COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS REMAIN OPEN; REDSHIRT LEADERS TURN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CHIANG MAI 000059 SENSITIVE SIPDIS NSC FOR PHU E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV SCUL PROP ECPS SOCI TH SUBJECT: COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS REMAIN OPEN; REDSHIRT LEADERS TURN THEMSELVES IN REF: A. BANGKOK 1053 (LOCAL BROADCAST MEDIA) ¶B. BANGKOK 982 (BANGKOK CALM) AND PREVIOUS ¶C. BANGKOK 974 (SONDHI SHOT) ¶D. 08 CHIANG MAI 178 (PRO AND ANTI-THAKSIN GROUPS) ¶E. 08 CHIANG MAI 168 (POLITICAL TEMPERATURE) ¶F. 08 CHIANG MAI 147 (VIOLENT CLASH) CHIANG MAI 00000059 001.2 OF 002 Sensitive but unclassified; please handle accordingly. -------------- Summary and Comment -------------- ¶1. (SBU) Though raided on April 17 and ordered to cease politically-charged broadcasts that could incite violence by the Provincial Government, pro-redshirt community radio stations in Chiang Mai continue to broadcast under the terms of an MOU negotiated with Provincial authorities. In a separate development, several redshirt leaders in northern Thailand turned themselves in to police the week of April 20 in response to arrest warrants issued for them on April 18. ¶2. (SBU) Both the anti-government redshirts and their pro-government, yellowshirt counterparts, regularly used community radio to inform their members about upcoming events and rallies, and to encourage participation (Refs D-F). Though the radio stations remain open, the terms of the MOU significantly restrict the content of their broadcasts, effectively preventing them from being used in this manner. These restrictions could have a significant impact on the ability of both groups to spread the word about their activities and incite violence. Though they limit freedom of speech, the restrictions have the potential to curb the most hateful rhetoric and lower the political temperature in Chiang Mai, at least in the short-term. End Summary and Comment. -------------- -------------- -------------- Community Radio Stations Raided, Ordered Off the Air -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In the wake of large-scale protests by anti-government redshirts that began on April 8, and the violence that ensued in Bangkok and Pataya, Thai Ministry of Interior and Royal Thai Police officials raided pro-redshirt community radio stations in northern Thailand on April 17. The targeted stations are in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang and Phayao. The raids resulted in the seizure of some weapons and ammunition, broadcasting equipment, and documents inciting violence. On April 18, provincial authorities ordered several pro-redshirt stations to cease politically-charged broadcasts that could incite violence, and provincial courts issued arrest warrants for several redshirt leaders based in northern Thailand at the request of Provincial Governors. Stations that failed to comply with these orders were threatened with closure by the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC),(Ref A). ¶4. (SBU) Despite the April 18 order, both pro-redshirt and pro-government, Peoples' Alliance for Democracy (PAD) stations in Chiang Mai remained on the air as of the afternoon of April 20, though the redshirt stations noticeably lacked their normal rabble-rousing programming. As of April 29, only one pro-redshirt station in Chiang Mai and one in Lampang were off the air due to the lack of broadcasting equipment seized in the raids; the others remained open, as did the pro-PAD station in Chiang Mai. Pro-redshirt stations in other northern provinces are also still on the air, having bought new transmitters to replace the ones that were seized on April 17. (Comment: The operators of these stations and the provincial governments probably realized that the authorities lack the regulatory authority to force the stations to close. According to the 2008 Broadcasting Act, this power is reserved for the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission, which has yet to be established. The NBTC's predecessor, the National Broadcasting Commission, which was established by the Act as a temporary body, could theoretically order the stations to close, but it has not done so (Ref A). End Comment.) ¶5. (SBU) This regulatory vacuum is probably what led Chiang Mai provincial authorities to seek a negotiated solution, rather than take a hard-line approach. On April 20, Chiang Mai Vice Governor for Security Affairs Pairot Saengpoowong met for several hours with the operators of the province's four redshirt and one pro-PAD community radio stations to hammer out an agreement that allows them to continue broadcasting, while seemingly preventing them from airing their more hateful and provocative segments. According to Vice Governor Pairot, other provincial governments issued orders mirroring the MOU he CHIANG MAI 00000059 002.2 OF 002 negotiated. ¶6. (SBU) Under the terms of the MOU, all five radio stations must: -- not broadcast anything that could lead to illegal activities; -- not use broadcasts to destabilize the government or endanger national security; -- not broadcast language that could provoke people to take actions leading to disunity or chaos; -- not broadcast any programs via audio link from other stations, except news or documentaries; and -- not broadcast defamatory language or phone-ins containing provocative statements. The five stations must also avoid confrontation with one another. (Note: Supporters of the stations have clashed with each other (Ref F) in recent past, with one such incident last year resulting in the murder of the father of the operator of Chiang Mai's pro-PAD station.) At the meeting, the operator of the pro-PAD station objected to the MOU, saying it was not legally binding and that his station had not violated the law. On the other hand, the operators of the three pro-redshirt stations that chose to remain open agreed to abide by the MOU. ¶7. (SBU) We note that in contravention of the MOU, the pro-PAD radio station continues to broadcast programming from the AS television station, owned by PAD's founder Sondhi Limthongkul, who was recently the target of an attempted assassination (Ref C). Furthermore, Vice Governor Pairot told us the "war of words" between the two groups via their respective stations has begun again, though it is not as harsh as before. He admitted that in this instance, the pro-PAD station was the instigator. These broadcasts clearly contravene the MOU, but according to Pairot, the Chiang Mai provincial government lacks the authority to take any enforcement action. -------------- Arrest Warrants Issued and Obeyed -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Many of the subjects of the April 18 arrest warrants have turned themselves in to the police. They include two MPs from the leading opposition party (Puea Thai); the leader of Rak Chiang Mai 51, the main redshirt group in Chiang Mai; and two leaders of smaller redshirt groups. A total of 34 arrest warrants were issued by provincial courts in five northern provinces, and very few of those sought have yet to report to the police. So far, all who have turned themselves in have been released on bail. Charges pending against them range from traffic offenses for road blockades, to unlawful assembly and inciting public disturbance. According to Vice Governor Pairot, the authorities have collected plenty of evidence of criminal and lese majeste violations. -------------- -------------- Does Puea Thai Hold the Redshirts' Keys? -------------- -------------- ¶9. (SBU) Both Vice Governor Pairot and the Lampang Provincial Police Commander told us they believe the situation in the North is under control for now, due to a commitment by the Central Government to enforce the law and decisive action by Provincial Police. Pro-redshirt groups in both provinces are splitting, they also noted, mainly due to financial disputes. However, they are both uncertain about the future, and see Puea Thai as the key player. If Puea Thai can accomplish its agenda in Parliament, they opined that "street politics" would not be needed. If, however, the party is unsuccessful, they expect to see redshirts back out on the streets in numbers. The key to avoiding further instability on the government's side, they said, is equal treatment of redshirts and PAD yellowshirts for law-breaking acts. ¶10. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Bangkok. MORROW