MONTHLY REPORT--BANGKOK BUREAU--APRIL 1983

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000100190008-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 31, 2008
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: May 3, 1983
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2008/03/31: CIA -RDP86-0004OR000100190008-7
Administrative - internal ' a Only
MBK-009
3 May 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report--Bangkok Bureau--April 1983
A. The long-anticipated Vietnamese offensive against the enclaves
of Kampuchean resistance forces on the Thai-Kampuchean border began in
early April. Within the first week two Democratic Kampuchean strongholds
had been overrun and several clashes were being reported on the border
between Vietnamese/Phnom Penh troops and Thai defense forces. Fighting
reached a peak on 9 April with the downing of a Thai reconnaissance jet
inside Thai territory and serious shelling incidents which resulted
in widespread international criticism against Vietnam and renewed tension
on the PRC-SRV border. Since mid month, fighting has died down and the
Democratic Kampuchean forces appear to have been able to maintain a
position on Kampuchean soil through a fourth dry season, which officially
ended on 2 May.
B. The 18 April Thai elections, which had been rescheduled 3 months
early to avoid a constitutional crisis, were conducted with little fanfare
and no more than the usual number of political assassinations and resulted
in a general maintaining of position by the three parties forming the
former governing coalition. The three parties initially were not able
to agree on new coalition arrangements or to form any other workable
coalition, however, and this logjam was not broken until Prime Minister
Prem, who was fully expected to head the coalition for another 4-year
term, on 26 April announced his political retirement. By the end of
the month, a working coalition was being formed, albeit grudgingly, and
Prem was reappointed Prime Minister on the 30th.
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. Okinawa and Bangkok bureaus participated in a 10-day comparison
of Delhi radio and TV coverage early in the month. This sampling resulted
in the decision to maintain Delhi Television on Okinawa's irregular coverage.
2. The new Burmese clandestine radio of the Karen insurgents, Kawthulay
Radio, was placed on bureau coverage early in April. Thus far material has
focused on low-level "battle" reports.
Administrative - internal Use On;,
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Administratt%4 -- Internal use uniy
B. Technical
Bureau Engineer) (met with Embassy CPU officers on iHi
29 April to coordinate the changeover of the bureau's first altroute
duplex circuit to Embassy CPU. We are on target for the scheduled 8 May
activation of the system.
A. Personnel
Promotions, coverin the April-May period, nl7f~ 'k,-On nted to
Senior Burmese Monitor Senior Lao Monitor Vietnamese STAT
Cambodian onitor retary STAT
7Bureau Enginee Teletype STAT
has been awarded a QSI. DTAT
B. Buildings and Grounds
1. The structure was sorely tested on 15 and 22 April STAT
when Bangkok was rocked by unusually strong earth tremors. The 22 April
quake registered 5.5 on the Richter scale and was serious enough to cause
the closure of the International School and several high-rise office
buildings for the remainder of the day in anticipation of aftershocks. FBIS
personnel remained at their posts during and after the quakes, contemplating
their good fortune to work on the 15th floor and trying to pretend they
couldn't see their coffee cups strolling across their desks.
2. The bureau has upgraded its cooking facilities by purchasing
a microwave oven and placing it in the library on the operations floor.
A. Okinawa Senior Chinese Monitor (visited the
bureau 25 April while on end-of-contract travel in Thailand.
STAT
B. Bureau Chief) lis out of the country on Bureau Chief STAT
Conference TDY and private travel 14 April-8 May.
STAT
Acting ie
FBIS, Bangkok Bureau
GDK:mk
Attachment:
Production Report
Administrative - !nter'nai use only
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f, J
I. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH:
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH:
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH:
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
minutes or issues per week)
659,790 (798,250)
233,780 (266,050)
1,607 ( 1,682)
BROADCASTS PRESS AGENCIES PUBLICATIONS
15,575 ( 16,565) 20,505 ( 20,085) 200.23 ( 200.23)
min. min. issues
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
publishable words per month)
AFGHANISTAN
Kabul KABUL NEW TIMES in
English
AUSTRALIA
Melbourne Overseas Service in
English
Sydney The AUSTRALIAN in
English
Sydney The BULLETIN in
English
Sydney The WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN in
English
Dhaka Overseas Service in
English
Dhaka Domestic Service in
Bengali
Dhaka Domestic Service in
English
Dhaka BSS in
English
Dhaka SANGBAD in
Bengali
Dhaka The BANGLADESH OBSERVER in
English
BURMA
Rangoon Domestic Service in
Burmese
Rangoon BOTATAUNG in
Burmese
Rangoon LOKTHA PYEITHU NEZIN in
Burmese
Rangoon MYANMA ALIN in
Burmese
Rangoon WORKING PEOPLE'S DAILY in
English
o ( 990)
120 ( 2,800)
3,780 ( 7,120)
Beijing in
Bengali to India and Pakistan 0 (
350)
Beijing in
Burmese to Burma 0
0)
Beijing in
Cambodian to Kampuchea 8,950 (
2,120)
Beijing in
Hindi to South Asia 0 (
0)
Beijing in
Indonesian to Indonesia 0 (
0)
Beijing in
Lao to Laos 1,850 (
0)
0
0
0
0)
0)
0)
0 (
0)
3,760 (
1,330)
0
0)
0
0)
250 (
0)
140 (
10,080)
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CHINA (continued)
Beijing in
Malay to Malaysia
0
0)
Beijing in
Thai to Thailand
0 (
0)
Beijing in
Urdu to India and Pakistan
0 (
420)
CLANDESTINE
(Clandestine) Radio Kawthulay in
Burmese to Burma
2,960 (
0)
(Clandestine) Radio Kawthulay in
English to Burma
0 (
0)
(Clandestine) Voice of Democratic Kampuchea in
Cambodian
35,930 (
38,850)
(Clandestine) Voice of Malayan Democracy in
Malay
5,330 (
1,380)
(Clandestine) Voice of The National Army of Democratic
Kampuchea in Cambodian
10,660 (
8,930)
(Clandestine) Voice of The National Army of Democratic
Kampuchea in Vietnamese
0 (
110)
(Clandestine) Voice of The People of Burma in
Burmese
5,310 (
4,640)
(Clandestine) SSPT in
Thai
0 (
0)
Hong Kong AFP in
English
Delhi General Overseas Service in
English 2,840 ( 4,300)
Delhi Domestic Service in
English 30,460 ( 83,660)
Delhi ISI Diplomatic Information Service in
English
Delhi INDIAN EXPRESS in
English
Delhi NATIONAL HERALD in
English
Delhi PATRIOT in
English
Bombay The TIMES OF INDIA in
English
Calcutta ANANDA BAZAR PATRIKA in
Bengali
Calcutta The STATESMAN in
English
Madras The HINDU in
English
Delhi Domestic Service in
Hindi 0 (
70)
Bombay PTI in
English
Jakarta Domestic Service in
Indonesian 10,440 (
14,760)
Jakarta ANTARA in
English
Jakarta KOMPAS in
Indonesian
Jakarta The INDONESIA TIMES in
English
Jakarta OANA in
English
Phnom Penh International Service in
English
0 0)
Phnom Penh International Service in
Thai
0 0)
58,920 ( 81,770)
1,940 ( 640)
0 (
1,020 (
850 (
0 (
0
3,040 (
2,420 (
1,720)
1,730)
2,290)
1,170)
0)
640)
1,300)
0 (
4,720)
5,990 (
14,290)
1,100 (
60)
2,730 (
830)
0 (
250)
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Phnom Penh Domestic Service in
Cambodian
Phnom Penh SPK in
French
Vientiane Domestic Service in
Lao
Vientiane KPL in
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BROADCASTS PRESS AGENCIES PUBLICATIONS
40,900 ( 26,890)
23,750 ( 33,620)
0 0)
0 o)
18,930 ( 30,490)
STAT
STAT
Kuala Lumpur International Service in
English
12,180 ( 11,030)
Kuala Lumpur Domestic Service in
English
5,270 ( 5,100)
Kuala Lumpur Domestic Service in
Malay
0 ( 0)
Kuala Lumpur NEW STRAITS TIMES in
English
4,340 ( 7,530)
Kuala Lumpur NEW SUNDAY TIMES in
English
0 ( 0)
Katmandu External Service in
English
Katmandu The RISING NEPAL in
English
PAKISTAN
Karachi Overseas Service in
Urdu
150 (
200)
Karachi Domestic Service in
English
5,760 (
10,640)
Karachi Domestic Service in
Urdu
11,340 (
18,450)
Singapore Domestic Service in
English
3,680 (
1,140)
Singapore The STRAITS TIMES in
English
1,630 (
13,120)
Singapore The SUNDAY TIMES in
English
0 (
860)
Colombo International Service in
English
2,950 (
1,500)
Colombo Domestic Service in
English
430 (
230)
Colombo SUN in
English
1,240 (
1,010)
Colombo WEEKEND in
English
1,070 (
490)
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BROADCASTS PRESS AGENCIES PUBLICATIONS
J
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
English
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
That
Bangkok Domestic Service in
English
Bangkok Domestic Service in
That
Bangkok BANGKOK POST in
English
Bangkok BANGKOK WORLD in
English
Bangkok MATICHON in
Thai
Bangkok MATUPHUM in
Thai
Bangkok SIAM RAT in
Thai
Bangkok SU ANAKHOT in
Thai
Bangkok THAI RAT in
. Thai
Bangkok The NATION REVIEW in
English
Bangkok First Army Division in.
Thai
Bangkok Thai Television in
Thai
Bangkok Chat Athipatai in
Thai
Bangkok Lak Thai in
.Thai
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
Moscow in
Bengali to Bangladesh
Moscow in
Burmese to Burma
Moscow in
Cambodian to Kampuchea
Moscow in
Hindi to India
Moscow in
Indonesian to Indonesia
Moscow in
Lao to Laos
Moscow in
Thai to Thailand
Moscow in
Urdu to India
Moscow in
Urdu to Pakistan
Moscow Radio Peace and Progress in
Indonesian to Indonesia
Hanoi International Service in
Cambodian
Hanoi International Service in
English
Hanoi International Service in
Thai .
Hanoi Domestic Service in
Vietnamese
Hanoi VNA in
Hanoi TAP CHI CONG SAN in
Vietnamese
Hanoi NHAN DAN in
Vietnamese
Hanoi QUAN DOI NHAN DAN in
Vietnamese
5,200 ( 7,170)
2,250 ( 2,670)
1,890 ( 750)
14,140 ( 7,310)
77,540 ( 67,720)
13,360 ( 6,040)
1,600 ( 1,940)
4,990 ( 790)
440 ( 5,270)
0 ( 2,330)
1,170 ( 990)
48,800 ( 44,810)
1,310 ( o)
1,790 ( 0)
0 0)
1,560 ( 0)
0 ( 0)
60 ( 510)
140 ( 0)
700 ( 0)
710.( 0)
0 ( 0)
0 ( 0)
0 ( 0)
0 0)
8,590 ( 5,220)
1,740 ( 1,260)
69,840 ( 85,750)
0 ( 2,530)
0 ( 1,020)
0 ( 24,600)
10,280 ( 25,370)
13,220 ( 3,540)
STAT
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