Ostensibly, certain operations are being penalised for violating technical standards, but community media proponents say the move is threatening a crucial experiment in participatory democracy.

Other critics are questioning the government's sincerity and have suggested that the closure orders are discriminating against radio operators that are more critical of Thailand's political leaders. They warned that the development would ultimately lead to more government control over community radios.

On 19 May, Bangkok's English-language daily, "The Nation", reported that Minister Suranand Vejjajiva has ordered the closure of at least 17 community radios. The government said their operations were found to be broadcasting beyond their prescribed transmission limits, thus causing interference with - and drawing complaints from - civil aviation entities and commercial radio operations.

Among those ordered suspended was one station whose program host has been a regular critic of the government, and yet, critics say, the order spared another operator who was said to be a relative of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

On 27 May, Suranand also ordered the National Telecommunication Commission to seize the transmitters of other community stations that violated technical standards. These stations have been given until 15 June to replace their transmitters or face closure

Dr. Anusorn Srikaew, dean of Rangsit University's Faculty of Mass Communications, said the government has a constitutional commitment to safeguard the independence of community radio stations, and keep them free of political and commercial interests.

But Dr. Uajit Virojtrairatt, an expert on community radio in Thailand, told SEAPA that the order to close down some community stations was a ploy to undermine this constitutionally-mandated experiment of community journalism. She warned that the government is looking to justify a move to impose more controls over the fledgling media sector.

BACKGROUND:
Pending the setting up of a National Broadcasting Commission - intended to be Thailand's first independent regulator for the broadcast media - all community radio operations in the country are running on a trial basis under the government Public Relations Department (PRD).

The PRD says there are on record 1,793 community radio stations in Thailand. Others say the actual figure is higher. Critics say there was in fact a sharp rise in the number of community radio operations in Thailand when the government opened the experiment to commercials in late 2004.

That move, too, has been decried by proponents of community radio in Thailand. They say opening community radio to commercials negates the intent of the 1997 Constitution that community radios should operate free not only of government interference, but also of commercial interests.

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