At about 00.00 of 15 May 2008, internet users of TOT in the North, Northeast and South reported that their attempts to access “Prachatai” were blocked, and the following message is shown. See below. (source: Prachatai.com) However, both were closed this week without court order by the ICT Minister who was interviewed on May 14 on the Khao Den Praden Ron radio news programme.
His comments reveal that, not only was he completely aware he was acting above the law, but that suggestion for the censorship came from those higher up in Thai government.
Quoting the Minister: “[Pursuing legal action]
will…become a big scandal. We’d better suppress the news. Someone higher than me is of this opinion”. This means, of course, that the rose-apple is rotten to its core and that Thai bureaucrats engage in criminal acts with impunity.
Global Voices Advocacy » Censoring Free Speech in Thailand