You will all remember the outrage expressed by a student activist/senator, an academic and an NGO on Supreme Commander General Ruengroj's threat to Sondhi about involving the King in politics. Money quote:
Former student activists yesterday blasted Ruengroj's "threat".
"It's as if we're living in the climate of military rule decades ago," said Senator Nirun Phitakwatchara, a leader of the 1973 student uprising.
"The government is attempting to turn off the press," he said.
All "unjust" attempts by the government will backfire because people are thirsting for the truth, he said.
Prinya Tewanarumitkul, a Thammasat University academic, said many people believed that the government was trying to keep them from learning the real situation, so they welcomed Sondhi's incisive commentary.
"If the government or its supporters disagree or feel assailed, they can always sue Sondhi," said Prinya, who was a student leader during the Black May democracy movement of 1992.
The supreme commander's words only bring back bad memories of the military regime of those days, he said.
Suwit Watnu, an adviser to the Campaign for Popular Democracy, said the media tycoon had the same right to criticise the government as did the press and the supreme commander was endangering society by forcing people to side either with the government or with Sondhi when they had the right to hear the facts first.
So what about the following statement by the Thai military, authorised by Supreme Commander General Ruengroj in regards to Samak's statements about Prem:
“On behalf of the Thai armed forces, we call on them to come to the realisation that their criticism was inappropriate and shows irresponsibility,” the Defence Ministry’s spokesman Lt-General Palangkoon Klaharn said. He added that he was relaying the message from Supreme Commander General Ruengroj Mahasaranond.
Stunning silence. I can't think of a single article in the media criticising the military for getting involved. The Nation has not only not criticised the military for being involved, but also has an editorial blaming Samak saying "Samak is a true evil in Thai politics". No mention of worrying about military interference in press freedom.
UPDATE: Naphat has kindly pointed out that Prachatai have an article (opinion piece ?) in Thai on the matter. I wait, with bated breath, for such an editorial in The Nation.
An article titled 'Samak's Freedom to Criticize' from the alternative website Prachathai (via onopen.com).
Commentators here are much more civilized (at least compare to other newspaper sites) and the reaction is quite mixed. I do agree with you that it's double standards.