New York-based Freedom House said that press freedom in Thailand worsened after the coup in September 2006 as the coup makers, or Council for National Security (CNS), have largely treated the press as a potential threat to the new regime and restricted it.

This represents the worse assessment of Thai media ever by a foreign organisation. In 2000, Thailand ranked 29, and was hailed as a country with one of the freest press in the world.

Under the deposed premier Thaksin Shinawatra, overall media freedom deteriorated rapidly. Last year, Thailand was ranked 107 and was listed "partly free".

After the coup, media restrictions have been concentrated on broadcasting and online media, which have dealt with criticism of the coup leaders - and the monarchy.

Freedom House said in its report that the CNS took a very proactive and direct approach to secure media compliance, calling a meeting with senior media representatives to convey a host of coverage directives on September 21.

Also included in the assessment were events that followed the coup, when troops were positioned outside all broadcast stations, and media executives were ordered not to air material that might challenge the new regime.

The US group said that restrictions on media coverage during the coup were largely limited to disruptions of CNN and BBC broadcasts featuring background on Thaksin, and a local broadcast of Thaksin making a statement from New York.

"Foreign and local journalists enjoyed relatively unfettered movement," it noted.

According to the report, a number of significant restrictions were imposed in immediately after the coup. On September 20, the Army's Adminis-trative Reform Council empowered the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) to "control, block, and destroy" information detrimental to the new administration and issued military order No 10, urging media co-operation in promoting "peace and national unity."

Kavi Chongkittavorn 

The Nation