Slashdot Mirror
Thailand Sues YouTube
eldavojohn writes "Thailand is hitting YouTube with charges of lese majeste (up to 15 years in prison) regarding the recent videos on YouTube showing the king next to feet, something extremely offensive in Thailand. 'Since the first clip, more new videos mocking the king have appeared on YouTube, including pictures of the monarch that had been digitally altered to make him resemble a monkey. Thailand's 79-year-old king, almost universally adored by Thais, is the world's longest-reigning monarch, and one of the few who is still protected by tough laws that prohibit any insult against the royal family.'"
well there is increasing precedent for this... Gary McKinnon broke a law in his country and yet faces extradition to another he has was not in - might be applicable. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_McKinnon
1 44241
And its not just the UK, Australia has got in on the act... http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/05/07/0
People already get grabbed for doing things which are not considered serious crimes (lets not forget saying the king is a monkey might be slander in the US) to countries where they will face manifestly severe punishments... This just seems like an extension of this new world order.
*''I can't believe it's not a hyperlink.''
Not entirely true. If you're an American citizen and allegedly break a Mexican law (because some Mexican says you did, with no evidence whatsoever), you can expect the US law enforcement to fully cooperate with the Mexican "authorities" in extraditing you.
Remember, the Bush Administration cares more about keeping the Mexican government happy than serving its own citizens.
ACLU stands for American Civil Liberties Union and is concerned with the protection of the Bill of Rights. Their interests don't extend beyond Americans border unless it's defending an American entity against a foreign entity in an American court.
The Generation
I'd say something witty here, but I'm not that bright.
Since you obviously DO NOT understand Thailand's culture, why don't you just keep quiet on this subject. Bringing other issues into play only shows how much you do not know how the Thais love their king. Free speech is one thing, but Asian culture is built on respecting society and it is something that you should spend A LOT of time trying to learn that.