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.

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Summary and Comment
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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.

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Community Radio Stations Raided, Ordered Off the Air
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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.

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Arrest Warrants Issued and Obeyed
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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.

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Does Puea Thai Hold the Redshirts' Keys?
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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