MONTHLY REPORT--BANGKOK BUREAU--AUGUST 1983

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86-00040R000100190006-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 31, 2008
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: September 2, 1983
• Content Type: MEMO

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2 September 1983
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
THROUGH Chief, Operations Group
SUBJECT : Monthly Report--Bangkok.Bureau--August 1983
The bureau chief and Indonesian/Thai Section Chief
A
.
traveled to T" nn,~cin on a recruitment TDY 14-17 August, and two monitor
candidates, have subsequently
been placed into processing. The success u processing these monitors,
in conjunction with recently hired Indonesian monitor ---]and Malay
monitor candidate who is projected to EOD in November,
will fill out the future Indonesian section which is being entirely reformed
as a result of the impending retirements of
an
Interviews of candidates for the newly created Chinese/Thai monitor post
were completed on 31 August. A successful candidate has been identified and
processing will begin shortly. Applications continue to pour in from India
for the approved Tamil monitor slot, with the candidates from Madras appearing
to be the best prospects by far. A recruiting trip to this area is projected
for early November.
II. OPERATIONS
A. Monitorial/Editorial
Starting from 17 August, reception at Bangkok of the Malayan Communist
Party's clandestine Voice of the People of Malaya radio had improved signifi-
cantly, and we were able to establish the broadcast and content pattern for the
radio's Malay-language service and place it on regular coverage. Tapes of the
radio's Mandarin and Cantonese programs have been forwarded to Okinawa Bureau
for sampling.
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
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B. Communications
By mid-month a communications system problem, which resulting in
constant and debilitating rejects of copy, was isolated to whose STAT
equipment was apparently affected by Bangkok's rainy season. The problem of
rejects significantly improved by the end of the month (although the effects
of Bangkok's rainy season did not).
A. Building and Grounds
The bureau's efforts to improve its staff housing holdings this summer
have borne fruit, but the harvest seems to include more bitter lemons than
expected. The deputy chief and senior editor have moved into new, larger, nicer
and more conveniently located Embassy apartments, while two of our less desirable
apartments were dropped. Unfortunately, a very severe rainy season has disclosed
that the exterior of the new building was accidentally(?) painted with interior
paint, producing very leaky walls and small rivulets where pictures were hung.
Meanwhile, when newly-arrived editor entered his assigned apart- STAT
ment (formerly occupied by the bureau deputy chief) he discovered that a small
problem with the drainage system had produced a flooded kitchen and bathroom,
a puddle in the dining room and an unhealthy miasma of decayed swamp. GSO is
now on the job, but are enjoying an unexpected additional few STAT
days of luxury in the Bangkok Peninsula Hotel.
B. Personnel
1. Building Engineer-designate L
arrived PCS on 4 August.
2. Bureau Engineer
STAT
STAT
STAT
departed for Headquarters PCS on 12 August.
3. Editor
departed for stateside homeleave STAT
and for Swaziland PCS on 13 August.
arrived PCS on 30 August. STAT
on 29 August while on private travel to Thailand.
visited the bureau STAT
V. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
1. was finally victorious in his quest for greatness, having STAT
taken over the number one spot in the Embassy tennis ladder. con- STAT
tinues to hold the third position, and a number of other FBISers are participating.
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2. The latest bureau photo club contest was focused on street vendors.
While there was a groundswell of support for an anonymous shot of the bureau
chief dis ensin hamburgers on the bureau balcony, sanity reigned and Burmese
monitor walked off with the two top spots in the voting and STAT
placed third. S I A I
Chief, FBIS Bangkok Bureau
Attachment: Production Report
STAT
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I. TOTALS FROM ALL SOURCES
TOTAL PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 539,020 (545,140)
TOTAL NON-PUBLISHABLE WORDAGE FILED DURING MONTH: 246,840 (239,780)
TOTAL NUMBER OF PUBLISHABLE ITEMS FILED DURING MONTH: 1,379 ( 1,374)
BROADCASTS PRESS AGENCIES PUBLICATIONS
II. INPUT OF REGULAR COVERAGE;
minutes or issues per week)
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
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
15,715 ( 15,680) 20,205 ( 20,505) 232.23 ( 232.23)
min. min. issues
0 ( 0)
`g 17,450 ( 14,040)
2,150 ( 0)
0 ( 0)
1,060 ( 0)
410 ( 0)
2,520 ( 950)
2,140 ( 4,740)
3,270 ( 4,190)
0 0)
330 ( 2,920)
3,710 ( 8,710)
0 0)
170 ( 0)
0 ( 2,210)
2,130 ( 4,760)
0 0)
580 0)
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CHINA (continued)
Beijing in
Malay to Malaysia 0 (
0)
Beijing in
Thai to Thailand 1,660 (
0)
Beijing in
Urdu to India and Pakistan 0
0)
CLANDESTINE
(Clandestine) Radio Kawthulay in
Burmese to Burma 5,170 (
1,870)
(Clandestine) Radio Kawthulay in
English to Burma 0 (
0)
(Clandestine) Voice of Democratic Kampuchea in
Cambodian 32,980 (
19,570)
(Clandestine) Voice of Malayan Democracy in
Malay 1,750 (
2,860)
(Clandestine) Voice of The National Army of Democratic
Kampuchea in Cambodian 4,630 (
3,490)
(Clandestine) Voice of The National Army of Democratic
Kampuchea in Vietnamese 0
0)
(Clandestine) Voice of The People of Burma in
Burmese 5,690 (
13,390)
Hong Kong AFP in
English
53,710 (
54,610)
Delhi General Overseas Service in
English
4,180 (
4,330)
Delhi Domestic Service in
English
40,150 (
30,470)
Delhi ISI Diplomatic Information Service in
1,740 (
0)
. 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
2,450 (
0)
0 (
0)
570 (
4,800)
0 (
1,150)
0
0)
2,870 (
0)
1,700 (
2,010)
Delhi Domestic Service in
Hindi
Jakarta Domestic Service in
Indonesian
16,150-(
4,960)
Jakarta ANTARA in
280 (
670)
11
English
Jakarta KOMPAS in
,
980 (
5,290)
Indonesian
Jakarta The INDONESIA TIMES in
0
0)
English
Jakarta POST in
o (
530)
English
Jakarta International Service in
English
1,630 (
0)
Jakarta ANTARA in
120 (
0)
Indonesian
Jakarta MERDEKA in
300 (
o)
Indonesian
KAMPUCHEA
Phnom Penh International Service in
0 (
0)
English
Phnom Penh International Service in
0
0)
Thai
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L
KAMPUCHEA (continued)
Phnom Penh Domestic Service in
Cambodian
Phnom Penh SPK in
Vientiane Domestic Service in
Lao
Vientiane KPL in
Vientiane PASASON in
Lao
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
28,540 ( 24,010)
18,250 ( 36,990)
13,520 ( 13,140)
7,490 ( 5,160)
STAT
STAT
0 ( 0)
4,130 ( 3,280)
3,240 ( 1,050)
0 ( 0)
1,800 ( 3,890)
PAKISTAN
Karachi Overseas Service in
Urdu 1,270 ( 830)
Karachi Domestic Service in
English 10,470 ( 12,730)
Karachi Domestic Service in
Urdu 16,590 ( 11,390)
SINGAPORE
Singapore Domestic Service in
English
Singapore The STRAITS TIMES in
English
Singapore The SUNDAY TIMES in
English
SRI LANKA
Colombo International Service in
English
Colombo Domestic Service in
English
Colombo SUN in
English
Colombo WEEKEND in
English
Colombo DAILY NEWS in
English
Colombo International Service in
Hindi
2,340 ( 330)
5,980 ( 3,630)
15,260 ( 5,630)
2,110 ( 580)
2,860 ( 290)
0 ( 0)
0 ( 0)
o ( 390)
0 0)
4,920 ( 1,560)
o ( 790)
0 0)
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 Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
English 4,650 ( 4,340)
Bangkok Voice of Free Asia in
Thai 2,380 ( 6,240)
Bangkok Domestic Service in
460)
760 ( 1
,
English
Bangkok Domestic Service in
Thai 9,760 ( 6,870)
Bangkok BANGKOK POST in
31,870 (
34,890)
English
Bangkok BANGKOK WORLD in 6,310 (
5,100)
English
Bangkok MATICHON in 1,170 (
1,100)
Thai
Bangkok MATUPHUM in
4,260 (
6,870)
Thai
Bangkok SIAM RAT in 610 (
1,260)
Thai
Bangkok SD ANAKHOT in 0 (
3,570)
Thai
Bangkok THAI RAT in a4.0(
0)
Thai
Bangkok The NATION REVIEW in 29,580 (
39,750)
English
Bangkok CHAO THAI in 0 (
0)
Thai
Bangkok LAK THAI in 0
0)
Thai
Bangkok MATICHON WEEKEND in 0 (
0)
Thai
Bangkok NAEO NA in 0
0)
Thai
Bangkok PATINYA in 350 (
0)
Thai
Bangkok SIAM MAI in 2,460 (
2,860)
Thai
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 in
Vietnamese
Hanoi NHAN DAN in
Vietnamese
Hanoi QUAN DOI NHAN DAN in
Vietnamese
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0
0)
540
0)
0
0)
1,020 (
0)
0
0)
0 (
1,060)
0 (
0)
0
0)
340 (
0)
0
0)
0
0)
7,580 (
5,300)
820 (
2,810)
54,070 (
50,250)
1,690 ( 190)
0 0)
0 ( 12,570)
18,890 ( 18,320)
0 ( 0)
STAT