[Tlc] Fwd: Thai Netizen Network : On the Political Crisis and Information Censorship

Michael Montesano michael.montesano at gmail.com
Tue Apr 21 18:13:37 PDT 2009 

  TNN's statement On the Political Crisis and Information  Censorship

www.thainetizen.org


*Thai Netizen Network : On the Political Crisis and Information Censorship*

Thai Netizen Network (TNN) would like to express our deepest regret with
regard to the political conflict that intensified until it led to the loss
of lives and properties, and the government's enforcement of the Emergency
Decree on Government Administration In States of Emergency B.E. 2548, which
infringes upon citizens' rights and freedoms by controlling Internet media.
The government has blocked numerous websites that offer viewpoints that
differ from those in power, pursuant to news report that the ICT Ministry
has ordered censorship of over 60 websites (details in the Appendix).

TNN protests the aforementioned censorship of websites for the following
reasons:

   1.

   Internet censorship infringes upon the basic right and freedom in
   accessing information and expression of citizens pursuant to the
   Constitution. It also violates the UN's Universal Declaration of Human
   Rights.
   2.

   Blocking people's access to information and expression of views that
   differ from those in power will push those differing views underground and
   spread rumors that cause further confusion among the public. The inevitable
   result is increased poltiical pressures, conflicts, and tensions. The
   government's measures therefore contradict its policy of "building political
   reconciliation" in the society, which the government announced in the
   parliament and in public in the early days of the administration.

Since the state's media including TV and radio stations are already
broadcasting news in ways that fully support the government's position, the
government should be generous by allowing the Internet to serve as
communication space for the citizen sector, so that people can access
information and express diverse opinions. This will foster the balance of
news and information in Thai society, which is critical in augmenting public
knowledge on public issues, as well as encouraging all citizens to
participate in expressing political opinions in a democratic manner.

TNN has the following demands and proposals with regard to this matter:

   1.

   We demand that the government end the state of emergency and cease
   censorship of the Internet as well as other grassroots media such as local
   radio stations and cable TV stations. Enforcing the state of emergency
   cannot lead to a transparent judicial process. A recent raid of media
   offices that lie outside the area over which state of emergency was declared
   by government officials clearly shows that even without enforcing this
   draconian law, the state can already control the media. The process under
   the Emergency Decree which the government claims to be necessary in this
   situation cannot afford any constitutional guarantees or due process to the
   people, since it circumvents existing judicial process.
   2.

   If the government deems that any media behaves in ways that propagate
   hatred and provoke violence in the society, we then ask that it utilize
   existing judicial process in regulating such media. The government must not
   ignore the fact that the country's sovereignty is granted by Thai people.
   The use of sovereign power that comes from the population must have the
   process of accountability that is clear, transparent, and equitable. The
   government's use of power in any situation of exception lacks this process
   of accountability, thereby severely contravenes democratic principles.
   3.

   We urge all netizens to join hands in affirming the position that we will
   protect rights and freedoms online, in conjunction with creating
   self-regulation mechanism to discourage content that could propagate hatred
   or provoke violence, using the following methods:

   3.1 Protecting online rights and freedoms can be done by helping to
   promote and distribute censorship circumvention software and knowledge on
   this topic. See for example website of Freedom Against Censorship Thailand
   (FACT) - http://facthai.wordpress.com/links/softwares/ and
   http://facthai.wordpress.com/bloggers-handbook/get-around-censorship/

   3.2 Creating self-regulation mechanism can be done by promoting ethics of
   citizen journalists, for example as explained by Reporters Without Borders -
   http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=15003, and promoting
   netiquette with a special focus on respecting differing opinions and others'
   right to privacy, for example some excerpts from the book Netiquette at
   http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html

   4.

   TNN urges that all parties, especially those who wield state power,
   display tolerance toward differing opinions and criticisms. We also demand
   that all parties cease using power to intimidate, whether by censoring
   communication spaces, threatening those who have different political views,
   or using the law unfairly to prosecute. We also demand all stop to torture,
   abduction, and assassination attempts, all of which contravene the law,
   human rights, morals, security, and peace of the society overall.

With reconciliation,
Thai Netizen Network
21 April 2009

*Appendix: List of websites blocked by ICT Ministry, as of 18 April 2552*

   1. http://www.justin.tv/nationsiam
   2. http://www.konthai.org/
   3. http://www.thaifreenews.com/
   4. http://www.thairedshirt-democracy.org/cbox/s1.html
   5. http://www.democracytoday.tv/
   6. http://www.thaipeoplevoice.org/
   7. http://freethais.com/update_13apr09.php
   8. http://www.wered.net
   9. http://www.redplus.org/
   10. http://thaienews.blogspot.com/
   11. http://www.prachachonthai.com
   12. http://www.cbnpress.com/
   13. http://uddtoday.ning.com/
   14. http://www.thaireduk.com/
   15. http://www.nocoup.net/
   16. http://downmerng.blogspot.com/
   17. http://www.jakrapob.net/
   18. http://www.truethaksin.com/
   19. http://www.chupong.com/
   20. http://www.rednon.com
   21. http://www.chupong.org/
   22. http://www.serichon.com/
   23. http://www.nationsiam.com/
   24. http://www.gmm2008.com/index.php
   25. http://thaksin.wordpress.com/
   26. http://thaipresslog.blogspot.com/
   27. http://thaiopinions.blogspot.com/
   28. http://www.newskythailand.com
   29. http://sites.google.com/site/prachathaiclub/Home
   30. http://siamfreedom.blogspot.com/
   31. http://www.priority-radio.com/
   32. http://www.cbox.ws
   33. http://www3.cbox.ws/box/
   34. http://www.no-ip.org
   35. mms://ptv.no-ip.org/mvtv_5
   36. mms://baygon2.no-ip.org/TPV1
   37. mms://baygon2.no-ip.org/livetv
   38. mms://chupong.no-ip.org/chupong
   39. http://www.dstation.tv/
   40. http://365boxstv.com/tvonline_varietyone-link2.html
   41. http://www.redplusplus.com
   42. http://www.salidausa.com
   43. http://www.redplusplus.com/
   44. http://www.windowscare.in.th/index.php
   45. http://www.norporchorusa.com/
   46. http://www.newskythailand.com/
   47. http://www.sanamluang.in.th/
   48. 61.19.241.228 - Cat Telecom Sanamluang_Red
   49. 61.19.241.237 - Cat Telecom Sanamluang_info
   50. http://www.rednews.info/
   51. http://www.rednews.info/live/sanamluang-2.htm
   52. http://democraticthai.com/
   53. http://www.badict.2hell.com
   54. http://www.thairedusa.com/
   55. http://365boxs.com/tvonline_varietyone.html
   56. http://www.salidausa.com
   57. http://prachachonthai.listen2myradio.com/
   58. http://www.nationsiam.com/
   59. http://www.chupong-radio.com/
   60. http://www.khonthai.org
   61. http://www.prachachonthai.com/
   62. http://www.chubthaksin.com/
   63. http://www.shinawatradio.com/
   64. http://www.thairedshirt-democracy.org/
   65. http://www.arayachon.org/
   66.
   http://lbsapp.freewillsolutions.com/images/usbank.com/internetBanking/Cm...<http://lbsapp.freewillsolutions.com/images/usbank.com/internetBanking/CmdId/>


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