Pre-emptive media censorship for the monarchy

Censorship in Thailand is reaching levels not seen for several decades. Authoritarian and dictatorial governments are always seeking ways to maintain their control. Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and chief civilian national security commandant Suthep Thaugsuban is reportedly warning that he will shut down opposition media “if is found attacking the country and the monarchy.” Attacking the monarchy and attacking the country are terms that are deliberately ill-defined, allowing the dictators to do what they like.

Suthep was responding to reporters about Somyos Prueksakasemsuk’s plans to launch a new magazine to be called “Red Power.” His earlier venture, the Voice of Taksin, has been banned and he was jailed for some time under the junta’s government’s emergency powers.

Presumably Suthep was laughing when he said “the government respected press freedom but it would not tolerate any one disguising as a media but harming the country and the monarchy.” Remember that virtually every red shirt media has been shut by this regime.

If he wasn’t laughing, then we assume that Suthep has lost touch with what the term “press freedom” means. Actually, we know that’s the case…. Even the name of Suthep’s party now has an Orwellian meaning.

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