Thai junta vows retaliation against foreign media

September 24, 2006 Saturday saw the current military rulers of Thailand expressing concern over foreign media reports on the coup that ousted caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

A spokesman for the Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM), Major General Thaweep Netniyan, said: "At today's meeting top military leaders asked the foreign ministry to urgently retaliate against foreign reporters whose coverage has been deemed insulting to the monarchy,".

Thai media is being kept under strict control by the CDRM, with over 100 community radio stations in the northern and eastern provinces closed down. The area is reported to be a source of popular support for the ousted PM, whose populist policies appealed to the rural poor majorities.