History lessons

History lessons

By Post Reporters

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej locked horns with the Democrat Party yesterday over his role in shutting down newspapers when he was interior minister in the wake of the Oct 6, 1976 student uprising at Thammasat University.

Mr Samak denied any links to the massacre of student protesters and denied he had a role in silencing the media. Instead, he said, he was the one who pushed for the newspapers to reopen.

During the debate on the government's policies in parliament yesterday, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, as leader of the opposition, called on the government to respect the media's role in monitoring the government.

Mr Abhisit spoke of the time when Mr Samak was interior minister in the coup government which came to power in the wake of the Oct 6 massacre.

"During that period a lot of newspapers were ordered closed," Mr Abhisit said.

The present government must make sure nothing similar would happen again.

Mr Abhisit said ways of interfering with the media at that time, such as closing newspapers, were different.

Today, meddling with the media was more subtle, such as applying pressure on media organisations and making them fear their business would suffer if they continue to heap criticism on those in power.

Mr Abhisit also wondered why the promise of freedom to information on government organisations and other public media was omitted from the government's policy.

He touched on the spat involving Prime Minister's Office Minister Jakrapob Penkair and outspoken former senator Chirmsak Pinthong, whose radio programme was pulled off the air.

Mr Abhisit said Mr Chirmsak should be allowed to do his duty of presenting the facts. His show on FM 105 was axed after airing evidence to counter claims by Mr Samak that only one demonstrator died during the Oct 6, 1976 uprising.

Mr Samak made the comment during a recent interview with CNN and repeated it to a reporter from Al Jazeera TV.

Mr Chirmsak accused Mr Jakrapob of pressuring Fatima Broadcasting International, the Public Relations Department's concessionaire, to end the show.

Mr Abhisit wondered whether the company acted because it was afraid of the government. If the government believed in freedom of the press, it should let Mr Chirmsak return to host the show.

In response, Mr Samak insisted that he did not order the closure of newspapers when he was appointed interior minister immediately after the uprising. He contended he did exactly the opposite,sitting on a five-member committee set up "to open newspapers" on the orders of the National Administration Reform Council, which staged the coup following the massive civil unrest. He said:

"I was the one who pushed for the reopening of newspapers that were closed. I disagreed with the newspaper closures," Mr Samak said.

He pointed out he was not the interior minister at the time of the uprising. He took the job on Oct 22, 1976 and was never linked to the violent suppression of the student movement on Oct 6.

"I swear that I did not have any links to the Oct 14 [quashing of the democracy uprising in 1973] and Oct 6 incidents."

At one point in his speech, Mr Samak indicated that Mr Abhisit, as the opposition leader, was too young and may not have enough experience.

He said Mr Abhisit might not have full information about events of Oct 6 and suggested he ask Democrat chief adviser Chuan Leekpai to brief him.

Mr Chuan responded:

"Mr Samak should accept the fact that when the Oct 6 coup took place, newspapers were closed although they were allowed to reopen later."


Source : Bangkokpost, Tuesday, February 19, 2008