MONTHLY REPORT -- BANGKOK BUREAU -- SEPTEMBER 1985

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000300510011-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2010
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: October 3, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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3 October 1985
MBK-5012
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH: Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT: Monthly Report -- Bangkok Bureau -- September 1985
A. The big event of the month was the attempted coup against the
government on 9 September. The ostensible leader was a former Thai Army
colonel; the same one who led the previous coup attempt in April 1981.
Despite the fact that the two top leaders of the country -- the prime
minister and the supreme armed forces commander -- were both abroad at
the time, enough forces rallied to the government side to quickly put
down the rebellion. By late afternoon on the 9th, most of the rebel
troops had surrendered and the rebel tanks were headed back to barracks
under the control of the loyalists. There were casualties, although the
numbers were much less than in most coups around the world -- 5 dead and
59 wounded. Among those killed was the well-known news cameraman Neil
Davis and his soundman Bill Latch. While the former colonel leading the
coup and several of his aides were allowed to leave the country, a number
of prominent former military and political figures, including a former
prime minister, were arrested and being interrogated at the end of the
month to determine their involvement. In typical Thai fashion life went
on even in the midst of the coup. About all that was noticeably different
to those of us in the bureau was a slight decrease in the level of traffic
congestion on the streets. The government issued a state of emergency
decree, but apparently felt confident enough that matters were sufficiently
under control and so did not even bother to impose a curfew that night.
B. On the 30th, the long-awaited official letter from the Thai
Government was received approving the microwave frequencies to be used
in connection with the ROSET installation. The actual frequencies had
been learned earlier through unofficial contacts, although to preclude
any possible unpleasant surprises the actual authorization was needed.
C. The Thai currency joined most other currencies toward the end of
the month in gaining strength against the dollar. We have enjoyed a
favorable exchange for some months; however, at this writing the dollar
has dropped about 3.5 percent against the baht over the past week. Further
dollar losses are expected, although nobody knows to what extent.
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A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. The unsuccessful coup attempt on the 9th resulted in the
bureau instituting a 24-hour operation that night. Monitorial, teletypist,
and editorial schedules were all quickly adjusted to focus on covering the
coup. The first indication the bureau had that something was up came about
20 minutes after the bureau opened when Bangkok domestic service departed
from normal programming and began carrying patriotic music. Ten minutes
later the first announcement by the revolutionary party was monitored in
which the populace was informed that the government had been taken over.
A number of announcements then followed citing economic reasons for the
takeover. The first army division radio remained in government hands
and later began broadcasting counter-coup announcements until it was shot
off the air by rebel troops. It was at the headquarters of this radio that
most of the shooting took place. Almost immediately the bureau also began
to monitor Thai television even though it is normally off at that time of
day. Bureau efforts were rewarded when the government loyalists decided to
make television their primary medium for countering the coup announcements.
The aftermath continued for several weeks for the bureau and even now is
not completely over as the investigations continue into the conduct of
high-ranking individuals during the coup with the resultant processing of
reports in the media.
2. The "retirement" of Pol Pot occasioned a great deal of interest
and commentary in this part of the world. It appears no one knows for sure
whether the retirement is real or cosmetic, but a lot of quarters were heard
from which added to the bureau file during the month.
3. The bureau made special efforts on the 26th to cover the
elections in the Indian state of Punjab. Reports were processed expeditiously
and the bureau stayed open late that night to cover the election updates.
B. Communications
The rehome of the bureau's primary circuit was scheduled for
9 September. However, the quick work by the bureau engineer when the coup
broke out that morning resulted in a postponement. The situation was
sufficiently back to normal by the 11th to permit the rehome to proceed.
Since then the circuit has had its ups and downs so far as circuit' quality
is concerned. Overall it looks like the circuit is moving toward quite
acceptable quality.
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C. Lateral Services
1. The American Embassy in Laos requested texting of two items from
Vientiane Domestic Service during the month.
2. BBC requested the videotapes of the coup material. Since the tapes
had already been sent to Headquarters, the bureau referred them to MOD.
III. ADMINISTRATION
Personnel
1. Bureau Chief
the bureau on 23 September.
IV. VISITS
IG inspectors
from 17-20 September.
Monthly Production Report
entered on duty with
on an inspection visit
Chief
Bangkok Bureau
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I. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES:
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 619,210
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 269,820
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 1,410
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
(minutes or issues per week)
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
(publishable words per month)
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATION
20,670 20,420 254.00
min. min. issues
Melbourne Overseas Service in
English
15,960
Sydney THE AUSTRALIAN in
English
2,440
Sydney THE BULLETIN in
English
0
Sydney THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN in
English
0
BANGLADESH
Dhaka
Domestic
Bengali
Service in
260
Dhaka
Domestic
English
Service in
3,420
* Dhaka
Overseas
English
Service in
800
Dhaka BSS in
English
Dhaka SANGBAD in
Bengali
Dhaka THE BANGLADESH OBSERVER in
English
BRUNEI
Kuala Belait THE BORNEO BULLETIN in
English
Rangoon Domestic Service in
Burmese
Rangoon BOTATAUNG in
Burmese
5,510
1,250
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATION
Rangoon LOKTHA PYEITHU NEZIN in
Burmese
Rangoon MYANMA ALIN in
Burmese
Rangoon WORKING PEOPLE'S DAILY in
English
CHINA
Beijing International Service in
Bengali
0
Beijing International Service in
Burmese
0
Beijing International Service in
Indonesian
120
Beijing International Service in
Lao
0
Beijing International Service in
Thai
0
Beijing in
Cambodian to Cambodia
8,290
Beijing in
Hindi to India
0
Beijing in
Malay to Malaysia
1,770
Beijing in
Urdu to India and Pakistan
0
CLANDESTINE
(Clandestine) Vietnam Resistance Radio in
Vietnamese
0
(Clandestine)
Cambodian
Voice of Democratic Kampuchea in
31,850
(Clandestine)
Malay
Voice of Malayan Democracy in
7,730
(Clandestine)
Cambodian
Voice of The National Army Democratic Kampuchea in
11,000
(Clandestine)
Burmese
(Clandestine)
Malay
Voice of The People of Burma in
Voice of The People of Malaysia in
INDIA
Delhi
Domestic
English
Service in
29,390
* Delhi
Domestic
Hindi
Service in
120
Delhi
General
English
Overseas Service in
5,880
Delhi
ISI Diplomatic Information Service in
English
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* Delhi PTI in
English
Bombay THE TIMES OF INDIA in
English
680
Calcutta ANANDA BAZAR PATRIKA in
Bengali
0
Calcutta THE STATESMAN in
English
1,600
Delhi
INDIA TODAY in
English
0
Delhi
Delhi
INDIAN EXPRESS in
English
NATIONAL HERALD in
English
630
Delhi
PATRIOT in
English
670
Delhi THE HINDUSTAN TIMES in
English
1,210
Madras THE HINDU in
English
120
INDONESIA
Jakarta Domestic Service in
Indonesian
Jakarta International Service in
English
Jakarta BERITA BUANA in
Indonesian
Jakarta JAKARTA POST in
English
Jakarta KOMPAS in
Indonesian
Jakarta MERDEKA in
Indonesian
Jakarta SINAR HARAPAN in
Indonesian
Jakarta TEMPO in
Indonesian
Jakarta THE INDONESIA TIMES in
English
KAMPUCHEA
Phnom Penh Domestic Service in
Cambodian
Phnom Penh SPK in
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS . AGENCIES CATION
1,790
810
1,240
2,070
3,050
35,700
English
11,930
Phnom
Penh
French
SPK
to
in
KPL
Vientiane
0
Phnom
Penh
French
SPK
in
6,690
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KAMPUCHEA (continued)
Phnom Penh VNA in
Vietnamese to VNA Hanoi
Vientiane Domestic Service in
Lao
Vientiane KPL in
English
Vientiane KPL in
English/French to SPK Phnom Penh
Vientiane SPK in
French to SPK Phnom Penh
Vientiane VNA in
Vietnamese to VNA Hanoi
Vientiane PASASON in
Lao
MALAYSIA
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATION
Kuala
Lumpur
English
Domestic Service in
1,200
Kuala
Lumpur
Malay
Domestic Service in
1,960
Kuala
Lumpur
English
International Service in
7,460
Kuala
Kuala
Lumpur
Malay
Lumpur
Malay
BERITA HARIAN in
BERITA MINGGU in
0
Kuala
Lumpur
Malay
MINGGUAN MALAYSIA in
0
Kuala
Lumpur
English
NEW STRAITS TIMES in
4,760
Kuala
Lumpur
English
NEW SUNDAY TIMES in
0
Kuala
Lumpur
Malay
UTUSAN MALAYSIA in
Katmandu External Service in
English
Katmandu THE RISING NEPAL in
English
PAKISTAN
Karachi Domestic Service in
English
Karachi Domestic Service in
Urdu
10,630
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PAKISTAN (continued)
Karachi Overseas Service in
Urdu
SINGAPORE
Singapore Domestic Service in
English
* Singapore Domestic Service in
Malay
Singapore THE STRAITS TIMES in
English
Singapore THE SUNDAY TIMES in
English
SRI LANKA
Colombo Domestic Service in
English
Colombo Domestic Service in
Tamil
Colombo International Service in
English
Colombo International Service in
Hindi
Colombo DAILY NEWS in
English
Colombo SUN in
English
Colombo WEEKEND in
English
THAILAND
* Bangkok 1st Army Division Radio in
Thai
* Bangkok Air Force Headquarters in
Thai
* Bangkok Antiaircraft Artillery Division Radio in
Thai
* Bangkok Armored Division Radio in
Thai
* Bangkok Army Television Service in
Thai
Bangkok Domestic Service in
English
Bangkok Domestic Service in
Thai
* Bangkok. Domestic Television Service in
Thai
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
Cambodian
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
English
BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATION
4,200
2,530
2,420
0
3,820
310
730
1,880
0
2,780
270
160
110
8,590
1,570
21,520
2,130
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BROAD-
CASTS
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PRESS PUBLI-
AGENCIES CATION
THAILAND (continued)
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
Lao
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
Thai
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
Vietnamese
Bangkok BANGKOK POST in
English
38,340
Bangkok BANGKOK WORLD in
English
14,040
Bangkok LAK THAI in
Thai
0
Bangkok MATICHON SUT SAPDA in
Thai
0
Bangkok MATICHON in
Thai
4,920
Bangkok MATUPHUM in
Thai
0
Bangkok NAEO NA in
Thai
3,370
Bangkok SIAM RAT SAPDA WICHAN in
Thai
2,570
Bangkok SIAM RAT in
Thai
1,490
Bangkok SU ANAKHOT in
Thai
0
Bangkok THAI RAT in
Thai
3,740
Bangkok THE NATION in
English
30,320
Bangkok WIWAT in
Thai
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS
Moscow International Service in
Tamil
Moscow Radio Peace and Progress in
Indonesian.
Moscow in
Bengali to Bangladesh
Moscow in
Burmese to Burma
Moscow in
Cambodian to Kampuche.a
Moscow in
Hindi to India
Moscow in
Indonesian to Indonesia
Moscow in
Lao to Laos
Moscow in
Thai to Thailand
0
920
1,800
1.390
n
1,160
0
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BROAD- PRESS PUBLI-
CASTS AGENCIES CATION
UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS (continued)
Moscow in
Urdu to India
Moscow in
Urdu to Pakistan
UNITED KINGDOM
London BBC World Service in
English
3,240
VIETNAM
Hanoi
Domestic Service in
Vietnamese
110,290
Hanoi
International Service in
Cambodian
0
Hanoi
International Service in
English
14,870
Hanoi
International Service in
Thai
0
Hanoi NHAN DAN in
Vietnamese to NHAN DAN Ho Chi Minh City
Hanoi VNA in
English
Hanoi NHAN DAN in
Vietnamese
34,750
Hanoi QUAN DOI NHAN DAN in
Vietnamese
1,870
Hanoi TAP CHI CONG SAN in
Vietnamese
0
(Note: Irregular Coverage during month is marked with an asterisk)
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