Prayuth orders newspaper censorship

Martial law chief Prayuth Chan-ocha ordered print media and TV operators from carrying interviews with anyone who might "confuse society or provoke violence".

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He targeted interviews with former government officials, and warned anyone violating the martial law order would be prosecuted and shut down. The constitution and the press law forbid shutting down media, but Gen Prayuth did not explain how he would justify doing that.

Gen Prayuth, who now doubles as army commander and director of the Peace and Order Maintaining Command (POMC), issued the order Tuesday night. It targets "owners of print media and television programmes, programme hosts and journalists", and says they must not let academics, former government officials, former judiciary officials or independent organisations to "express opinions that could worsen conflict, distort information, confuse society [or] lead to violence".

In the same censorship order, Gen Prayuth also instructed officials of the Interior Ministry and the police to take action to end any demonstration criticising the martial law regime and the POMC

In other orders, Gen Prayuth indefinitely suspended the broadcasting of 14 satellite TV stations known to support political factions such as the red shirts, yellow shirts and People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), including the highly interactive Voice TV station.

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