The Public Relations Department yesterday moved to shut down the community radio station that aired a live telephone interview with ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Wednesday night.

The department's director for radio and television, Borworn Thecha-in, and its lawyers filed a complaint with Nonthaburi police accusing station director Kraiwal Kasemsil of broadcasting without permission.

Afterwards, Borworn visited the station, located on the third floor of a four-storey commercial building in Nonthaburi's Muang district. Kraiwal was producing a programme when Borworn inspected the building and told him to go off the air. Kraiwal followed the order without resistance.

Borworn said the station, FM 87.75, was operating illegally.

Department director-general Pramote Ratvinij said from the UK that he had just learned about the interview and so ordered his officials to "punish" the station for undermining national security.

Officials had already cracked down on 22 community radio stations in Nonthaburi, because they used illegal frequencies and interfered with aviation communications.

The station's staff told the officials their transmitter broke down and had been sent in for repairs that morning.

Borworn said his department was not authorised to shut down any community radio stations, but rather could only ensure that the stations operated within the law.

The station had relayed Thaksin's interview to three community radio stations: Confidante Radio, Saturday Voice against Dictatorship and Taxi Driver Community Radio.

The talk-show host on FM 87.75 claimed he did not know at first who it was calling in. He was shocked and speechless when he realised it was Thaksin on the other end.

Speaking live to the local media for the first time since he was deposed in the September 19 coup, Thaksin called for a swift return to democracy and an early general election, in order to restore confidence in the country.

Thaksin expressed concern that some of his schemes for the rural poor had been scrapped by the military-installed government and that the government had scaled back student scholarships. He urged "children who are suffering" to contact his Thaicom Foundation.

He told Saturday Voice that he wanted to return home but not in the near future, because that might trigger a confrontation between his supporters and opponents.

"I have spent almost one year abroad, but the country has not yet returned to normalcy," he said from London. "They always cite me as the problem, but as of now no one wants to reconcile with me."

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont played down Thaksin's latest publicity stunt, saying it would not undermine his government's stability. He said Thaksin might be pleading for public sympathy, because his wife and children were facing graft charges.

Surayud believes Thaksin will not try to stage a political comeback for a while, because he has several criminal cases possibly ahead of him.

He dismissed allegations that he has been trying to "protect" Thaksin, saying he always acted in accordance with the law.

Council for National Security chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said he had not heard the programme. The government would be responsible for handling the matter, he added.

Piyanart Srivalo,

Samatcha Hunsara

The Nation