BANGKOK — Two TV stations are challenging the military’s orders to shut down their operations while the country remains under martial law.

After assuming a wide range of new powers from its declaration of martial law yesterday, the military excerised its new authority to censor the media by shutting down the operations of 14 partisan TV stations.

Commander-in-chief of the Royal Thai Army Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha said the move was necessary to prevent the dissemination of "misleading" information to the public.

But two of the shutdown stations, including Voice TV, which is partially owned by the son of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have decided to fight back.

Today, director of Voice TV Payungsak Chanduay filed an appeal with a commander of the army's public relations department at the Army Club on Viphavadee Road.

Mr. Payungsak argued that the shutdown of Voice TV was not justified because the channel’s reporting  of Thailand’s political crisis has been impartial, peaceful, and honest.

Mr. Payungsak  also said that the military order taking Voice TV off the air described the channel as a "satellite TV,” while it is actually a digital TV channel under the direct control of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC). 

"We have complied with the NBTC's regulations 100%. Otherwise the NBTC would have complained to us," Mr. Payungsak said. "Soldiers entered our station at 3 am. They were monitoring our broadcasts all the time, and we let them do that. We didn't try to conceal anything."

He added, "I want fairness for the station. I want them to be back on air as soon as possible, because we have sponsors. Every minute has an advertisement cost. For each hour that passed, we suffer millions of baht in damage."

The host of another shutdown TV channel also made an appeal  at the Army Club today. In a bombastic protest in front of a row of soldiers armed with riot shields, director of HOT TV Leena Changchanchaloudly scolded the shutdown order which, she said, gravely affected her business.

Ms. Leena, a self-appointed legal adviser, former candidate for Bangkok governor election, and seller of cosmetic products, is known to for making controversial statements on her channel. 

But today she insisted that her channel only focused on selling her products, and that she has never instigated violence or distorted information. 

"I support the martial law, so that there will be peace in the country. I also want to see election soon," Ms. Leena told the crowd of reporters. 

Ms. Leena filed her complaint but was not able to submit it to Gen. Prayuth in person as she had requested. 

When military personnel asked her to leave the area, Ms. Leena screamed at the officers, "Arrest me then! I will tell the world that you are dictator who violated the Constitution!" 

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BANGKOK — The Senate Speaker has refused to comment on the allegation that Thailand's army chief is being considered as a candidate for the position of Prime Minister.

"Please help me think about that," Surachai Liangboonlertchai told reporters today when he was asked whether the Senate will attempt to appoint Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha to replace caretaker Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisarn. 

"Rumours are rumours," Mr. Surachai said, adding that at the moment, the Senate has no plans to invoke Article 7 of the Constitution to appoint a royally-approved PM. 

Mr. Surachai also dismissed the rumour that he will draft a list of PM candidates without consulting the rest of the Senate. "I have not thought that far yet," he said.  

Mr. Surachai delivered the comments as he made his way to the Army Club on Vihavadee Road where the army-installed Peace and Order Maintaining Command (POMC) is convening a meeting with various political leaders to find a "solution" to the country's crisis.

Gen. Prayuth unilaterally imposed martial law yesterday, citing possible clashes between rival protest groups that are stationed in and around Bangkok. He now directs the newly-formed POMC, which is tasked with enforcing the military's new authority. 

Today, the POMC invited Thailand's top political players to a military-mediated "peace talk" at the Army club. The invitees included Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisarn, the Election Commission, the Senate Speaker, the Pheu Thai and Democrat Party chairmans, and the leaders of both pro-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) and the anti-government People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD).

UDD chairman Jatupon Prompan alleged last week that Gen. Prayuth was secretly nominated by a number of Senators to be an interim "non-partisan" Prime Minister. Gen. Prayuth has not publicly spoken out on the allegation, but he reportedly told a "military reporter" that Mr. Jatupon would be held responsible for the allegation if it turned out to be false.

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Yesterday, army commander-in-chief Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha declared nationwide martial law. Here's how Thai newspapers across the political spectrum responded:

Thai Rath: BUSINESSMEN UNANIMOUSLY SUPPORT GEN. PRAYUTH FOR IMPOSING MARTIAL LAW

 

Smaller headlines:

CAPO dissolved, replaced by POMC

Army to urgently find peaceful solution

Cabinet holds emergency meeting, says they are staying

United States presses the army to honour their words

 

 

 

Daily News: GEN. PRAYUTH FLEXES HIS MUSCLES, ORDERS POLITICAL OPPONENTS TO JOIN TALK FOR SOLUTIONS 

 

Smaller headlines:

PCAD – Redshirt TV's shutdown

Demonstrations forbidden to prevent clashes

 

 

 

Khaosod: GEN. PRAYUTH RESORTS TO MARTIAL LAWS TO SOLVE PROTEST CRISIS

 

Smaller headlines:

Troops sent to stand guard across the nation

Negotiation urgently set up for opponents to reach ceasefire

Army insists nothing related to Article 7 government

Many satellite TVs taken off the air

Including Redshirts – Yellowshirts – PCAD channels

 

 

 

Matichon: GEN. PRAYUTH SUMMONS TWO SIDES FOR HONEST TALK TO DE-ESCALATE THE CONFLICT

 

Smaller headlines:

Martial law imposed

Protesters forbidden from demonstrating

Blue Sky – Asia Update shutdown

Army says they have informed Niwatthamrong

Suthep does not give up call for unelected PM

UDD welcomes talk under democratic principle

 

 

 

Thai Post: MARTIAL LAW BREAKS THE DEAD END

 

Smaller headlines:

Army joins hands with bureaucrats to solve crisis

Gen. Prayuth: Where's the government?

 

 

 

Naewna: MARTIAL LAW INVOKED TO STOP BLOODSHED, NEGOTIATION ORDERED

 

Smaller headlines:

Army chief summons Suthep & Jatupon for dialogue

14 TV channels allied to two sides shutdown, to prevent instigation

CAPO dissolved, police sent packing to their base

Tharit scolded by Prayuth, "Stop already!"

Niwatthamrong ready to talk with army

BANGKOK — In a last minute move, the army invited caretaker Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisarn to a summit meeting of the country's political leaders to be held at 1:30 p.m. today.

The addition of caretaker PM to the list of invitees came as a surprise to many, because earlier in the day an army spokesman said only representatives of the Senate, the Election Commission, the ruling Pheu Thai Party, the Democrat Party, and leaders of the protest groups would be invited.

"The invitation of political adversaries to today's dialogue to find a solution does not include the government, especially caretaker Prime Minister Niwatthamrong Boonsongphaisarn," Col. Winthai Suwaree, deputy spokesperson of the Royal Thai Army, said this morning.

Col. Winthai said that the invitation was only extended to those who are involved in "illegal actions" and "unrest in the country."

However, only an hour before the meeting was scheduled to start, the army-installed Peace and Order Maintaining Command (POMC) announced on live television that Mr. Niwatthamrong would be invited after all.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Army Club on Viphavadee Road in Bangkok at 1:30 p.m. today.

The secretary-general of the anti-government People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) and the chairman of the pro-government United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) are also invited, according to the statement.

Each party is permitted to bring four assistants to the meeting, but "the mass and supporters of these individuals are refrained from attending," the army statement said.

The POMC has not provided any explanation for the last-minute alteration of the invitation.