Media and the fight for democracy in Thailand public lecture

Saturday April 30, 2011
10am 1pm
University of Nottinghams KL Teaching Centre,
Level 2, Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur

Thailands power struggle to attain democracy by the old and new political power bloc and the emerging role of civic groups in this public discourse will come under examination at a public lecture at University of Nottinghams Malaysian campus on Saturday.

The speaker is Prof Ubonrat Siriyuvasak of Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. Her lecture Democracy denied? Communication rights in Thailand post-Thaksin is part of a seminar series on culture, media and identity organised by Prof Zaharom Nains Centre for the Study of Communications and Culture at University of Nottingham.

The media and citizens communication rights are key constituents of the struggle to re-define democracy in Thai terms. Media censorship, particularly Internet censorship, and moral regulation by the state, and not least, self censorship by media practitioners, is prevalent after the military coup that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006. Some of the critical implications on the shrinking public sphere in Thailand will be reviewed.

Dr Siriyuvasak is emeritus professor in media studies at Chulalongkorn University. Her research and social interests are in communication rights, media reform and popular culture.