Thai court suspends TV station

A Thai court yesterday ordered the suspension of an online TV station critical of the government, which has accused it of violating emergency measures aimed at ending three months of protests. 

Voice TV had also been found to have breached the Computer Crime Act by uploading "false information," digital ministry spokesman Putchapong Nodthaisong told reporters.

Thailand has drawn criticism from rights groups for banning demonstrations and the publication of news seen as damaging by the government as it tries to end the protests against Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and the powerful monarchy.

Rittikorn Mahakhachabhorn, Editor-in-Chief of Voice TV, said it would continue broadcasting until the court order arrived.

Thailand said on Monday that three other media organisations are under investigation.

Voice TV is owned in part by the Shinawatra family of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his sister Yingluck, who was overthrown by Prayuth in a 2014 coup. Both fled Thailand to escape corruption cases they branded political.

Street protests since mid-July are the biggest challenge in decades to the monarchy under King Maha Vajiralongkorn and to Prayuth, who rejects accusations of engineering an election last year to keep power. The PM has said he has  no intention to quit in the face of the protests.