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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."

4 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 Perseid · · Score: 4, Informative

      The Thai government is similar to the British government. The royalty is respected and influential, but has no actual power. Also, Thailand, like much of Asia, has a freely democratic government but does NOT have inherent freedom of speech like the US does. Movies have to pass a censor board, for example. Violence is apparently okay, but nudity and insults to the king or Buddhism are not.

    2. Re:In before apologists... by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 4, Informative

      His open, public side, is always related to charity events, social and economic development proyects.

      And commuting the sentences of people convicted of insulting him.
      Apparently he doesn't have any control over prosecution and conviction, but he can essentially pardon them when it is all over.

      --
      When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  2. Thailand by Jock+Kodimar · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Its illegal to disrespect any picture of the royal family that includes currency.

    Get drunk and smash a picture of the king, be prepared to either run or bribe the police.

    So it doesn't suprise me that they do this. Not that it makes it right. For the most part though the Royal family seemed to be well thought of from the people I talked to when I was there in '04. But while being one of the wealthiest people on earth he should be ok with taking a bit of flak.