Thailand's military-appointed government prevented the launch of a television station by former members of ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's party, saying it was about to break the law.
State telecommunications firms blocked satellite links and Internet connections of People's Television (PTV) because it had not been granted a licence to broadcast, public relations department chief Pramoj Rathavinij told Reuters.
"Both CAT Telecom and TOT, which control Thailand's Internet gateways, declined to grant PTV Internet access because the television station has been founded without permission," Pramoj said.
But the government could not yet press charges against PTV because its owners had not broken the broadcasting law yet, he said.
"They were about to go through the red light, but we could stop them before they broke the law," Pramoj said.
PTV was founded by leading former members of Thaksin's Thai Rak Thai (Thais Love Thais) party, to counter another satellite television, ASTV, led by Thaksin's staunch critic Sondhi Limthongkul, PTV founders said.
Sondhi, whose television programme drew thousands onto Bangkok streets to protest against Thaksin last year, is fighting a court case to get permission to operate a television station.
ASTV is broadcasting to people who buy its satellite dish and is among nearly 20 TV stations with no government licence and PTV's founders protest it is unfair not to let them do the same.
"We plan to use the same satellite as ASTV does, so people who watch ASTV can hear the other side of the story from PTV," said producer Jakrapob Penkair, who was Thaksin's chief government spokesman.
PTV VP Jatuporn Prompan denied Thai media reports that the funding for the business came from the billionaire Thaksin.
"This government is practising a double standard," said Jatuporn. PTV would continue to produce politically-oriented talk shows for audiences at its studio and record them on VCDs for free distribution nationwide, he said.
Paris-based media watchdog RSF urged the government and the Council of National Security (CNS), as coup leaders call themselves, to lift the ban on PTV.
"It is regrettable that the CNS has not begun a policy of media liberalisation and is repeating the mistakes made by Thaksin, who tried to suppress dissident media," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.
"The public must be guaranteed access to diverse sources of news and information, regardless of their affiliation or orientation, so that people can form their own views."
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