A television programme which allowed critics to castigate human rights advocates including Senator Angkhana Neelapaichit for their views on the Thai-Cambodian conflict has shed new light on the dire need to regulate some unprofessional media.
The programme Hone Krasae, a popular news talk show on TV Channel 3, plumbed new lows in an episode about the border stand-off which aired mid-week, though it is no stranger to controversy and has had run-ins with broadcast regulators before.
The main guest was influencer and activist Guntouch “Gun Jompalang” Pongpaiboonwet, an ultra-nationalist who last week grabbed media headlines (and drew criticism from human rights activists) after putting loudspeakers near a community near the border and playing recordings of “ghostly sounds” to spook Cambodians.
He argues the Cambodians trespass on Thai land and the recordings, which serve to scare and intimidate, were an extra tool in the army’s toolkit to help persuade Cambodians to move on, especially as the government’s efforts to date have failed to accomplish the feat.
Other guests were Mallika Boonmeetrakul Mahasuk, a former politician, and villagers affected by the conflict, including the family of a boy who was tragically killed in the Cambodian artillery attacks.
Guests vented their anger against Sen Angkhana who raised concerns over Phnom Penh’s complaint with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) following Guntouch’s campaign.
Sen Angkhana and other activists could have provided much-needed balance, though host Kanchai Kamnerdploi said he was unable to reach them.
So for the entire show, Sen Angkhana was portrayed as heartless and unpatriotic. Both Guntouch and Mallika took turns condemning her, claiming she was “hurting the country”.
The programme appeared lopsided and bordered on instigating hate. Critics focused on particular parts of Sen Angkhana’s comments without mentioning the context.
She raised concerns that Guntouch’s “ghost sounds” campaign would be perceived as a human rights violation. She also criticised the army for letting Guntouch use the border area protected by martial law for running his campaign.
Criticism is acceptable as long as it is done in a fair manner. This was not.
At one point, Kanchai announced proudly that the number of viewers tuning in had hit 700,000. Apparently, eyeballs and ratings come first over professionalism these days, even if the outcome is mere sensationalism or even jingoism.
Kanchai unforgivably failed to intervene when his guests started lampooning the senator. For instance, Mallika likened the young boy’s death to Sen Angkhana’s loss of her husband, the late human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaichit, in a disrespectful way.
The deaths, while sad, cannot be compared. The boy is the victim of war, while the late lawyer fell victim to forced disappearance.
With regard to the boy’s death, Kanchai and other media could do great service to the country if, instead of sensationalising the issue, they looked deeply into the real cause of the armed conflict.
If Guntouch’s and Mallika’s statements are heartless, some of the comments by netizens were even worse.
Several people insulted Islam, Sen Angkhana’s religion, and others made fun of her husband Somchai, who was abducted over a decade ago. Apparently, Guntouch’s ghostly sounds campaign has brought out a latent hatred among many.
A public outcry prompted Kanchai to say “sorry for making some viewers uncomfortable”, but he could have done more to help bring society back from such senselessness. With regard to his role as media personality, there is no place for indifference.
Hone Krasae has been in hot water before. In June last year, Channel 3 removed the talk show to comply with an order by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC). The broadcast regulator found the content on an earlier episode incited hatred and violated people’s rights.
The latest incident shows once again that a regulator is needed to ensure the media maintains its professionalism and role as a gatekeeper, rather than serving as an echo-chamber that sows hatred and jingoism.
Society should heed pleas by Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow to help foster a good atmosphere conducive to diplomatic talks to help solve the Thai-Cambodian conflict. The media and social influencers should realise that diplomacy is a long-term, more durable solution.