Samak plans TV offensive

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej, a professed cat lover, attends the eighth Thailand Cat Show at The Mall Bang Kapi yesterday. Presiding over the opening ceremony, Samak donated Bt5,000 to help stray cats.

Concerns of more conflicts and confrontations have arisen after Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej announced the government would be going on television every day to counteract allegations made by the People's Alliance for Democracy.

In his weekly talk show yesterday, Samak declared the government would go live at 10pm on NBT.

Speaking during his "Talk Samak Style" programme on NBT channel, the PM said responding to PAD's charges once a week was not enough, because PAD was attacking the government every day on a round-the-clock basis.

"We'll have to respond to them every day because they are getting nastier," Samak said.

"They accuse the government of pushing to amend the charter for its own interest, but this Constitution is a trap. I am confident that I will be able to lead this ship through all the problems. From tomorrow [today], there will be someone going on air at 10pm for an hour every day to respond to them."

Government Spokesman Police Maj-General Wichianchot Sukchotrat said he and his three deputies would moderate the show, and that they would choose the issue to be tackled every morning.

He said government officials who were attacked personally would also be invited to give explanations. The government will decide on the title of the programme today.

The PAD has voiced opposition to the planned TV show.

Pipop Thongchai, a PAD co-leader, said the government should not use NBT or any other free-to-air television channel to respond to protesters.

"These TV stations are not the government's private property. If the government wants to respond to the PAD, it should use PTV instead," Pipop said, referring to the satellite TV station owned by a group of the now-defunct People Power Party members.

Deputy Government spokesman Natthawut Saikua said Samak and the spokesmen team had discussed the issue last week and agreed to take the response on air.

Democrat Party assistant secretary-general Thepthai Senpong yesterday voiced concerns the government would be fuelling rifts in society if it used state TV to respond.

"I believe this would be a bad signal for a situation which is already bad," Thepthai said, adding Samak had used the same tactic to incite public hatred towards student activists in 1976, leading to the October 6 massacre.

"I would like to call on the prime minister to rethink his behaviour. If he wants peace, he should not add fuel to the fire," Thepthai said.

Another Democrat MP, Boonyod Sukthinthai, who is also spokesman of the House committee on the development of politics, mass media and public participation, said the government's demand that the Public Relations Department let it use NBT channel could be in violation of the Constitution.

"The prime minister's order shows that the government would be interfering in the workings of the media and violating the Constitution," Boonyod said.

"The government has the duty to explain itself or respond to criticism from the media and members of public, but it cannot use the media as a political tool."

He warned the director-general of the Public Relations Department that he could be held responsible later if he failed to ensure that the state media performed its journalistic duties without taking sides.

Meanwhile, Darunee Hirunrak, former dean of Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Communication Arts, said she was surprised Samak was using the media to act against political opponents as that could lead to more social conflict.

Instead of playing media games, she said the government should be spending time solving problems and doing its job.

It was acceptable to use the state media to clarify allegations, but she said, the Samak government had defended itself with mere excuses far too many times.

"I have to ask the prime minister what good using the media to counteract a particular group of people will make.

"Will it make things any better? I don't think this is the role a national leader should play. A prime minister must learn to stand criticism," Darunee said.

She reminded people that Samak and former PM's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair who oversaw the state media had once said that the NBT was a neutral medium, but instead it played as a mouthpiece for the People's Power Party.