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Thailand casts wider censorship net
Police arrested the editor of an alternative news website for publishing online comments the government deemed offensive.
On Friday, police raided the offices of Prachatai, an alternative news website, which is among the few in Thailand to report in depth on lèse-majesté cases. Police arrested the website’s editor, Chiranuch Premchaiporn. She is accused not of lèse-majesté – which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail – but faces charges under a 2007 law that makes it a crime for websites not to delete comments deemed offensive.
http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/03/09/thailand-casts-wider-censorship-net/
Excerpts from the 2007 Computer Crime Act which the Prachatai editor allegedly violated:
Article 14. If any person commits any offence of the following acts shall be subject to imprisonment for not more than five years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand baht or both:
(1) that involves import to a computer system of forged computer data, either in whole or in part, or false computer data, in a manner that is likely to cause damage to that third party or the public;
(2) that involves import to a computer system of false computer data in a manner that is likely to damage the country’s security or cause a public panic;
(3) that involves import to a computer system of any computer data related with an offence against the Kingdom’s security under the Criminal Code;
(4) that involves import to a computer system of any computer data of a pornographic nature that is publicly accessible;
(5) that involves the dissemination or forwarding of computer data already known to be computer data under (1) (2) (3) or (4);
Article 15. Any service provider intentionally supporting or consenting to an offence under Section 14 within a computer system under their control shall be subject to the same penalty as that imposed upon a person committing an offence under Section 14
http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2009/03/08/thailand-web-director-arrested-for-%E2%80%9Callowing-offensive-comments%E2%80%9D/
’Thailand maintains some of the world’s strictest lese-majeste laws,’’ the New York-based CPJ revealed. ‘’Thai police also launched investigations into Web sites that included content authorities considered potentially offensive to the monarchy.’’
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=46023
all out of context, but basically the same story, just different aspects.................and quite scary. the law states, you don't have to insult the royal family, it was changed to include anything that brings a negative image to thailand, and rumor is, the powers to be would like to raise the jail time from 15 to 25 years.
sorry for the repetitiveness, but something that can't be pointed out enough as we discuss all aspects of thailand, which we take for granted, but may be offensive to a local..................and if one in a position of power, w/an attitude.............
