Cable-TV idea exposes interior minister’s ineptitude and lack of understanding of Thai Muslims. Now it can be told. The government expects to turn the tide against the Islamic militancy and eparatist insurgencythat has savaged the strife-torn Muslim South by getting local youths glued to television screens with cable-TV access, featuring mostly English Premiership football matches.

STOPPAGE TIME: Libel suits being used to intimidate

Some may say the Bangkok Post deserves it. Our “rival” possibly does; we have received some letters saying so. But the point is it could have happened over here, too. We don’t know what was behind that runway Suvarnabhumi Airport runway “cracks” report, which has brought about an amazing defamation lawsuit from the government and an imminent Bt1-billion civil complaint.