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Published on February 18, 2008

Was Thailand's press freedom under the military junta better or worse than you expected and why?

The junta seized power because of the many alleged abuses committed by the Thaksin Shinawatra government. So at first brush we were hopeful that the government led by Surayud Chulanont would take more of an enlightened approach towards press freedom. But within days of the seizure of power, we were gravely disappointed. The military administration, similar to Thaksin, often ran roughshod over basic press freedom through the use of blunt tools of censorship and the old tactic of intimidation.

We were particularly concerned by the passage of the Computer Crime Act, which allows authorities to censor news deemed a threat to national security or critical of the monarchy. The law includes punitive measures for governing the Internet that are some of the most restrictive in the world, including possible prison terms for people who not only produce but access the government's restricted news or material.

 

Is the situation likely to improve now that there is an elected government?

 We are cautiously optimistic that with the return to democracy the new popularly elected government will return Thailand to the path of press freedom and allow journalists to do their jobs free of harassment, intimidation and censorship. Unfortunately, some of the key officials in the new government have a history of antagonism towards the local press, including Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. We're already concerned by reports that the PM's Office Minister [Jakrapob Penkair] may have been behind the recent closure of a popular radio programme on FM 105.

That particular broadcast journalist, Chirmsak Pinthong, was targeted by the previous Thaksin government. And in 2001 many of his radio programmes were taken off the air for the spurious reason of corporate restructuring.

The current minister, Jakrapob, said he suspected invisible hands were responsible and not the government, but our research shows that in the past the invisible hands were the government itself.

 

You do not appear to expect much from the current administration. Is there a deeper reason behind it?

As a former journalist himself, Jakrapob clearly understands the importance of press coverage in maintaining the image of a sitting government. This recently elected government already faces an image problem due to the dubious background of several ministers and key advisers working behind the scenes. So the incentive is high to manipulate the news media to present this administration in a favourable light. Because of the lack of liberalisation of Thailand's broadcast media, this government, like previous governments, has the media tools at hands to control the popular perception of the government's image.

And the incentive will be high to use the broadcast media to their political advantage. Our concern is that Jakrapob has already indicated his plans to establish a task force charged with monitoring the news balance of the broadcast media.

 

Will your assessment of this administration be clouded by the row you had with Thaksin when you were working for the Far Eastern Economic Review in 2002 and were branded by the government as "a threat to national security and good morale of the Thai people" and it tried but failed to have you deported over your report about Thaksin's alleged troubled relationship with the palace?

I let bygones be bygones on that particular case. And I'm actually a personal friend of PM's Office Minister Jakrapob and frequently have conversations on professional and personal levels because I still work as a professional journalist.

PM Samak was gracious enough to invite me to his home for a one-on-one interview in mid-November before the election. My concern is that during that interview Samak spoke about his past and present antagonism towards the press. And now he's in power, he has the means at his disposal to act against the press.

 

How does Thailand compare to neighbouring countries like Indonesia and the Philippines in terms of press freedom?

During the military administration, we put Thailand on a list of the 10 top press freedom backsliders in the world. Our assessment was based on the fact that in the 1990s Thailand had emerged, particularly for the print media, as a press freedom standard bearer for Southeast Asia.

Since the harassment, intimidation and advertising pressure the Thai media came under during Thaksin's administration, and the censorship manipulation it faced during the military government, Thailand has slipped behind both the Philipppines and Indonesia in terms of press freedom. And we are concerned that this backward trend could continue under the Samak administration.

 

What can the public and the press do to improve the situation?

As a press freedom advocacy group, we believe there is value in exposing any violation of press freedom and interference with journalists trying to do their work, so we would encourage Thai editors, reporters and advocates to speak out when they come under pressure and abstain from the self-censorship that now permeates nearly every local and foreign news organisation that currently operates in Thailand.

So when the pressure comes, we say speak out. And that's the best way to uphold press freedom.

The Nation