Thai authorities shutdowned two satellite TV stations affiliated with the anti-establishment red shirt for seven days in the name of national security.
According to Thai News Agency, Takorn Tantasit, secretary-general of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission in Thailand (NBCT), revealed that on Sunday the NBTC issued an order to suspend broadcasting signals for Peace TV and TV 24, two TV stations affiliated with United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), a red shirt group, for seven days.
Peace TV is barred from going on air from 10 to 16 April while TV 24 faces the same prohibition from 11-17 April.
The NBTC secretary-general said that contents of Mongklai Kid Rob Dan (Having worldly visions), Doenna Topai (Keep walking ahead), and Khaojai Trong Kanna (We share the same understandings) programmes on Peace TV, including, Awakened, News Room, and the Clear programmes of 24 TV cause public confusion, divisiveness, and incite conflicts.
The programmes of the two stations violated the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Announcements No. 97/2014 and 103/2014, Takorn added.
Announcement No. 97/2014 of the NCPO states that every media outlet is prohibited to criticise coup-maker and present information which contravene with the junta’s measures to maintain national security.
According to Announcement No. 103/2014 which was issued to amend certain clauses of Announcement 97/2014, however, ‘honest’ and ‘constructive’ criticisms on the junta are allowed, but any information discrediting the coup-maker is still prohibited and that people who violate the announcement will be investigated.