BANGKOK: A Thai court on Tuesday ordered the suspension of an online TV station critical of the government, which has accused it of violating emergency measures aimed at ending three months of protests.
Voice TV had also been found to have breached the Computer Crime Act by uploading “false information,” digital ministry spokesman Putchapong Nodthaisong told reporters.
Thailand has drawn criticism from rights groups for banning demonstrations and the publication of news seen as damaging by the government as it tries to end the protests against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and the powerful monarchy.
Rittikorn Mahakhachabhorn, Editor-in-Chief of Voice TV, said it would continue broadcasting until the court order arrived.
“We insist that we have been operating based on journalistic principles and we will continue our work presently,” he said.
Thailand said on Monday that three other media organizations are under investigation.
Voice TV is owned in part by the Shinawatra family of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck, who was overthrown by Prayuth in a 2014 coup. Both fled Thailand to escape corruption cases they branded political.
Street protests since mid-July are the biggest challenge in decades to the monarchy under King Maha Vajiralongkorn and to Prayuth, who rejects accusations of engineering an election last year to keep power.
The demonstrations have been largely led by youths and students in contrast with a decade of street violence between supporters of Thaksin and conservative royalists before Prayuth seized power.
Protests have only gained momentum since the government announced a ban last Thursday and arrested dozens of protesters, including many of the main leaders.
A lawyer for two of them, Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak and Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, said they would be arrested again on Tuesday as soon as they had been freed on bail granted by a court over earlier charges related to the protests.
Prime Minister Prayuth has said he will not quit in the face of the protests.
His cabinet agreed on Tuesday to hold an emergency session of parliament next week about the crisis. Prayuth’s supporters hold a majority in the parliament, whose upper house was named entirely by his former junta.
Thailand suspends TV station over protests coverage
https://arab.news/ju64k
Thailand suspends TV station over protests coverage
- Thailand said on Monday that three other media organizations are under investigation
- Protests have only gained momentum since the government announced a ban last Thursday and arrested dozens of protesters
Media ministry’s Konoz wins 6 gold awards
- “The Destination” showcases the developments witnessed in Saudi Arabia over the past few years across political, economic, medical, sports, cultural, media and artistic fields
RIYADH: The Konoz Saudi Arabia initiative, one of the Ministry of Media’s programs, achieved a global milestone by winning six gold awards at the AVA Digital Awards for its documentary film “The Destination.”
Awards were given for documentary, film, editing, informational, cinematography and directing.
With the achievement, the film’s total awards since its release have risen to 13, in addition to receiving three international commendations, bringing the initiative’s overall tally to more than 50 local and international awards.
“The Destination” showcases the developments witnessed in Saudi Arabia over the past few years across political, economic, medical, sports, cultural, media and artistic fields. The film highlights the steady and accelerated steps toward realizing Saudi Vision 2030 and the Kingdom’s transformation into a global destination.
The documentary is currently available on the Shahid and stc tv platforms, in addition to being screened onboard Saudia flights. It combines creative footage drawn from trusted media sources covering events across the Kingdom with exclusive interviews featuring experts and specialists in the fields addressed by the film.
To date, the documentary has surpassed 10 million views across various platforms.
The AVA Digital Awards are among the most prestigious international awards, established in the US nearly 19 years ago. The awards aim to honor excellence in planning, directing, design and production across digital campaigns, audio and video production, website development, and social-media marketing and engagement.
