The government of Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has renewed its battle against its most vocal detractor by disrupting the signal of the satellite-based television news station Asian Satellite TV (ASTV) and blocking access to a news website, both owned by Sondhi Limthongkul, Thaksin's most bitter critic.
The government reportedly asked the state communications authority to block access to the popular Thai-language website Manager.co.th, operated by Limthongkul, for causing 'social chaos,' the Bangkok Post reported. The website, owned by the Manager Daily media group, carried a warning Thursday last saying it was facing imminent closure, accusing the government of an 'act of tyranny' and urging people to join a February 4 protest rally led by Sondhi.
The Public Relations Department (PRD) reportedly sent a written document last week to the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT), asking it to block web surfers from viewing the Manager website on the grounds its content was deemed a threat to social order. The Post quoted sources at the internet-services provider that hosts the site as confirming the written request from CAT.
The authority also cancelled the satellite broadcast of Sondhi's 'Thailand Weekly' talk show earlier last week, acting on orders from the PRD. The show had moved to satellite and internet broadcasting after it was taken off the television airwaves last year as Sondhi's attacks on the administration gained in force and adherents.
"The government's move to block the Manager Group's television broadcasts and news websites is out of step with the freedom of expression guarantees enshrined in the country's constitution," said Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Executive Director Ann Cooper. "We call on the Thai government to immediately halt practices that undermine press freedom."
Thaksin remains popular throughout most of the country but has increasingly come under fire for several corruption scandals in his administration and questionable business dealings by his family. Media firebrand Sondhi, an erstwhile ally of the prime minister who has became his most vociferous critic, has also staged broadcasts of his show via closed-circuit feeds in public parks.
The rivalry came to a head mid last year when Thaksin filed several multimillion-dollar lawsuits against Sondhi. On December 6, 2005 the prime minister dropped all defamation lawsuits &ndash three criminal and three civil – against Sondhi, following the King's advice against using lawsuits to silence critics. Thaksin had filed six libel suits against Sondhi and his media companies, seeking two billion baht (approx. US$48.5 million) in damages for accusing him, his family, and his friends of corruption, conflict of interest, and of profiting from his term in office.
During his 78th birthday address two days earlier, King Bhumibol Adulyadej spoke for the first time of his royal prerogative vis-�-vis free expression, saying he was human, not infallible and could be criticised. His remarks set the standard for Thai politicians and public officials to be open to criticism, especially if it is constructive.
Thailand has lese majeste laws which make it illegal to criticise the monarchy. Section 8 of the Thai Constitution states: "The King shall be enthroned in a position of revered worship and shall not be violated. No person shall expose the King to any sort of accusation or action." But the King said criticism could be constructive in that it kept leaders informed and helped to correct any mistakes, a statement issued by the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) / International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) had noted at that time.
Political observers believe the King's advice sought to avoid a political backlash in the wake of high-profile sparring between Thaksin and Sondhi, who both dragged the King's name into their conflict, according to SEAPA/IFEX. Sondhi had called for 500,000 people to show up at a public park on December 9 last in what he hoped could turn into a giant anti-Thaksin demonstration to rock the government to its foundations.
The truce was short-lived as Sondhi continued publicising his allegations of official corruption while critics and supporters engaged in a brief, violent clash during a demonstration earlier this month, news agency DPA said.
Sondhi has called a rally at Sanam Luang on February 4. Thousands of demonstrators are expected to gather and take Thaksin to task at Sanam Luang, venue of largescale students protests in 1973, 1976 and student and middle-class anti-government demonstrations in 1992. Sondhi plans to submit a petition to the King stating that the Thai people want to return to him the mandate to govern. He has been appealing to the people to attend the rally through the website as well as the TV channel.
