Panel to hear 'Nua Mek 2' testimony

The House committee on political development, media and public participation agreed yesterday to summon related parties to provide information about the controversial cancellation of the television drama "Nua Mek 2" last Friday.

The panel, chaired by Ubon Ratchathani MP Supachai Srila, will summon Channel 3 executives, the channel's committee authorised to suspend programme broadcasting, producers of the programme and chairman of the NBTC Broadcasting Commission Natee Sukonrat next week. It will also ask to watch all episodes of the drama, including those that have not been aired.

At the panel meeting yesterday, Democrat MP Watchara Phetchthong also suggested that former PM Thaksin Shinawatra's son Panthongtae and PM's Office Minister Varathep Ratanakorn, who supervises MCOT, the concessionaire of Channel 3, be summoned and asked if they were behind the abrupt cancellation of the political parody. Pheu Thai MP Supol Fong-ngam, however, argued that the panel should not assume that these two men were involved before questioning those involved at the primary level first.