THAILAND

AUGUST 9, 2005
Posted: August 18, 2005

FM 92.25

CENSORED

Police raided and shut down FM 92.25, a Bangkok community radio station known for its critical reporting of the prime minister, and threatened to arrest its journalists if they continued to broadcast news.

Police and officials from the prime minister’s office charged the station with “disseminating false information” and “inciting the public against the government.” They also filed criminal charges against the station for violating transmission laws limiting the wattage and coverage area of radio stations, alleging that the FM 92.25 signal interfered with airport signals.

FM 92.25 is among more than 2,000 community radio stations operating across the country. Its closure follows a series of recent government actions against the station, including earlier police raids and the shuttering of the station’s Web site.