Thai politics not 'all in the family'

3/07/2010
Phuket NEWS Hound

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PHUKET: In stark contrast with the family of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who speak with one voice on seemingly all matters, the Vejjajivas appear rather more free to speak for themselves.

Thus it was refreshing and encouraging yesterday to note the freedom with which Bangkok Post columnist Suranand Vejjajiva, cousin of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, was able to air some views.

As reported in The Nation this morning, Suranand was speaking at a symposium on media freedom organised by Chulalongkorn University's Institute of Security and International Studies.

He said Thailand is currently facing many censorship problems, a state of affairs brought on by the Emergency Decree put in place by the government of his cousin Abhisit during the protests.

Whoever is in power must recognise that there must be room for differences of opinion, Suranand opined – freely.

"Who's going to define national security? What constitutes lese majeste? Who is going to define that? ... We're living in special circumstances because the emergency decree is out there.... Right now you can close down community radio without having to go through the judicial process," said Suranand.

The emergency decree, he added, enabled the government of his cousin to detain 'Voice of Thaksin' editor and red-shirt key member Somyos Phruksakemsuk for three weeks, although no coherent charge was ever made against him.

"There are no clear rules of engagement on what you can do and what you can't," said Suranand, who admitted that when he was in charge of the government-controlled media under the Thaksin administration, some Thai Rak Thai MPs wanted to shut down the anti-Thaksin ASTV television.

The government at that time sought the court's opinion and was told it would be unconstitutional.

Suranand said a lot of mainstream media are too accommodating of the current government and have overblown the fear of Thaksin as a threat to the "superstructure" of the Kingdom, while in fact, in his (Suranand's) opinion, Thaksin is merely a threat to the present government.

Very few newspapers continue to ask what happened with the 90 deaths, he said.

"[As for] The Nation and the Bangkok Post, I don't see them asking anymore," he said, adding that people were being forced by the media and the government into believing in "one-sided propaganda", which dictates that "You have to be united in only one direction."

Presenting a different view, Thepchai Yong, director of TPBS television and former group editor of The Nation, said that according to a recent poll, a majority of Thais could accept the extension of the state of emergency.

Thepchai said the mainstream media today is not controlled by any generals, although some self-censorship is practised because the media themselves are "mindful of the public" which is politically divided.

"The Thai media are Thai. They have been like that for decades," he said, adding that the mainstream media should themselves look back and reflect on their role in order to regain the lost trust.

"How can they win back the trust that they have lost? This is a big question.
"It has less to do with the issue of media freedom. The Thai media have all the freedom in the world to report on what they want to report," he said.