In a move criticised across all political and legal lines, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has once again banned all broadcasts by Peace TV. The station is openly run and just as openly favours the red shirts and their political face, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, or UDD. Every Thai media, print and broadcast, blasted the blatant and poorly thought out act of censorship.
There seldom is an excuse to censor a Thai publication or broadcaster. The charge used to once again shut down the only popular outlet of a major political force is ludicrous. The NBTC ban claimed that four news and analysis programmes could cause confusion or spark division. As in the past, the commission was unable to point to a single, actual case of confusion or division that could be traced even indirectly to Peace TV.
Here is the main reason the NBTC should be removed from the censor's post. It is not in touch with public sentiment. Say what you will about the NCPO, its top tier of military officers and civilian helpers are in touch. Their job demands it. Their performance proves it, literally from North to South.
Last week, the prime minister considered national opinion before making the key decision against the housing project on Doi Suthep. The 4th Army Region commander listened to residents and cancelled a previous plan to construct a village for ex-separatists in Narathiwat.
Also last week, the NBTC made just one public decision involving broadcast regulation. In that act, the NBTC misjudged the actions of a potential bidder for its Aug 4 bandwidth auction. True Move said it probably couldn't afford to take part. In fact, its primary job of regulation has been the NBTC's Achilles' heel during the four years of military rule, from mishandling wi-fi on passenger jets to the bandwidth auctions.
Although it has had difficulties carrying out its constitutionally mandated responsibilities, the NBTC never has shied away from a possible accumulation of power. In the past several years, it has simply assimilated tasks that should have been left to other agencies. It seized the issue of SIM card licensing, and vastly expanded it from its original goal, to hinder separatists in the deep South from detonating bombs. Now, every phone owner must submit to fingerprinting, retinal scans and storage of highly personal information including ID cards, passports and tabien ban house registrations. Last month, it was revealed that tens of thousands of sets of these unnecessarily collected records were open to cyber-thieves.
Censorship by this regime began the day of the coup -- May 22, 2014. At that time, martial law was in the hands of the Peace and Order Maintaining Command (POMC). The junta closed hundreds of community radio stations and effectively shut down all Thai broadcasting, as well as many foreign stations repeated locally. Eventually, all national broadcasters were allowed to resume, including Peace TV. Since then, the pro-Thaksin station, fronted by the top names of the red shirt movement, has been shut for various periods by the intrusive NBTC. By 2015, Prime Minister and junta chief Prayut Chan-o-cha made the unconstitutional decision to give the NBTC the power to censor and ban any radio or TV broadcaster.
Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are not in the constitution to protect parroting of the government line, repeating what official spokesman say or reprinting government or big-business press releases. Such publication and broadcast needs no protection. Extraordinary laws protecting the media and citizens' speech are necessary to protect the opposition, dissidents and unpopular voices and views. One needn't agree with a single word or opinion by Peace TV to disagree with government-approved decision to force it off the air.