The two media organisations slammed the order as infringing on media rights protected by the Constitution and warned the NBTC action, which followed the junta’s orders, would only undermine the agency’s independence and credibility.

The NBTC on Wednesday ordered Peace TV to go off air completely for 30 days after it was accused of broadcasting content deemed provocative and causing confusion in four of its news and news talk programmes.

The contents were against the Administrative Court’s order that demanded the station respect the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) order Nos 97/2557 and 103/2557, which made it binding on the media to not broadcast any provocative content, according to the NBTC. Peace TV had repeatedly disobeyed the orders, the agency said.

This is not the first time Peace TV has faced this predicament. In the four years since the coup, the red-shirt station has been temporarily shut down for 15 or 30 days several times because of controversial political content.

The TJA and Thai BJA said in the statement that the suspension of Peace TV had an impact not only on the station but also on the people working there even though some of them were not part of the problematic programmes. Unless the NBTC was prudent in exercising its power, it could easily destroy press freedom as well as the media as business organisations, the statement read.

Duty to protect independence of media

Apart from that, the media organisations also reminded the NBTC of its direct role in protecting the independence of media companies.

However, the order imposed on Peace TV was in violation of the Constitution, which prohibited the shutting down of mass media companies, it said.

The TJA and Thai BJA said that the NBTC could have considered punishing only problematic programmes, not suspending the entire station.

In addition, other laws such as defamation were available to deal with the issues they posed, they added.

If the station was really irresponsible |in its reports, the TJA and Thai BJA |said the market mechanism and |consumers would bring consequences to the station.

“The biggest problem is that this Constitution is not democratic, from its origin to its contents,” Future Forward Party’s co-founder Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit said at a forum.

“There is also little hope to actually fix this charter in the future.”

Written by the junta, the 2017 charter has been criticised for not adequately endorsing people’s rights and for introducing mechanisms that will very likely weaken the bargaining power of politicians while empowering the military faction in parliament.

The charter also requires that any amendment must gain approval from the Senate, which will be selected by the junta, thus making it harder to change.

The charter was approved in a 2016 referendum amid criticism that the campaign was too tightly controlled, turning the vote into a ritual to legitimise the junta-written draft rather than to actually seek input from citizens.

Thanathorn said that politicians should gather to publicly critique the controversial charter as parliamentary opposition alone may not be sufficient.

“I think that the only way is to increase society’s awareness that this charter should be revoked as it has no connection to people,” he said. “The new charter should also be written to curb the military [from involvement] in politics to prevent any future coup.”

Chart Thai Pattana Party’s key man Warawut Silpa-archa and Pheu Thai Party ex-MP Kattiya Sawasdipol hailed the 1997 constitution as a good model for being people-based and endorsing people’s engagement in politics.

“I would suggest that the Constitutional Drafting Assembly should be set up again,” Warawut said, referring to the popularly elected group of 1997 charter drafters, that led to the document being nicknamed the “people’s constitution”.

Kattiya thought the 1997 charter could even be ressurected. “The flaw in the current charter is that it mobilises a 20-year strategy plan, which I think is too long-term and would not be able to keep up with the fast-changing pace of change,” she said.

Democrat Party ex-MP Ratchada Thanadirek suggested that people would have to live with the current charter for now. “However, what we could do is promote decentralisation of power, which will help solve social inequality,” Ratchada said.

Speaking at a forum held at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus, the four politicians said that promoting increased equality is crucial to ensuring that living standards are more uniform in rural and urban areas.

Decentralising power would also help make social opportunities more accessible to a wider range of people, they said.

“In matters of education, for instance, the state has centralised how history has been taught,” Thanathorn said.

“And there is little mention of the 1932 ‘Siamese revolution’ or the Thammasat University massacre in 1976. This kind of teaching curbs our right to education.”

The government should only facilitate education welfare, such as maintaining free compulsory education, and refrain from meddling in content taught in school, he added.

National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) secretary-general Warawit Sukboon said that the corruption case involved a project to build 396 new police stations throughout the country.

The project was approved while Suthep, then secretary-general of the Democrat Party, was serving as deputy prime minister in the Democrat-led government.

The NACC also has completed about 80 to 90 per cent of its investigation into a separate corruption case against former Samut Prakan mayor Chonsawat Asavahame and others, involving Bt800 million in state subsidies to temples in the province, Warawit said yesterday.

In yet another case involving politicians, the NACC is investigating accusations against Karuna Chidchob, president of the Buri Ram Administrative Organisation. Karuna was accused of irregularities over Bt20 million in state subsidies to sports associations in the northeastern province, according to Warawit.

Karuna is the wife of Newin Chidchob, president of the Buriram United Football Club who has retained much influence in the Bhum Jai Thai Party. Newin on Monday led an event at the football team’s 32,000-seat home stadium in welcoming Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Warawit said that in April, after receiving an NACC investigative subcommittee’s report regarding the case against Karuna, the agency’s board instructed that further evidence be gathered. “Just a little more time is needed to complete the task,” he added.

The senior official also defended the NACC action against Watana Muangsook a prominent figure of the Pheu Thai Party’, in connection with the Ua Athon housing project.

“We do not practise bias or preferential treatment,” he said.

On Wednesday, public prosecutors sued Watana through the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Political Office Holders, for alleged malfeasance and bribery in connection with a residential project for low-income earners. The project was built by the National Housing Authority (NHA) at the time when Watana served as minister of social development and human security overseeing the NHA.

The public relations material is to be released for the coup’s fourth anniversary on May 22, according to Prajin.

But he said no exact schedule has been set for a press conference that would accompany the release of the video and book.

The video officially details work completed by the 20 ministries over the past four years, according to the deputy PM. It also explains the country’s situation before the coup in May 2014 and mentions what this government has done in tackling the country’s problems, he said.

“There has been peace. The foundations have been established, the roadmap has been set and there is a new constitution,” Prajin added.

The air force chief said the video covers such matters as security, foreign affairs, society, education, public health, tourism, environment, laws, politics and administration. “It ends with the path to a new election,” he added.

The deputy premier said the video’s storyboard has been completed and is going to be presented to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha for approval.

The book also covers the work by the five reform steering committees on public administration headed by the five deputy prime ministers, according to Prajin.

In 2014 he joined the coup-making National Council for Peace and Order while serving as commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Air Force.

General Wanlop Rugsanaoh, the NSC’s secretary-general, said on Thursday that his agency was also attempting to determine whether there was anyone behind the planned rally, following an observation by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha about that possibility.

A group calling themselves People Who Want to Vote threatened to march to Government House on May 22 to lodge their demands with the prime minister for a general election to be held in November, the post-coup administration to reduce its role to a caretaker government and the military to stop supporting the ruling junta, the National Council for Peace and Order.

“The government is preparing for an election to be held. We do not want to see a demonstration because the public will be inconvenienced,” Wanlop said.

“It’s possible the march may be infiltrated by people with ill intentions who want things to get out of control. The government is trying to prevent those people from using this rally as their political tool. And we are doing our best to prevent law violations and disruptions of the peace,” he added.

The NSC chief said that he expected the authorities to step up security measures ahead of the rally.

“The power of the people has spoken loud and clear that they do not only remember his outstanding legacy but needed his leadership,” Thaksin wrote on his Facebook status. He also posted a photo of himself shaking hand with Mahathir at Apec’s 2003 meeting in Thailand 2003.

“His leadership [will] undoubtedly reinvigorate Asean as well as ideas and visions that he helped shape,” he said.

Mahathir, already has a legacy for his 22-year career as the elected premier, and for leading Malaysia through the 1997 Asian financial crisis. He returns to the top post aged 92, after defeating Najib, whose popularity had been in decline following a major corruption scandal.

Thaksin was also hit by similar scandals during his premiership in 2006, but was ousted by a military coup rather than by an election. He has been in self-exile since then.

His sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, also an ex-PM, also lost power in a coup. The 2014 coup brought General Prayut Chan-o-cha to the premier’s seat amid international criticism of undemocratic practices.

Thaksin earlier predicted that the Pheu Thai Party, the third incarnation of the Thai Ruk Thai Party that he founded, will win a landslide victory in the yet-to-come election despite the junta’s influence.

Public prosecutors indicted Watana for alleged irregularities in connection with the second Thaksin Shinawatra government’s Ua Athon housing project for low-income earners, which was built by the National Housing Authority (NHA).

Watana, now 60, at that time was serving as minister of social development and human security overseeing the NHA.

Also sued in the same case are Mana Wongpiwat, a former NHA director who headed the project’s screening committee between 2005 and 2006, and 17 executives and employees of private companies involved in the project.

The court yesterday scheduled June 6 for both parties to hear a decision whether to accept the prosecutors’ case for trial.

Watana was yesterday released by the court on bail of Bt5 million, on condition that he would not leave the country without court permission.

Public prosecutors yesterday formally indicted nine key suspects including Watana, out of 19 people accused in the case. Six of the nine appeared at the Office of Attorney-General in an appointment with public prosecutors yesterday morning.

Watana yesterday denied the allegation that he had asked for a bribe from the private companies involved in the project. He claimed the accusation against him was just an attempt to legitimise the 2006 coup.

The politician said he was satisfied that the requested bail was not high.

He said he was confident about the evidence he had. “This case is not complex. The NACC knows that. This case is meant as a political tool to harm our group,” Watana said, referring to the junta’s political enemies.

Watana added that in addition to the legal cases against him and other politicians who stand opposed to the junta, there would be more soon against politicians in the Thaksin camp, including ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra. On the contrary, Watana added, cases against his political rivals have seen slow progress.

The scandal-hit Ua Athon housing project was first investigated by the Assets Examination Committee (AEC), which was set up after the 2006 military that overthrew the second Thaksin government. The case came after the National Anti-Corruption Commission took over when the AEC’s term expired.

Last year, the NACC submitted its investigative report regarding the case to the Office of the Attorney-General. Recently, Attorney-General Khemchai Chutiwong decided to indict 19 people found involved in the alleged irregularities.

According to the lawsuit, Watana is accused of malfeasance for abusing his power as a government official for bribery. Mana is accused of asking for and taking a bribe. And the 17 others are accused of supporting malfeasance committed by Watana.

The NLA will tomorrow set up a committee to check the backgrounds of the candidates, a process required by the organic law governing the agency, said NLA whip deputy spokesman Yutthana Tupcharoen on Tuesday.

The committee has 60 days before reporting to the NLA for approval of the candidates. Tentatively, Yutthana said the matter could be listed on the NLA’s meeting agenda for July 13.

The selection is a second attempt after the NLA rejected all candidates nominated in February, citing inadequate qualifications.

Given such a history, Yuthana said he believed background checks this time would be meticulously conducted.

Nat Pasuk, secretary-general of the Senate and the secretary of the selection committee, would be in charge of responding to any questions the background-checking committee may have about the candidates, Yutthana said.

Under the new organic law, the commission must comprise seven candidates. They would be responsible for holding the election planned for next February.

The candidates nominated by the selection committee are: Suntud Sirianuntapiboon, an environmental technology professor from King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi; Somchai Charnnarongkul, former director of the Cooperative Promotion Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives; Ittiporn Boonpracong, former director of the Treaties and Legal Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; former Buri Ram governor Peerasak Hinmuangkao; and former Saraburi governor Tawatchai Terdphaothai.

The two others selected by a general meeting of the Supreme Court are senior judges Chatchai Chanpraisri and Pakorn Mahannop.

“Negotiations on an FTA will only be possible with a democratically elected government,” the EU delegation to Thailand ambassador Pirkka Tapiola told reporters. “And I really wish that it can succeed during my term here.”

Tapiola came to the Kingdom last September to serve as envoy with what he called the goal to re-engage with Thailand.

EU-Thailand relations have run into bumps after the 2014 coup. Last December, however, the EU decided to resume political contacts with Thailand following developments, including PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s promise to hold elections by November this year.

Tapiola took the promise as an encouraging sign to re-engage, saying he would not “predict too far” on further election delays or any post-election scenario that allows a prolonged stay of the ruling junta.

Lecturing to foreign countries is not the “EU style”, the envoy said.

“EU countries have been through so much, so many centuries of wars and coups. Afterwards, we realised that the rule of law and democracy can make you more resilient to outsiders,” he said. “We just think the mistakes we made should never happen again.”

Eager to step up ties with Thailand, Tapiola said he had been observing developments in Thailand including adoption of the 2017 Constitution, abolishing of the military court against civilians and almost a decade without executions for criminal offences.

These would pave the way for FTA negotiations, which were first launched four years ago, he said.

If successful, the FTA would cover several topics including tariffs and non-tariff barriers, which would much likely enable more trade flows between EU and Thailand.

The EU is Thailand’s third-biggest trade partner after China and Japan. Thailand is also the EU’s third-largest trading partner in Asean

In 2017, the EU imported 22.3 billion euros (Bt849 billion) worth of goods from Thailand and exported 15 billion euros worth of goods to the Kingdom.

Key exports from Thailand are machinery and electronics and transport equipment, miscellaneous manufactured articles, as well as food products.

Seafood product exports, however, ran into trouble as the EU got tough on irregular, unreported and unregulated fishing, which have hindered fishing industries in Thailand, particularly due to labour abuses and excessive fishing.

Tapiola reiterated that the EU’s speculation on the Thai fishing industry was nothing political and it only aimed to enhance the sustainability of the fishing industry.