The broadcaster Thai PBS has taken a nasty fall, and is suffering deep injuries that may linger for a long time. Last Friday, even as technicians prepared to air the fifth part of a discussion on the monarchy on Tob Jote Thailand, station executives decided that self-censorship was a better part of valour than discretion. They moved the "Thai Monarchy Under the Constitution" topic to the rubbish bin and put on safe, unstimulating, uninteresting pap in its place.
The station claimed the discussion by well-known and thoughtful personalities was "sensitive". That may rank forever as the worst reason given for censorship. If topics are not sensitive, why discuss them? If not now, when? If not by respected and knowledgeable people, then by whom? And finally: If not on Thai PBS, where?
Censoring discussion of the great issues of the day will not make them disappear. Ignoring these issues will not solve them. Leaving them for later means more chance for error and a faulty solution at the last minute.
This is not what the public envisioned when Thai PBS went on the air in January 2008. In fact, expectations were just the opposite. Thai PBS began broadcasting in the wake of a disastrous military coup. The station was seen as a way to stimulate rational discussion of hugely controversial subjects. Its founders claimed Thai PBS would venture deeply into popular and intellectual issues where the other stations, heavy on soap operas and game shows, would never dare go.
The Thai PBS website, as of yesterday, was proudly proclaiming that as its greatest achievement, the station had co-organised Thailand's most celebrated traditional boat races. No doubt rowing is culturally important and physically invigorating. If that is true, the station needs different symbols.
The founding principle of Thai PBS was, and remains impressive. "Editorial independence and accountability are crucial to the role of Thai PBS as a public broadcaster," says its website. Independence was to be assured by the Board of Governors and the Audience Council. Neither of these worthy bodies was mentioned in the station's weak explanation of why Tob Jote Thailand was cancelled.
On the contrary, the station said that "executives" met and decided to cancel the broadcast. Programme host Pinyo Trisuriyadhamma was clearly upset. He and his team decided to stop producing the show. The public, he said, might not be confident about its integrity.
That comment is spot-on. For now, it appears that Thai PBS executives were stampeded into cancelling a perfectly rational, interesting debate because about 20 people held a protest rally outside the station's doors. The opinions of all viewers matter, but to turn weak-kneed at the sight of a tiny group of self-described patriots doesn't just challenge the integrity of Tob Jote Thailand, it risks the entire reputation and credibility of Thai PBS.
Thai PBS is "publicly funded", meaning taxes help pay for its operation. There was always fear that an over-reaching government would intimidate the station by threatening its funding. It is disappointing to learn that Thai PBS executives are even faster to censor the station than the government.