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100 lecturers, students call on Govt to stop abusing state media
From The Nation:
A group of 100 Bangkok University lecturers and graduate students Friday issued a statement calling for the government to stop abusing state media outlets and ensure the constitutional right for media freedom.
"Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra used the state media outlets for his publicity blitz to defend the Shin Corp sell-off. His speech was rebroadcast again and again last Saturday," the statement said.
Thaksin had acted improperly in putting the media at his personal disposal, it said.
Under the present government, iTV lost its professional independence and fell under the domination of politicians and Temasek, the Singaporean investment firm, it said.
The Mass Communications Authority of Thailand became a profit-seeking organisation and doggedly followed political orders to tone down news coverage, it added.
It also called on relevant parties to rethink the strategy in fighting for free media. In the present situation, air waves are being allocated for a highest bidder, it said, adding that the goal of free media is elusive if media outlets succumb to the capitalists after being freed from the government.
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