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hillbilly

Thailand’s military junta’s fifth order following its coup d’etat September 19, 2006 was to appoint an Official Censor of the Military Coup. The overthrown elected government had publicly stated that it intended to block 800,000 websites.

Thailand’s Official Censor never got that far but he did manage to block 17,793 sites before a general election. In addition the Royal Thai Police claim to block a further 32,500. The junta obviously considered the Internet a dangerous place as its ICT Ministry introduced a Computer-Related Crimes Act to the military-appointed parliament as its first law.

The first draft of this cybercrime law included the death penalty, though, on final passage, the strictures were reduced to “only” 20 years for some computer crimes.

Censorship in Thailand has always been accomplished by government in secret. The number of websites blocked, its blocklists and the methods it uses to block have never been disclosed to the Thai public which pays for it.

However, the new cybercrime law required that the government seek a court order before blocking. However, since passage of the law, Web censorship has become far murkier, with Thailand’s 100 ISPs blocking blocking independently in order to avoid being criminalised under the law for illegal content transiting their servers and no court orders have been requested.

Now ISPs are required to keep all Internet traffic logs for 90 days. Two cyberdissidents have already been arrested under the new law tracked by their IP addresses for comments they made on Thailand’s monarchy to public Web discussion boards.

Most famously, Thailand’s official censor blocked YouTube for seven months in 2007 for sophomoric anti-monarchy videos posted to the site. The ICT Ministry blocked not only YouTube’s domain but 75 separate YouTube URLs before securing Google’s cooperation, in secret, to implement geolocational blocking at Thai government’s recommendation.

The difference between Internet censorship in Thailand and that in the Middle East, Myanmar and China is that Thailand is famously a Constitutional monarchy. We claim to be a democracy but operate government-in-secret, above the law.
Make no mistake: Internet censorship is illegal in Thailand under at least 11 articles of the 1997 Constitution, by decree of the lawmakers’ Council of State and by order of the Administrative Court...

...The past few weeks have seen YouTube blocked again as well as Prachatai, Thailand’s foremost independent news portal and Same Sky, a journal of social criticism. Both sites have popular public Web discussion boards. In the past, both sites have been warned by MICT to self-censor “sensitive” public comments.

Global Voices Advocacy » Censoring Free Speech in Thailand

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Travelling in Northern Thailand

hillbilly

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

thehighlander959

For a tinpot monarchy they sure press the panic button very quickly. The Thai government in power at present exudes paranoia. They know that control and censorship is a means to an end (to control the Thai people,media and all open other minded human beings.)
Its like living in Communist Russia, its a Police state,the monarchy has no power, and if you disagree with them, they will find a way to hound you out.
The only saving grace for Thailand is some of the people.

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panama hat

It is precisely because they are a tinpot democracy/monarchy that they press the panic button quickly.

Were they actually a stable and real democratic country they would have no need to. The Monarchy is universally respected here, however, be it for the right reasons or not.

Norton

Thailand has it's pet subject's when it comes to censorship but internet censorship is practiced in varying degree by virtually every country. Will always be a big brother watching over us to make sure we are not subverted, perverted or influenced by information unfit for us. Get used to it.

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Woodrow Wilson

dirtydog

Seems a bit harsh

chitown

Here is the loop hole. The government makes sure they bully internet providers into blocking sites. They "ask" True internet and others and they automatically comply. Then its the internet company doing the blocking and not the government.

Voluntary censorship...............sort of

EmperorTud

I would hardly call it a "tinpot Monarchy" because it has amassed far greater wealth and assets in recent years compared to say, the British Monarchy.

It also has a much larger measure of control and influence over its serfs than its British equivalent.

panama hat

Tinpot in terms of 'constitutional' monarchy, in terms of serving its people, in terms of having a benign influence instead of backing coups by the military.

gjbkk

Democrat urges ICT Ministry to block access to 29 websites









The Democrat Party Monday urged the Information and Communication Technology Ministry to shut down or block access to 29 websites which have allegedly published comments or articled deemed insulting to the Monarchy.

Democrat assistant secretary-general Thepthai Senpong said he had personally monitored these websites and found that they have content that was deemed insulting the highest institute.

He alleged that the sites include Prachathai.com, Arayachon.org, Truthaksin.com and Thaksincomeback.org.

The Nation

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gjbkk

Navy chief urges media to boycott politicians who involve monarchy in politics









Navy Commander-in-Chief Adm Sathiraphan Keyanon Monday urged the media to boycott and do not publicise activities of politicians who involve the monarchy in politics.

He said the military was extremely concerned about the involvement of the revered institution in politics and has already warned politicians several times not to do so.

However, he said the military would not stage another coup.

He said the media could help in the issue by not giving publicity to politicians who have brought down the revered institution to politics.

The Nation

thehighlander959

Oops I can feel another coup coming on!!!! The military are CONCERNED!!! I am not sure how revered the Thai monarchy is outside Thailand, but one things for sure they certainly don,t ask a lot of questions of the government in power do they?
Politics is a dirty business!! and I mean all politics.When a government is in power it promises to uphold the constitution!! I am now beginning to believe this constitution is not for the people, but for the rich fat cats living in Bangkok, because there is no advantage for any of the under classes... There politics and politicians suck!!!
Heres to you Samak/Thaksin

Gerbil

I dunno. I can think of a few trolls here where it would be quite a reasonable punishment.

bkkandrew

A question for Admin:

When the next Coup happens, do you wish someone to create a new thread, or tack it on to the last one?: (Military Coup in Thailand 2006)http://teakdoor.com/famous-threads/7009-military-coup-in-thailand-2006-a.html

If we know in advance, then the forum will be a tidier place...

dirtydog

With the new coup it probably would be better if it had its own thread, maybe something along the lines of "Military Coup In Thailand 2008".

gjbkk

or "the return of Sonthi"

panama hat

^ Part II, The return . . .




(ah, to live in a banana republic/monarchy)

buad hai

Maybe start a new sub-forum....

Lorenzo

this is more of the classic thai style that seems to drive intelligent people away which is ashame for all

gjbkk

Chalerm to invoke the security law to shut down 29 websites



Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung on Tuesday said he would cite the security law to close down 29 websites with contents deemed harmful to the monarchy.




"The opposition has raised the issue of harmful contents in the Internet and I have checked relevant laws to find security provisions to deal with the isse," Chalerm said.




so will this be 800,029 sites?



this is one site and its in english http://www.prachatai.com/english/

http://www.prachatai.com/english/news.php?id=624