Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed by the Campaign for Popular Media Reform (CPMR), Thailand that another community radio station has been raided and had its equipment taken without warning or explanation, other than that it was allegedly operating without a permit. The matter is currently with the public prosecutor.

CASE DETAILS:

According to the information available to the AHRC, on 22 July 2008 a group of police and government officials raided the community radio station at Sai Yok Noi in Kanchanaburi, west of Bangkok, and seized a variety of equipment. They accused the radio station operator of running the station without a permit under a newly-introduced law. When the staff protested that they were broadcasting legally, they were taken to the police station for inquiries. The matter is now with the public prosecutor, who on October 22 will meet with the accused operator and inform of what charges if any will be laid.

The raid has disturbed the station operator, as the radio station was not broadcasting anything illegal or provocative, and was operating under the terms of the existing regime for community broadcasters in Thailand.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Following the abrogated 1997 Constitution of Thailand there was a flourishing of community radio stations in Thailand, which had previously been restricted. However, under the former government of Thaksin Shinawatra various attempts were taken to obstruct the progress of these stations, including closures and prosecutions on various pretexts, such as that the stations did not have permits to operate even though a regulator had not been established for that purpose. See for instance the conviction of Sathien Janthorn in February 2006, which was spurred by his airing allegations of corruption against provincial officials (AHRC UP-024-2006). Under the military regime that took power in September 2006 also there were further arbitrary restrictions imposed and warnings issued against local stations.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the following persons to ask that the inquiries against the radio station be dropped, that its equipment be returned to it and that it be entitled to broadcast without further interruption.

Please be informed that the AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the regional human rights office for Southeast Asia, calling for interventions into this case.

To support this appeal, please click here: