THAILAND: Temporary return of BBC Thai sought

British MP helps spearhead campaign

Bangkok Post
Sunday, March 19, 2006

By Achara Ashayagachat

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the UK has renewed its call for a temporary return of the BBC Thai service in light of the political stand-off between anti-government campaigners and the caretaker administration of Thaksin Shinawatra.

The NUJ's call was made on its website at www.nuj.org.uk. In addition, John Grogan, a British Labour MP who is spearheading a campaign against the World Service cuts, will write to BBC World Service director Nigel Chapman tomorrow urging him to temporarily reopen the Thai service during the political crisis.

Mr Grogan was also gathering signatures from the 56 MPs who signed an Early Day Motion on the Thai service at a House of Commons debate early this month, to support his move.

The NUJ, a trade union for journalists in the UK and Ireland, joined British and Thai lawmakers in calling for the immediate reinstatement of the BBC Thai service after a Thai senator reported that people living in Bangkok were having to listen to unregistered and illegal radio stations to find out what was going on at the anti-Thaksin protests in the city.

Senator Somkiat Onwimon from Suphan Buri told the British lawmakers that previously they would have tuned in to the BBC Thai service, which was among the 10 foreign language services cut by the Foreign Office at the beginning of this year.

NUJ general-secretary Jeremy Dear said the cuts to these services would mean the loss of a vital source of information within countries such as Thailand where the World Service had many loyal listeners.

"This blocks the access people have to the truth and as a result strikes at the organs of democracy. The government must rethink its decision," Mr Dear said.

Bangkok Senator Jon Ungphakorn said he would be happy to see the BBC Thai service reporting the situation honestly. However, he was not sure that this would happen.

"The Thai print media is so far doing a professional job but Thai audiences still cannot rely on radio and TV, and in this regard the reinstatement of the BBC Thai service should help set a good example and directly benefit the public," Mr Jon said.

Date Posted: 3/19/2006