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Freedom of Thailand’s online media threatened |
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by Usa Pichai
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Thursday, 12 March 2009 00:08 |
Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Several rights groups are urging the Thai government to stop threatening online media agencies after an editor of a leading news website was charged and the website accused of violating computer law.
On Tuesday, the Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) released a statement condemning Thai authorities for a raid of the Prachatai website office and arrest of its director, Chiranuch Premchaiporn.
AHRC noted in the statement that, while regrettable, the actions “present a good opportunity for very widespread and intense discussion on declining civil and political freedoms in Thailand, the increasingly dangerous environment in which human rights defenders are struggling to work, and the forces responsible for these conditions.”
“[We] call upon groups concerned with human rights, freedom of expression and citizens’ journalism around the world to join in condemnation of this raid and arrest, and extend full support to Prachatai and its director,” the group added.
Thailand’s Human Rights Lawyer Network also released a statement, iterating that authorities including The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and Thai Royal Police should not abuse a law that violates the “freedom of expression” of citizens and media.
The rights groups maintain that the arrest reflects the effect of the Computer Crime Act of 2007, which the Thai government said was necessary to combat “cyber-crime” in the country. However, it is argued that the law has instead become an instrument for the stifling of free speech and narrowing of space for social discourse through the Internet and related mediums.
Thailand has also fallen under recent criticism regarding a law of lèse-majesté and defamation after a number of Thai and foreign journalists were arrested and accused under the law.
Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of the Prachatai website, told Mizzima by telephone that the police accused her of violating the law after a message appeared on the website’s web board. The anonymous message, said to have referenced the royal family, has since been deleted.
Police accuse the website of leaving the comment on its web board for 20 days.
“A lot of messages are posted, and the webmasters might not be quick enough to delete alleged lèse-majesté messages from the web board,” Premchaiporn explained.
She is currently free on bail while the case is under investigation.
The official action has drawn strong criticism that it may signal a political agenda specifically targeting online media.
According to a report from the Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), Prachatai is among the most independent and popular websites in the kingdom. Sources who requested anonymity claimed that for the past months Prachatai has received “requests” from the military to remove articles and commentaries from its website on the monarchy and the military.
Recently, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva turned down an international academic’s call for the reform of lèse-majesté law, but hinted some amendment to the enforcement of the law could be considered to allow for expression of academic opinions. The academic’s request came after a spate of lèse-majesté cases in Thailand and moves by the Thai government to restrict online discussion of the royal family.
The Computer Crime Act, passed in 2007 under the military government of General Surayud Chulanont, has been described by critics as having vague provisions, including one that covers acts that are “likely to damage the country’s security or cause a public panic,” SEAPA noted.
The law’s broad provisions were used to justify the blocking and closure of more than 1,300 websites in 2008, according to a report by Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT).
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