AMATEUR RADIO OPERATIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-02771R000300410002-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 23, 1998
• Sequence Number: 2
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 1999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02771 R000300410002-9
RESTR.IC
AMATEUR RADIO OPERATIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
The fall 1952 edition of Radio Amateur Call Book Mt azine
lists IS5 licensed amateur radio stations is the countries of South-
east Asia. This list is broken down as follows-. Burma. 34;
Malaya, 65; Philippines. 52; Thailand, 4; Indochina.' Indonesia and
British Borneo,' 0. This list of stations is, given in Appendix A.
QST. _the leading periodical in the. amateur radio Acid statec",
In its August 1953 issue that international amateur radio activity is
currently banned by Thailand. Indonesia,. Indochina and British Bor::eo.
,The apparent discrepancy regarding Thailand may be explained by C he
fact that all four amateur radio. outlets in that country are operated 9y
governmental organizatLone: the R oyal' Array Signal' S tition, the Sit,;-
nal Inspection Department, the Air Attache Ias Office of the US Em-
basoy and the United Nations" ECAFE office. Until recently a fifth
station. HSIPA. was operated by Frank Spier, the Bangkok manage-
for QSL magazines
A comparison which may prove of some value may be drawn
betweesn the 1952 figures. and figures for the. pre-war period. The
spring 1939 issue of Radio Amateur Call Book Magazine gave the
following breakdown by countries: Burma, 11; Malaya. 15; Philipg:.uc~.
581 Thailand, 3; Indochina, 4; Indonesia, 184; British Borneo
ing Sarawak), 2. for a total of 277 licensed amateur radio stations,
Of major significance in comparing these, two mats of figures are the.
facts that,1939 figures for the Philippines included many Amcricane~,
while,, because of Philippine licensing laws, there are none in the
recent list. The four stations in Indochina were all operated by FrC;ach
nationals, and all stations in what is now Indonesia were operated L_
Dutch citizens.
Licensing and operating regulations vary in each country.
Some of the limitations are a citizenship requirement (Pb ippines)
non-com ercial broadcast iiing (Thailand), intra?national broad castit;;g
limitation (Indonesia) and plain test only (Indonesia). Tito rega. atic-,:s
are given in fuller dets:il in Appendix B.
The ' regulations of the Southeast Asia nations may be claseif:.ed
in four cateegorieeso
Approved For Release 1999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02771 R000300410002-9
 Approved For Release' 1999/08/24 CIA-RDP78-02771 R000300410002-9
RESTRIC
Sec ormatioa
1) Regulations which allow relatively free international
communication by amateur operators, as in Malaya
and Burma;
() Rag+u1ations wbich allow free international comrriu ca-
Lion with any country with which a treaty or agreement
on this matter exists, as in the Philippines;
(3) Regulations which allow domestic communications by
amateur operators, ' as in Indonesia, and
(4) Regulations which do not permit the operation of amateur
radios, as in Indochina and British Borneo.
In addition to licensed operations, there in the wide field of
illegal radio operation, particularly by agents of foreign goverss:m nrr.
or by local anti-government groups. In the latter category fall the
wide-spread operations of the Viet Minh army and pseudo -governme .~ 1
agencies, Also in this category fall the suspected- radio operations of
the various insurgent groups in Burma and Indonesia and Cornrriuniag
Party activities in Thailand. In the category of foreign govez nmenea
would fall broadcasts of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) that occa-
atonally heave been heard from Thailand sad Burma?
On these illegal operations little specific information is avail-
able, All sources consulted evidence an awareness of the exists ace
of such operations but, none could give specific data. Particularly in
Thailand many reports have appei red in bona the press and'iu State
despatches of seizures of illegal radio equipment. Queer reports
showing the organization of the Chinese Cormm st'Party of Thailand
include a communications or radio section. There Is reason to be-,
Have that similar. traits exist within all, dissident groups.
The listening habits. training and hours of operation of- ar atierv
radio operators in the area is so varied and information io acs : that
it is Impossible to provide even a general standard.
Approved. For Release 19.99/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02771 R000300410002-9