Thailand 'red-shirt' radio stations raided

[caller]

A nice, 'set the tone' start to a probable summer election -

The offices of 13 radio stations linked to Thailand's anti-government red-shirt protesters have been raided by police.

A police commander said the radio stations were targeted because they were operating without licences.

But opposition politician Jatuporn Prompan accused the government of trying to silence its critics.

Analysts say political tension is rising in Thailand, with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva expected to announce an election for early July.

The last election in 2007 left Thailand with a government broadly allied to the red-shirt movement, which is largely made up of support from the rural and urban working class.

But a series of legal rulings, and mass rallies by yellow-shirted protesters - a loose grouping of royalists, businessmen and the urban middle class - eventually brought down the government in 2008.

The red-shirt protesters have held frequent demonstrations since, trying to force the government to call an election.

Police Lt Col Udom Sukprasert told AFP news agency the raids on the radio stations were in response to a request from telecommunication officials.

But Mr Jatuporn told AFP the move sent a "strange signal".

"It's a sign of hiding information from people so as to stage a coup," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13201665

So, are they not aware that this action will now hit the headlines everywhere, as already reported by the beeb and as a consequence, all those supporters who may never have been aware of what had happened, will now be aware of yet more selective targeting by the establishment?

A bit of an own goal methinks.

[STEVE G]

I suppose it's part of the same election campaign as the war about nothing on the Cambodian border!