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Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Bangkok Post: In Bizarro World Thailand, the English Dailies Give Media Advice to Military Dictatorships

COMMENTARY

CNS not internet savvy


The Bangkok Post

Saritdet Marukatat

Six months after the coup, the military top brass who brought tanks and troops onto Bangkok's streets, surprisingly don't know how to create a website. The Council for National Security's website, www.cns.go.th, offers the following message: ''Under construction. Be prepared to meet us soon.'' What's happened to the CNS website clearly exposes a weakness of the generals.


The CNS has only six months left to do the same. It does not make any sense taking so long to jot down the contents on its website. And the generals must realise that after the coup, the most important weapon isn't troops or tanks, it's information. Its www.cns.go.th should offer a channel to directly communicate with the public. The website should also have an English version, as the diplomatic corps in Bangkok are eager to know how far the CNS has fulfilled its promises to correct the problems cited as grounds for staging the coup.

Saritdet Marukatat is Deputy News Editor, Bangkok Post.


I may be wrong, but I think Thailand is the only country in the world where the so-called free media gives advice to an illegal and incompetent military junta on how to do a better job at communications. Am I the only one who gets this absurdity?

I am just a little random blogger, but I really wonder where are all the media experts and independent reporters. Why aren't they outraged by this nonsense? It is truly amazing how reporters and editors allow their blind hatred of Thaksin prevent them from actual reporting about this junta in a critical way. Instead of giving the junta media advice, the Bangkok Post and the rest of the media should be asking why this junta is calling the shots in this first place. Why isn't the international media or at least the foreign press in Bangkok going after the Thai media for their disgraceful behavior? Well, if I were to make an educated guess, I'd reckon that the foreign media in Bangkok is no less disgraceful than the Thai media.

If I was the president of the FCCC, I would be holding symposiums on this topic. Unfortunately I am not, so I have to suffer here in silent outrage in the blogosphere.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

You missed... at least I think you missed the media tantrum last week when the police reporters refused to report on the police chief when he said mean things to them. That was also in the Bangkok Post.
At least for that, there actually is a bit of tradition, going back to the days of Thanom and especially Prapat, when the press refused to report on the dictatorship. But refusing to cover your beat should be cause for instant dismissal.
Of course the press was unanimously against the Thai soccer team walking off the field in Singapore, but these tantrums are part of the culture.

Anonymous said...

Well, they are the free press. They can do anything they want.

Unknown said...

Hello Shark, I like your keen observation on the Thai media helping this illegal junta.