Unruly TV stations and mad doctors

PTV is a TV station set up by affiliates of Thai Rak Thai and PPP (People Power Party) initially to voice opposition to the junta, and now to counter the reasonably successful campaign by the PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy). The PAD are led by Sonthi Limthongkul who is the owner of ASTV. As such, ASTV supply almost 24 hour coverage to PAD activities. The PPP obviously see the resurrection of PTV (it was closed down for unclear reasons during the junta's rule) as the ideal counter strike.

There's just one problem. It is a blatant and shameless constitutional breech. One of the (few) plus points of the new constitution is that it clearly states people in positions of political power cannot hold a financial interest in any media outlet. It's a progressive, positive rule.

So how can Chaturon (former TRT leader) and Jakrapob get away with this?

The Nation:

Amid growing pressure from PTV's opponents to ban the station's broadcasts, Phachern Khampho said such authority actually lies with the National Broadcasting Commission, which will be established in the near future.

Great, so it's goverened by a group that does not yet exist and, if the National Telecom Commission is comparable, will not exist for some time yet.


Still, hopefully someone will lodge a complaint with the Constitutional Court.

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Another interesting side show is Democrat MP Malinee Sukwenworakij's bizarre rant in Parliament claiming that Samak suffered mental deficiency. MP Malinee claimed that Samak's behaviour such as glaring at reporters displayed evidence of mental sickness. Malinee went so far as to hold up a book entitled "Sick people that ruled the world" (Samak hardly rules the world does he?) which apparently includes Hitler as one of its case studies.

Samak rightly responded that her medical licence should be reviewed as no doctor should be diagnosing people in Parliament.

Malinee responded by claiming she was speaking from personal opinion. If that was so, why did she need to cite her qualification as a doctor to back up her arguments? I doubt many medics want to be dragged into the circus of Thai politics and I personally would not want a GP who is so childish as to do such things. I have no love for Samak and I wonder myself if he is not a cymbal short of a drumkit, but Dr Malinee is just as bad.

More attacks on free media by PPP

Hi5 is a networking program just like facebook and it's very popular with Thai people. Indeed, K. Abhisit Vejajaiva is on hi5 and has a very large number of "friends".

There does not seem to be a whole of threat coming from the site but today this article in the Bangkok Post tells us that the site may be shut down.

The Prime Minister’s Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair has ordered the
Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) ministry to keep a close watch
on the use of social networking site www.hi5.com after it emerged a Buddhist
monk had been using the site to woo women.

"I am upset by this," he said. "Any sort of misdeed caused by monks results in the deterioration of Buddhism."

Mr Jakrapob has already consulted with ICT ministry officials to lay down
possible measures to ensure that something like this does not recur.

"We are still determining the pros and cons of blocking the site altogether," he said.
A new cyberlaw passed last year would require court permission to block the
site, although the government has broken this law hundreds of times, and several
thousands of websites are blocked without court order or explanation.

You got that clearly? The site that is popular with hundreds of thousands of Thais may be blocked because of one monk allegedly using it to find sex. It would be funny if it wasn't 21st century Thailand.

Shame on you Jakrapob. The same Jakrapob who told The Nation after the coup: "I cannot breathe the air of dictatorship, I cannot coexist with the junta". And silly old me actually believed him, since he always comes across as intense and sincere.

But mow it seems Jakrapob is following in the footsteps of Sittichai, the MICT and all other oppressors of media freedom. Already responsible for shutting down one radio show, Jakrapob now seems intent on imposing PPP muscle on a network popular with teenagers and young voters.

The reality is that PPP resent the internet. Despite their alleged pre election activities, PPP know the net is widely used by non PPP voters and remains beyond their control.