“It’s what Marcos did in the ’70s in the Philippines and it emasculated the Philippines’ press for many years,” CPJ Asia consultant Shawn Crispin said on Tuesday.

“Thaksin is just doing the same thing,” Crispin told a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand in Bangkok.

“The trend in Thailand is a very significant example … towards trying to control the press rather than free it,” he said at the release of the CPJ’s annual report on press freedom around the globe – “Attacks on the Press in 2005”.

The report notes that the condition of the Thai media has “worsened markedly” each year since Thaksin was elected in 2001, pointing to a rise in criminal and civil defamation charges against journalists, politically motivated media takeovers and intimidation of community radio stations.

The CPJ pointed to the increase in litigation by politicians and government-linked businesses as the most “worrisome” development.

Not only had the number of cases risen but the damages requested had “soared” and were “disproportionate”.

The lawsuits included some of the largest damages claims for libel anywhere in the world, the report said.

These included Shin Corp’s suit against Thai Post, where four defendants faced two years imprisonment and Bt400 million in damages, and Picnic Corp’s suits against Matichon for Bt10 billion and Prachachart Turakit for Bt5 billion.

Thaksin’s various charges against Sondhi Limthongkul and Sarocha Porn-udomsakw were also included.

“We don’t have a clear measure of the number of cases filed by the government or affiliated businesses,” Crispin said.

Some defendants might be keeping quiet in order to negotiate settlements, he added.

The CPJ also questioned the potential impact of recent media acquisitions by members of the Thai Rak Thai Party and associates of Thaksin, pointing to GMM Grammy’s attempt to purchase controlling stakes in Matichon and the Bangkok Post.

Crispin said that an acquisition of Post Publishing by Paiboon Damrongchaitham, head of GMM Grammy, and similar takeovers could result in a “softening of news coverage”.

The Bangkok Post earlier this year faced a defamation charge over a report alleging there were cracks on a runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport. Two editors were fired over the inaccurate report and the paper was threatened with a Bt1-billion lawsuit.

Crispin said: “The question to ask is would the government still pursue such cases at the Bangkok Post now that one of their favourite businessmen owns a stake?”

The report also discusses potential consequences of the purchase of a 22-per-cent stake of Nation Multimedia Group by family members of Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.

If they raised their stake in the company “it would make the family of the secretary-general of the Thai Rak Thai Party the controlling shareholder in what has been perhaps the most critical news group in all of Thailand”, Crispin said.

It is too early to gauge how ownership changes will affect the editorial policies of media groups because there has not yet been a “flashpoint incident”, he added.

 Crispin characterised the takeovers as the last phase of a campaign.

The first three phases were harassment, intimidation and litigation.

If Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai loyalists succeed in buying all media groups it could deal a “death blow” to press freedom in Thailand, he warned.

The CPJ notes that the campaign to control the media includes exerting pressure on community radio stations, which have become increasingly popular as a source of news.

More than 2,000 community radio stations have emerged in Thailand since 2000.

Crispin noted that the PM’s Office had started imposing regulations and cracking down on certain stations only after some of them began criticising the government.

 The regulations appeared to be arbitrary, he said.

Chris Vedelago

The Nation