The Thai Army on Tuesday at around 7 pm issued an order under martial law, prohibiting social media users from posting comments which incite conflict and violence, and ordered the temporary shutdown of four more media outlets.
The Army reasoned that they need to shut down the TV channels “in order that people have correct information without bias which may cause misunderstandings, which may amplify the conflict, and affect the peacekeeping duty of officials.”
The four outlets are Voice TV, Hot TV, Rescue Satellite TV and the satellite TV of the Network of Students and People for Reform of Thailand (NSPRT).
Voice TV is owned by Panthongtae Shinawatra, the son of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Hot TV is a satellite channel operated by Leena Jangjanya, a businesswoman and would-be politician. Hot TV most of the time broadcasts commercials of Leena’s cosmetic products. The NSPRT is the violent-prone group affiliated with the anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee.
The order was signed by Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha in his capacity as Director of the military-led Peace Keeping Command Centre (PKCC).
On Tuesday morning, the Army ordered 10 satellite and online TV channels and unlicensed community radio stations to stop broadcasting.
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