The Bangkok Post
Wednesday June 18, 2008
MEDIA :Journalists and media advocates will today petition House Speaker Chai Chidchob to withdraw the controversial frequency allocation bill.
The petitioners, 18 media groups, are upset by an amendment to the bill which allows the cabinet to appoint the 10-member National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The appointed commissioners would be empowered to design a master plan for frequencies allocation.
The NBTC must be an independent organisation, so the cabinet's intervention would be unacceptable and unconstitutional, said Chatchai Chuaraman.
They want the bill to be discussed and scrutinised by media experts, and vow to take the case to the Constitution Court if parliament pushes ahead with it.
New IDs opposed
RELIGION :A Buddhist group led by a senior monk from the Maha Chula Buddhist University is opposed to the new National Identity Card Bill as the new ID cards will not state a person's religion.
University director for Buddhist information and communication Phra Maha Cho Thassaneeyo yesterday led 20 Buddhists to petition Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej against the bill.
They want the government to keep the section mentioning a person's religion just like the present ID cards. The cabinet has agreed to consider the demand.
Garlic meeting
MAE HONG SON : A leader of garlic farmers was yesterday barred from atending a meeting called to discuss falling garlic prices that have sparked protests in the Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai.
Farmer leader Niran Jankhaen said Mae Hong Son deputy governor Thaweesak Watanatamarak told him not to attend because his presence might "disturb the talks".
The meeting, chaired by Mr Thaweesak, aimed at setting conditions for garlic farmers in Mae Hong Son for receiving state assistance to the tune of 300 million baht that will be used to buy garlic from farmers in Mae Hong Son and another four northern provinces.
Mr Niran believed his exclusion was a signal of non-transparency that would allow some people to exploit the package.
Representatives of agricultural cooperatives, who were among state officials participating in the meeting yesterday, were most likely to gain.
Traders who had earlier bought garlic from farmers in Mae Hong Son are suspected of having mixed the garlic they had in stock with the new supply bought under the state scheme, Mr Niran said.
He is worried the state help being offered might not be enough to relieve the plight of garlic farmers.
The government plans to spend the 300 million baht on buying garlic at 22 baht per kilogramme.
Mr Niran said the garlic in Mae Hong Son alone is worth nearly 150 million baht.
Allowance increase
STATE SECTOR :The cabinet yesterday agreed with a call to increase the special cost-of-living allowance of low-ranking government employees to 1,500 baht a month, said deputy government spokeswoman Suparat Nakboonnam.
It earlier approved a 1,000-baht increase on March 13, but yesterday decided to boost the increase so that state officials and employees could make ends meet.
The new increase is only for those on a monthly salary of no more than 11,700 baht.
Combating drugs
COOPERATION : Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat will discuss with Cambodia's interior minister bilateral cooperation on combating drug trafficking along the Thai-Cambodian border during his two-day visit to Cambodia, beginning tomorrow.
Mr Sompong said drug smuggling rings had recently changed their trafficking routes.
In the past, illicit drugs were trafficked from the neighbouring countries to Thailand mostly via Chiang Rai and the country's western provinces.
Now, traffickers have opted to smuggle drugs into the Golden Triangle and then moving down to Vietnam and Cambodia.
From those two countries the drugs are then trafficked to another transit hub in Hong Kong, said the justice minister.
Mr Sompong said he will not be discussing the Preah Vihear issue during his trip.
Wednesday June 18, 2008
MEDIA :Journalists and media advocates will today petition House Speaker Chai Chidchob to withdraw the controversial frequency allocation bill.
The petitioners, 18 media groups, are upset by an amendment to the bill which allows the cabinet to appoint the 10-member National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The appointed commissioners would be empowered to design a master plan for frequencies allocation.
The NBTC must be an independent organisation, so the cabinet's intervention would be unacceptable and unconstitutional, said Chatchai Chuaraman.
They want the bill to be discussed and scrutinised by media experts, and vow to take the case to the Constitution Court if parliament pushes ahead with it.
New IDs opposed
RELIGION :A Buddhist group led by a senior monk from the Maha Chula Buddhist University is opposed to the new National Identity Card Bill as the new ID cards will not state a person's religion.
University director for Buddhist information and communication Phra Maha Cho Thassaneeyo yesterday led 20 Buddhists to petition Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej against the bill.
They want the government to keep the section mentioning a person's religion just like the present ID cards. The cabinet has agreed to consider the demand.
Garlic meeting
MAE HONG SON : A leader of garlic farmers was yesterday barred from atending a meeting called to discuss falling garlic prices that have sparked protests in the Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai.
Farmer leader Niran Jankhaen said Mae Hong Son deputy governor Thaweesak Watanatamarak told him not to attend because his presence might "disturb the talks".
The meeting, chaired by Mr Thaweesak, aimed at setting conditions for garlic farmers in Mae Hong Son for receiving state assistance to the tune of 300 million baht that will be used to buy garlic from farmers in Mae Hong Son and another four northern provinces.
Mr Niran believed his exclusion was a signal of non-transparency that would allow some people to exploit the package.
Representatives of agricultural cooperatives, who were among state officials participating in the meeting yesterday, were most likely to gain.
Traders who had earlier bought garlic from farmers in Mae Hong Son are suspected of having mixed the garlic they had in stock with the new supply bought under the state scheme, Mr Niran said.
He is worried the state help being offered might not be enough to relieve the plight of garlic farmers.
The government plans to spend the 300 million baht on buying garlic at 22 baht per kilogramme.
Mr Niran said the garlic in Mae Hong Son alone is worth nearly 150 million baht.
Allowance increase
STATE SECTOR :The cabinet yesterday agreed with a call to increase the special cost-of-living allowance of low-ranking government employees to 1,500 baht a month, said deputy government spokeswoman Suparat Nakboonnam.
It earlier approved a 1,000-baht increase on March 13, but yesterday decided to boost the increase so that state officials and employees could make ends meet.
The new increase is only for those on a monthly salary of no more than 11,700 baht.
Combating drugs
COOPERATION : Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat will discuss with Cambodia's interior minister bilateral cooperation on combating drug trafficking along the Thai-Cambodian border during his two-day visit to Cambodia, beginning tomorrow.
Mr Sompong said drug smuggling rings had recently changed their trafficking routes.
In the past, illicit drugs were trafficked from the neighbouring countries to Thailand mostly via Chiang Rai and the country's western provinces.
Now, traffickers have opted to smuggle drugs into the Golden Triangle and then moving down to Vietnam and Cambodia.
From those two countries the drugs are then trafficked to another transit hub in Hong Kong, said the justice minister.
Mr Sompong said he will not be discussing the Preah Vihear issue during his trip.
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