12:20
Reporter
Thai authorities forced the closure of 13 antigovernment radio stations yesterday in the biggest crackdown on dissident media since a state of emergency during street protests last year.
Thai E-News, a website associated with the antigovernment Red Shirt movement, said stations based in Bangkok and its suburbs were raided by law enforcement.
Police spokesman Prawut Thawornsiri confirmed that the raids had been ordered but did not know how many stations had been closed. He said the stations had broadcast illegal statements defaming the monarchy. Insulting the monarchy is a crime in Thailand, though critics say the charge is often used to stifle legitimate dissent.
The raids come at a time of political tension, as there are fears the country’s powerful military disagrees with the prime minister’s plans to hold an election by early July. The army has held a series of high-profile maneuvers, with the top brass declaring their dedication to protecting the monarchy.
The military is said to fear the return to power of allies of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whom it deposed in a 2006 coup amid accusations that he was corrupt and had showed disrespect to constitutional monarch King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Officials of the Department of Special Investigation and police from the Crime Suppression Division seized transmitters and other equipment from the radio stations. Thai E-News said the operators were charged with possessing the transmitters without licenses.
The stations operated as so-called community radio stations, a system established to promote local public service radio, but has been used to maintain political mouthpieces for various groups.
When last year’s demonstrations aimed at toppling Abhisit’s government grew large and aggressive, one of the first moves taken by the government was to try to shut down their media network, including community radio stations.
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