The Nation, along with the combative Manager, were among the last two Thai newspapers to resist pressure from the Thai Rak Thai-led government to curtail unfavorable reporting. As advertising revenues died up, the desperation started to show: The Nation on the defensive
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You provide an excerpt from the editorial along with another link, which goes to a site called ProBotAi, which says “nothing found”.
I did track down the editorial on the Nation’s website. All there is of the original editorial, however, is 15 words:
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/EDITORIAL-Thaksin-must-drop-media-conspiracy–90123.html
I doubt that’s self-censorship, though. Probably just clumsiness. Regardless, it would be nice to see the whole piece if you’ve got it.
We usually have copies of all the articles we link to, but for some reason we don’t have this one. This one was from a fascinating time when the media was cowering under a growing corporate advertising boycott launched against newspapers who criticized the government.
The same figures in power at that time are in an even stronger position now. They have a huge electoral majority and the precedent of having an unrepentant army of supporters ready to occupy Bangkok to support them. It is early to say, but it is possible we are finally moving towards the Malaysian/Singaporean model–reform and development, but at the price of a one party system with a highly circumscribed press.