Global
Voices Advocacy (GVD), a global anti-censorship network of bloggers and online
activists, has launched a shocking report that Thailand has blocked at least
113,000 websites deemed to pose a threat to national security. With its
objective to defend free speech online, Global Voices revealed that Thailand's
Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) and the Centre for
the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES) admitted to blocking 48,000
websites in May this year, 50,000 in June and July and adding 500 more per day.
Asia Sentinel has been blocked intermittently in Thailand over stories critical
of the political crisis in the country.
Almost
all blocked websites were accused of breaching Thailand's infamous lese-majeste
law.
Lese-majeste,
or the crime of injury to the royalty, is defined by Article 112 of the Thai
Criminal Code, which states that defamatory, insulting or threatening comments
about the king, queen and regent are punishable by three to 15 years in prison.
On top of this, the information ministry announced a blacklist of 200 persons
banned from posting to the Internet. This restriction was undefined but
presumably all sites bearing these names will be blocked. Blocking websites
will prove to be futile since the world of Internet is borderless. How many
websites have to be closed down in order to protect national security? In
reality, the government's latest move is likely to hinder its own effort to
achieve reconciliation. The government may argue that some websites with
malicious intent must be banned. But exploiting lèse-majesté law to undermine
political opponents will further deepen social injustice and aggravate hatred
that has prevailed in the Thai society.
No comments:
Post a Comment