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Thailand Blocks Anti-Royal Websites

Posted by timothy on from the should-internet-take-the-definite-article? dept.

societyofrobots writes "'The Thai government says it is planning to build an Internet firewall to block websites deemed insulting to the country's hugely popular royal family.' In the past, Thailand has blocked YouTube because of a video that criticized the King. While, locally served websites that criticize the king are forcefully taken down, this new law will attack external sites."

8 of 169 comments (clear)

  1. In before apologists... by MindlessAutomata · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'll bite before the apologists do that claim it's OK "because it's their culture" or some other nonsense where they try to find a way to justify individuals being oppressed by their government.

    It doesn't matter how many people like the Royalty there. In fact, I would call that blind nationalism--not at all a good thing.

    If the royalty there--and I know someone is going to bring it up--is so good, then why are they allowing/accepting this nonsense to be put into law? Nobody honorable anywhere allows censorship to go on in their name.

    Anyway, especially in this day and age, royalty is at worst a tyranny of one family often with weird eugenical notions of bloodline purity, and at best is a grandiose leech on society with weird eugenical notions of bloodline purity.

    1. Re:In before apologists... by TubeSteak · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'll bite before the apologists do that claim it's OK "because it's their culture" or some other nonsense where they try to find a way to justify individuals being oppressed by their government.

      Other countries look at the USA's insanely high incarceration rate and say the exact same thing.
      Acknowledging cultural differences is not making apologies for them.

      Anyway, especially in this day and age, royalty is at worst a tyranny of one family often with weird eugenical notions of bloodline purity, and at best is a grandiose leech on society with weird eugenical notions of bloodline purity.

      Welcome to the American political system, where multi-generational dynasties are the norm.

      --
      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
    2. Re:In before apologists... by Original+Replica · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It doesn't matter how many people like the Royalty there. In fact, I would call that blind nationalism--not at all a good thing. If the royalty there--and I know someone is going to bring it up--is so good, then why are they allowing/accepting this nonsense to be put into law? Nobody honorable anywhere allows censorship to go on in their name.

      I would think that any "anti-insult" law would only serve to render any compliments pointless. It's parallel to the everyone-gets-a-trophy kind of parenting that is all too common these days. When everything must be a compliment and a cause for applause, then it becomes impossible to reward exceptional deeds. Now the fact Thailand thinks they need to coddle their king the way a helicopter mother coddles her child, I find to be the worst insult of all.

      To The King of Thailand: You should be greatly insulted that your lawmakers think that you are so delicate, that you must be shelter from insults by a law. Do your lawmakers think that you are a frail child that cannot speak or stand up for yourself? Show your people your strength and confidence, repeal the law concerning insults against you and show that you have no fear of your critics and that your people truly love their king.

      --
      We are all just people.
    3. Re:In before apologists... by Abreu · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Of course he pardons them!
      That way, the lese-majesty laws stay where they are (stiffling criticism), while the King remains gracious and benevolent in the eyes of the public

      --
      No sig for the moment.
    4. Re:In before apologists... by Beezlebub33 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, no, that's bullshit.

      Living outside of D.C., I assure you that people complain about the crimes about the administration all the time. (And they screw up traffic). Want to complain? Try (random Google search):

      http://answer.pephost.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ANS_homepage

      or
      http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2007/01/29/News/Iraq-War.Peace.Rallies.Washington.D.c.Syracuse.Joins.Celebrities.To.Protest.Bu-2682704.shtml

      or any of the other of hundreds of protests for everything under the sun. And counter-protests for the protesters, and counter-counter-protesters. Ad nauseum.

      Yes, you have to organize and it has to be peaceful, but they happen all the stinking time. There's not many people listening, to be honest we people who live here are protested-out, but the media will be there to cover you. If you try to stop people from going about their business, yes, you will be arrested, as your protest does not give you the right to prevent other people from ignoring you. But, go right ahead and protest.

      Here, let's test it: The Bush Administration Sucks! [waits .... waits ... nope, nobody coming to take me away]. You are simply wrong.

      --
      The more people I meet, the better I like my dog.
    5. Re:In before apologists... by Perseid · · Score: 2, Insightful

      But the ratings board is not a government entity nor are ratings legally binding in the US. This is why we see "special unrated" editions of half the movies out there now.

  2. Re:Why Is This In YRO?!!! by the4thdimension · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If this were the case, /. better stop publishing stories about the Great Firewall of China... considering this is almost exactly the same thing.

    Just because it doesn't pertain to America, doesn't mean it doesn't matter.

    --
    Crackin' Wise - Blogging about whatever we want
  3. Re:Take down Slashdot by LingNoi · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Oh look, an ignorant American, "fuck the world and what they believe in we Americans know best".

    Here's a suggestion, don't a talk about a country's beloved king if you can't even point that country out on the map.