9 hours ago, Becker said:

There certainly was intimidation but nothing like what is happening now. Just have a look at the press freedom index for the years following the last coup and you see a steady decline.

And contrary to the situation under the Shins the junta can only be removed by guns, are accountable to no one and have given themselves amnesties covering any and all crimes. So I'm sure you agree with me when I say that the situation today is worse that it has ever been, right?

Regardless of who is sitting in the big house, the regular Thai media will retain their existing freedoms to be bought, manipulated or just rollover.

 

It also has a lot to do with why Thailand's 'fifth estate' is causing certain parties such a headache.

[mtls2005]

The "optics" of having an Army General in uniform in front of a Ministry of Defence banner pontificate on "press freedom" is interesting.

[digger70]

This is the end of Freedom of Speech,,,They can't Handle the Truth,,,to go outside of the country.

[Srikcir]

10 hours ago, heybruce said:

China and Russia are working on "regulating" (banning) VPNs.  I'm sure this government will try the same eventually.

Effective February 1, 2018 all VPN international access in China will be banned. Corporations must confine such services to internal use only.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-10/china-is-said-to-order-carriers-to-bar-personal-vpns-by-february

I believe I saw somewhere that the Chinese government would allow a corporation to use VPN outside of China only with a connection to a foreign corporate office.

It wouldn't be surprising if the Junta uses the same approach for Thailand.

[Xobtsiwt]

These juntas never last long. It's three years already and they're rapidly approaching their sell-by date, just need to get the formalities done, then...

[wanderluster]

i dont want someone asking why i am paying 5 mill$ per usa missile when the rest of the world only pays 1.2 mill$

[joecoolfrog]

15 hours ago, Becker said:

There certainly was intimidation but nothing like what is happening now. Just have a look at the press freedom index for the years following the last coup and you see a steady decline.

And contrary to the situation under the Shins the junta can only be removed by guns, are accountable to no one and have given themselves amnesties covering any and all crimes. So I'm sure you agree with me when I say that the situation today is worse that it has ever been, right?

His wife has popped out to have her hair done , back soon. Once she has briefed him he will get right back to you .

[Becker]

1 minute ago, joecoolfrog said:

His wife has popped out to have her hair done , back soon. Once she has briefed him he will get right back to you .

Oh, I don't think scorecard will be answering this question...ever.

[Phuketboy]

Would be better if they were moving closer to road safety, cleaning up the rubbish, improving education or actually doing something worthwhile.  

[zzaa09]

21 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

You could see this coming since the 2006 coup. 

 

It won't be long before those websites they cannot control will be banned, just like China. 

As there are numerous sites that might be suspect to the blacklisting or ban, in these day and age it would almost impossible to track them all and subsequently control alternative/real information, news, and sources - with proxies and mirrors available, clever denizens can still access all they want.

 

Some time back, the controlling Thai authorities boasted and promoted such internet crackdowns and suppression with technological know-how with the assistance of "experts" fell through - either, they never followed through or just haven't a clue [both, very Thai tendencies].

 

Shouldn't surprise that many miss the bigger picture as applying to the broad control, censorship, and repression of Thai media and literary historically.

It's written in the DNA or historically hardwired - has little to do with standing government of the time - be it of an elected democratic variety or seemingly military dictatorship or judicially appointed govt. or coup-of-the-month club interim govt or whomever........they all are enacted as the same as such applies to general news/information censorship. And has been instilled in Thai political institutions forever - has little to do with the so-called free/unfree standing government.

 

Those that obsessed with the usual and historical comparatives, and claim as such, will find themselves losing in the end.

It's one and the same. Always has been.

 

That's what has to be changed. The deep underlying system.

[YetAnother]

On 8/14/2017 at 8:13 PM, Father Fintan Stack said:

You could see this coming since the 2006 coup. 

 

It won't be long before those websites they cannot control will be banned, just like China. 

they might be using china as their preferred model