THAILAND: Radio host digs in against 'witch-hunt'

Radio host Anchalee Paireerak says she is being gagged by the government; government says her station is illegal

Bangkok Post
Tuesday, April 19, 2005

By Mongkol Bangprapa

Community radio host Anchalee Paireerak is determined to fight off the government's claim her station is illegal and that the signal interferes with mainstream frequencies.

Ms Anchalee said yesterday the government had begun a witch-hunt. Her only "crime'' was her perceived association with the Democrat party.

The outspoken Ms Anchalee received a warning from the Prime Minister's Office that her workplace, radio station FM 92.25, had erected a transmission pole higher than the legal limit. The relay capacity was, therefore, too powerful and the signal interfered with mainstream frequencies.

Ms Anchalee said the warning was politically motivated and intended to pressure her into quitting.

The Thai Rak Thai party began regarding her a fierce critic after she interviewed Ekkayut Anchanbutr, who pledged financial support for the Democrats to topple Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra before the general election.

That interview was conducted when she was hosting a news talk show in one of the mainstream radio channels. She also invited former Democrat leader Chuan Leekpai to her programme and asked him to compare Mr Thaksin with past tyrants.

She had continued to anger the government with the revelation of the contents of a VCD showing the carnage at Tak Bai.

She later resigned from the programme "under duress''and ended up with FM 92.25. Her career had been downhill from that point, as she stepped down as deputy mayor of Samut Prakan and sold her media production house.

Ms Anchalee said she looked for jobs with media companies but no one would take her for fear of upsetting the government.

Ms Anchalee insisted she was only doing her duty as a media watchdog. She did not know Mr Ekkayut personally prior to the interview, but the government had begun a witch-hunt against her.

"I've been driven into a corner. They despise me. They can't stand the sight of me,'' she said. "Why do they hate me? Is it because I speak the truth they can't bear to hear?''

Ms Anchalee denied her station's transmission pole broke the law. At 18 metres tall, its height was within the law. Her broadcast was widely received because she linked with other community radio stations.

The government was trying to bully her because she was acquainted with some of former Democrat politicians, despite the fact they no longer had active roles in the party. She insisted she had given Thai Rak Thai figures such as Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchob and Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanich a fair opportunity to speak on her show.

PM'S Office Minister Suranant Vejjajiva denied any double standards were at play. His office received complaints about fuzzy transmissions and ordered an investigation without targetting Ms Anchalee's station.

Ms Anchalee's transmission tower was on top of a 38-storey building. The combined height would surely exceed the legal limit of 30m.

"Please don't use politics to justify personal bravado,'' he said.

Date Posted: 4/19/2005