Thailand
13 radio stations closed by military forcesPosted Apr 27 2011
On Tuesday, April 26, with rising tensions in Thailand between red-shirt and yellow-shirt protesters over upcoming elections, 13 radio stations were raided and closed by the military’s Internal Security Operations Command. The majority of the stations publicly aligned with the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship which is an anti-government protest group according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Accused of broadcasting without proper operating licenses, the stations were closed and several station operators were arrested. According to CPJ reports, Lek Suphan, host of Ruam Jai Thai show, was arrested in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao area, and her status is still unavailable. In the Pathum Thani province, two other operators were arrested and released on bail on the same day.
“The Thai government claims to be moving toward free and fair elections yet continues to harass opposition-aligned media,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ's senior Southeast Asia Representative.
The rising conflict in Thailand is due to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s suspected announcement for an early election. Opposing politician Jatuporn Prompan, who has been openly critical of the monarchy, believes “It's a sign of hiding information from people so as to stage a coup,” he told the AFP new agency.