MONTHLY REPORT--BANGKOK BUREAU--FEBRUARY 1983

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000100190010-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 31, 2008
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: March 7, 1983
• Content Type: MEMO

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MBK-003
7 March 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH : Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report--Bangkok Bureau--February 1983
I. GENERAL
The bureau's attention during February focused on two summit conferences--
the Delhi Nonaligned summit and the Indochina summit.
Complex coverage arrangements for the coming 7-11 Nonaligned summit, which
conceivably could involve all bureaus, were being laid, as possible, throughout
the month. As of the beginning of March Delhi Radio had not announced its own
program plans for the conference, while Delhi TV had indicated it would carry
extensive coverage, a factor which brought Okinawa Bureau to the forefront of
the primary coverage picture via its Roset coverage capability for Delhi
Television. At the same time it was laying groundwork for coverage of the
conference, Bangkok Bureau's South Asian section was also being kept busy with
reports of mass acts of violence in India's Assam and in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The long-awaited SRV-Kampuchea-Laos Indochina summit meeting -- the first
since April of 1970 -- was held in Vientiane 23-27 February. The summit, which
the bureau covered from all three sources, resulted in statements which have
sought to recast the nature and permanence of Vietnamese troops in Kampuchea
but which have not been seen as having changed the direction of Hanoi-Phnom
Penh-Vientiane policies toward the Kampuchea issue.
A. Monitorial/Editorial
1. As of 14 February the bureau began coverage of the clandestine
Voice of the National Army of Democratic Kampuchea radio, the Radio's
programing thus far indicates it is a companion transmitter to the clandestine
Voice of Democratic Kampuchea radio. The military radio broadcasts two Cambodian
and one Vietnamese news and commentary casts. The two radios are not co-located.
Our best guess has been that VODK is located in China, but our best reception of
VONADK is on our antenna directed at Ho Chi Minh City, an indication that the
radio may be in Kampuchea.
2. SSPT, The Thai Communist Party's Morse coded radioteletype press
agency, has been off the air on known frequencies as of the scheduled 2 February
newscast. Bureau queries to the Thai Government have not yet resulted in new
frequencies or a status report on the transmitter. Although SSPT has been off
the air for brief periods in the past, the present lull in coverage has been the
longest since the transmissions were first monitored in late 1979.
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3. After the problem was raised by the BBC, Bangkok, Okinawa and
Headquarters standardized telegraphic code guidelines for Vietnamese personal
names.
4. The bureau's nonreceipt of the November and December issues of the
Vietnamese journal TAP CHI CONG SAN from Hong Kong prompted a check with Hong
Kong Bureau on delivery of the paper. As the journal is not being sent registered
pouch, Hong Kong was unable to trace the missing copies. The January issue of
TAP CHI CONG SAN, however, was received at the bureau on 28 February.
5. On 17 February, the bureau informed Production Group that due to
growing Vietnamese-language coverage commitments, Bangkok would be raising its
selection horizons on basic Vietnamese press material which normally would be
processed by Headquarters. The bureau had maintained a low selection threshold
since May 1981 to help relieve pressure on Production Group's Vietnamese translators.
6. On 1 February BBC requested that Bangkok and Okinawa sample Vietnamese-
and Chinese-language broadcasts.of Vatican City Radio for material critical of
Vietnam. Okinawa provided the coverage with backup recording of the Vietnamese
program by Bangkok.
7. With the visit to this month by Three Vietnamese monitors STAT
and an associate editor, the bureau's) familiarization trijSTAT
7 ro ram is complete. Efforts are now under way to ensure that all of the _STAT
boardmen have also toured and become familiar with monitorial/ JIHI
editorial procedures.
III. ADMINISTRATION
A. Personnel
1. The housing situation for American staffers appears to be brightening
a bit with construction nearing completion for summer occupancy of apartment units
under the Embassy's new consolidated housing program. A decision has already been
made to upgrade the housing for the deputy chief, and prospects look good that
the senior editor will also be moved into better quarters. The bureau is also
working to hold some of the better units available for coming staffers this
summer.
2. Editor) was promoted to GS-10 effective 6 February. STAT
B. Buildings and Grounds
1. Monitors in the Indonesian-Cambodian-Lao-Thai hall of the operations
floor were reassigned offices on 1 February following the construction and
occupancy of two new Indonesian monitorial booths. Efforts were made to ensure
that sections remained together and that monitors had accomodations equal to
those they were vacating.
2. The renovation of the executive offices was basically completed in
February with the laying of new carpet, repainting, hanging of new curtains
and reupholstering of chairs.
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3. A 37-position telephone intercom system is being added to the
bureau's present 9-extension intercom. The new system, which will include a
direct line to will replace the old talk-a-phone intercom system
between the editorial room and the monitorial booths.
A. Embassy Administrative Counselor Thomas Solitario and new Security
Officer C. Richard May visited the bureau on 28 February for an introductory
tour.
B. A communications net contract survey team conducted a-survey at
27 February - 6 March.
STAT
STAT
STAT
V. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
A. On 4 February the FBIS tennis team traveled to Bang Saen campus of
Sinakharinwirot University, the college where STAT
teaches, for a university-FBIS invitational tournament. STAT
FBIS learned that the better Thai tennis players are outside the Bangkok area,
losing decisively 5-2. This discovery was driven home on 5 March when a
smaller FBIS team dominated a tournament in Bangkok among FBIS, JUSMAG, Aerothai,
and the Arm Pre School. STAT
STAT
B. The bureau photographic club held its second contest early in the month.
There were 52 entries in the contest, the theme of which was "flora," and which
for a montage of STAT
vari-colored autumn leaves (one wonders where he found them in Bangkok).
ie
FBIS, Bangkok Bureau
AEB:mk
Attachment: Production Report
STAT
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I. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING. MONTH:
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH:
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH:
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE:
nutea or issues per week)
III. OUTPUT FROM ALL SOURCES:
publishable words per month)
Kabul KABUL NEW TIMES in
English
Melbourne Overseas Service in
English
Sydney THE AUSTRALIAN in
English
Sydney THE BULLETIN in
English
Sydney THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN in
English
Dhaka Domestic Service in
Bengali
Dhaka Domestic Service in
English
Dhaka SANGBAD in
Bengali
Dhaka THE BANGLADESH OBSERVER in
English
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
Rangoon Domestic Service in
English
Beijing in
Bengali to India and Pakistan
Beijing in
Burmese to Burma
Beijing in
Cambodian to Kampuchea
Beijing in
Hindi to South Asia
Beijing in
Indonesian to Indonesia
Beijing in
Lao to Laos
Beijing in
Malay to Malaysia
Beijing in
Thai to Thailand
Beijing in
Urdu to India and Pakistan
15,095 ( 15,095)
min.
1,730 ( 0)
8,170 ( 4,800)
0 0)
0 ( 400)
2,590 ( 6,120)
0 ( 300)
0 ( 0)
250 ( 0)
0 0)
0 ( 0)
0 ( 0)
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652,430 (635,020)
223,020 (225,770)
1,461 ( 1,386)
20,085 ( 20,085) 200.23 ( 200.23)
min, issues
0 ( 0)
3,130 ( 190)
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CLANDESTINE
(Clandestine) Voice of Democratic Kampuchea in
Cambodian 27,730 (
31,780)
(Clandestine) Voice of Malayan Democracy in
Malay 1,500 (
4,610)
(Clandestine) Voice of the People of Burma in
Burmese 2,160 (
410)
(Clandestine) SSPT in
Thai 9,240 (
13,730)
(Clandestine) Voice of the National Army Democratic
Kampuchea in Cambodian 6,790 (
0)
(Clandestine) Voice of the National Army Democratic
Kampuchea in Vietnamese 2,830 (
0)
Hong Kong AFP in
English
Delhi General Overseas Service in
English 6,240 (
2,030)
Delhi Domestic Service in
English 46,380 (
25,380)
Delhi ISI Diplomatic Information Service in
English
Delhi INDIAN EXPRESS in
English
340 (
4,680)
2,190
7,680)
Delhi NATIONAL HERALD in
English
Delhi PATRIOT in
English
0 (
860
1,470)
2,480)
Bombay THE TIMES OF INDIA in
English
Calcutta ANANDA BAZAR PATRIKA in
Bengali
Calcutta THE STATESMAN in
English
0
0
330
3,440)
0)
1,030)
Madras THE HINDU in
English
Delhi Domestic Service in
Hindi
0 ( 300)
0 (
0)
Bombay PTI in
English
690 (
0)
Jakarta Domestic Service in
Indonesia
9,760 ( 10,830)
Jakarta ANTARA in
English
7,670 (
4,360)
Jakarta KOMPAS in
Indonesian
0 (
0)
Jakarta THE INDONESIA
English
TIMES in
680 (
1,740)
Jakarta OANA in
English
3,980 (
3,630)
Phnom Penh International Service in
English
Phnom Penh International Service in
Thai
Phnom Penh Domestic Service in
Cambodian
Phnom Penh SPK in
French
Vientiane Domestic Service in
Lao
Vientiane KPL in
Vientiane SIANG PASASON in
Lao
0 0)
0 ( 0)
40,620 ( 32,250)
33,460 ( 38,190)
o ( o)
280 ( o)
12,060 ( 15,920)
o ( 0)
o ( 0)
140 ( o)
STAT
STAT
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BROADCASTS PRESS AGENCIES PUBLICATIONS
MALAYSIA
Kuala Lumpur International Service in
English
Kuala Lumpur Domestic Service in
English
Kuala Lumpur Domestic Service in
Malay
Kuala Lumpur NEW STRAITS TIMES in
English
Kuala Lumpur NEW SUNDAY TIMES in
English
Katmandu External Service in
English
Katmandu THE RISING NEPAL in
English
Karachi Overseas Service In
Urdu
Karachi Domestic Service in
English
Karachi Domestic Service in
Urdu
Karachi Overseas Service in
English
6,770 ( 6,580)
1,390 ( 1,800)
0 ( 0)
700 ( 680)
9,030 ( 10,040)
13,630 ( 14,360)
530 ( 3,180)
0 ( 0)
Singapore Domestic Service in
English
Singapore THE STRAITS TIMES in
English
0 (
610)
Singapore THE SUNDAY TIMES in
English
0 (
0)
Colombo International Service in
English 1,800 (
860)
Colombo Domestic Service in
English 580 (
1,040)
Colombo SUN in
English
0 (
1,040)
Colombo WEEKEND in
English
0 (
510)
Colombo Domestic Service in
Hindi
THAILAND
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
English 7,580 ( 7,380)
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
Thai 1,220 ( 2,450)
Bangkok Domestic Service in
English 1,830 ( 3,340)
Bangkok Domestic Service in
Thai 11,680 ( 14,740)
Bangkok MATICHON in
Thai 3,390 (
2,690)
Bangkok MATUPHUM in
Thai 7,570 (
2,460)
Bangkok NATION REVIEW in
English 38,720 (
44,120)
Bangkok BANGKOK POST in
English 51,020 (
54,220)
Bangkok SIAM RAT in
Thai 6,260 (
1,870)
Bangkok SU ANAKHOT in
Thai 910 (
1,450)
Bangkok THAI RAT in
Thai 0 (
1,950)
Bangkok BANGKOK WORLD in
English 4,940 (
3,990)
Bangkok DAILY NEWS in
Thai 290 (
0)
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BROADCASTS PRESS AGENCIES PUBLICATIONS
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
English
Hanoi TAP CHI CONG SAN in
Vietnamese
Hanoi NHAN DAN in
Vietnamese
Hanoi QUAN DOI NHAN DAN in
Vietnamese
0 0)
140 ( 1,490)
0 ( 0)
890 ( 150)
0 0)
o ( 830)
0 0)
0 0)
0 0)
0 ( 0)
0 0)
5,240 ( 5,260)
1,000 ( 2,250)
73,700 ( 70,750)
0 ( 1,430)
0 o)
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0 ( 0)
38,100 ( 36,480)
10,410 ( 2,150)
STAT