The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) expresses its concern over a statement made by Information and Communication Technology Minister Ranongrak Suwanchawee of Thailand threatening to pursue legal action against websites and their respective Internet service providers (ISPs) where posts discussing the King's health allegedly caused the drop in the Thai bourse last month.
(Source: SEAPA, 6 November 2009)
The Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA)
expresses its concern over a statement made by Information and
Communication Technology Minister Ranongrak Suwanchawee of Thailand
threatening to pursue legal action against websites and their
respective Internet service providers (ISPs) where posts discussing the
King's health allegedly caused the drop in the Thai bourse last month.
SEAPA is concerned that the Thai authorities' reaction to the postings
is growing out of proportion. Minister Ronangrak's statements, in
particular, and the way in which the Computer Crimes Act is being
invoked over what started out as a securities concern, suggest a
dangerously broadening scope of government interest that would tend to
intimidate free expression online.
After failing to back up allegations of stock manipulation, the MICT is
transforming its accusations to one premised generally on "rumor
mongering" affecting "national security", with authorities
now suspecting a conspiracy to spread false information about the health of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The online version of a mass local daily, "Thai Rath", on 4 November
quoted ICT Minister Ranongrak as saying that she is waiting for the
outcome of the police investigation on the possible link between a "rumor-mongering gang" which allegedly posted unverified
assertions about the king's health and two alternative political news
and commentary websites on the MICT watch list.
Though she did not refer to the websites by names, the three persons
who had been arrested admitted to have posted on the web boards of at
least two websites, Prachatai.com and "Fa Diew Kan" (Under the Same
Sky). Ranongrak then branded the two websites as "subversive" and
declared that the MICT is considering taking legal actions against the
webmasters and close down the websites' respective ISP companies if
they allow these websites to continue posting what the minister claimed
as offending information.
"The ICT Minister's statement itself is a concern because MICT has no
authority to close down any website or take actions against ISPs," said
Chavarong Limpattamapanee, vice president of the Thai Journalists
Association (TJA) and a SEAPA board member. "Every step on this matter
has to be carried out in accordance with the law," he said.
The MICT has claimed to have shut down over 2,000 websites deemed as
threatening national security early this year. The Internet community
has widely criticized this move as an abuse of the 2007 Computer Crimes
Act, which is primarily designed to fight pornography and computer
system sabotage but with broadly-defined provisions and harsh penalties.
Arresting the two citizens, Theeranan Vipuchanin and Katha
Pajariyapong, on charges of spreading rumors online when in fact they
merely posted Thai translation of articles from respected media outlet
Bloomberg, was already a concern.
By invoking the Computer Crimes Act and national security to go against
"rumor mongers", the government has already sent a chilling message to
the online community and Thais in general. Threats to crack down on
ISPs hosting allegedly "subversive" websites at the very least signal
an irresponsible wielding of the Computer Crimes law.
We in SEAPA call on the MICT and other authorities to rethink their
position on this issue, refrain from abusing the broad provisions of
the Computer Crimes Act and desist from threatening citizens' freedom
of expression.
