Thailand's black list leaked

There is a recently released black list of sites being blocked in Thailand. From Wikileaks:

A total of 860 YouTube videos have been blocked, far in excess of the blocking conducted by The Official Censor of the Military Coup; a further 200 pages mirroring those videos are also blocked. Curiously, Hillary Clinton's campaign videos, and 24 Charlie Chaplin videos are also on the censorship lists.

Although we have not yet found the opportunity to examine each website censored, an eclectic mix of censorship has been revealed resulting in overblocking of many benign webpages.

The Great Firewall of Thailand

Yeah, like we really trust you to do this...

Communications Minister Mun Patanotai said his ministry is considering spending between 100 million and 500 million baht ($2.9 million and $14.6 million) to build a gateway to monitor and block such Web sites.

The ministry has received more than 1,000 complaints about Web sites that are deemed offensive to the royal family, Mun said, but he declined to give details about them, saying the issue is "sensitive."

More...

Thais celebrate in the streets as YouTube access is restored

The Thai ban, which has been in place for the last five months, hit YouTube after contentious video clips of the country’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej were posted on its pages. The videos, which displayed the King close to the soles of feet (an image labelled as filthy in Thailand), were deemed to be offensive by authorities in a country where insulting the royal family is a serious offence.

Link...

Youtube is back!

In a Sunday morning check, youtube.com was accessible in Thailand.

UPDATE: Never mind, True is still blocking it.

Why we hate Thaivisa.com

Check out this heavy handed board censorship on Thaivisa.com by the almighty moderator 'Totster'. "You can not discuss this, and why you can not discuss this is not allowed either."

Hi,

The post was closed as per board policy with regards to topics of this nature. Unfortunately this topic tends to attract a lot of unsavory replies, and creates alot of work for the forum moderators.

The topic is not censored as the story is still there to be read, however it is closed to discussion.

I will also remind you that discussing moderation on the forum is against the forum rules, if you would like to discuss this further please PM a moderator or contact support@thaivisa.com

This topic is now closed.

Update: If you have a Thaivisa.com censorship story, please let us know.

50,000 sites were banned

From The Nation

As far as the Internet is concerned, the government has transformed Thailand into a repressive regime on a par with Burma, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Iran, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. As of last week, at least 50,000 sites were banned, including commentaries, anti-monarchy sites, anti-government sites and sexually explicit sites.

More...

"YouTube is not a very essential Web site, Is it?"

Great story on the Minister that Banned YouTube - Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom. Check out these great excerpts:

...Sitthichai persisted in detailing the euthanasia device, prefaced with an observation: "There are a hundred small ways to finally exit your life." Sitthichai calculated that the best way to do the job was a simple machine that pumps carbon monoxide into a room. "I'm sure you'd be dead in a half an hour," he said.

"Peacefully too."

"When he goes walking, he says he always carries a small gun with him."

When Sitthichai is asked to elaborate on this point, he is compelled to issue a clarification: He carries a .45-caliber pistol during his walks - "not a small gun," he said. He would carry a larger-caliber weapon, he said, but Thai law does not allow it.

Rising Awareness of Thailand Net Censorship

From Bangkok Post: "'A major complaint about Thaksin [Shinawatra] was his muzzling of the media and willingness to limit free speech,' said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. 'The military-backed government promised a quick return to democracy, but it's now attacking freedom of expression and political pluralism in ways that Thaksin never dared.'

Censorship of the Internet, which currently is being carried out by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology and the Royal Thai Police, in collaboration with the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) and the Telecommunications Authority, has blocked many political websites and blogs.

Wrangling over the blocking of YouTube due to content on the site related to His Majesty the King has also raised global concerns about the future of freedom of expression and the Internet in Thailand.

'The military and government are clearly worried that Thaksin may return to power and are engaging in censorship to stop this,' said Mr Adams.

'But instead of resorting to draconian restrictions on free speech, the Thai authorities need to realise that their promised return to democracy requires opening the political process.' "

Idle threats make big news on Slashdot

Well, whose ever bright idea it was to publish a story that Thailand was planning to sue YouTube got that whole mess Slashdotted. Comment from the site:

when you attempt to censor something, anything, you just give whatever it is free advertising

i'm glad the thais love their king. but if they are secure in their love for their king, the existence of these videos won't mean anything to them. by freaking out at the existence of these videos, they only demonstrate insecurity on their part, and they cheapen and devalue their love for their king

same when deeply religious people freak out at some sort of sacriledge. with dignity and ignoring the sacriledge, they show the depth of their love, by turning into ravenous dogs, they only denigrate their faith, such as with devout muslims and pictures of muhammad, or devout catholics and depicitions of the virgin mary

if your faith or love is storng, idiots and childish pranks don't move you. if it does move you, it only shows your love or faith is cheap and shallow and insecure

Lets add ICT Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom to the list of people not helping Thailand's image.

UPDATE: Now he's not going to sue.

Why is this song banned in Thailand?

In checking the latest list of Banned sites in Thailand:


they seemed to blocking this video:


Maybe cause it's referred to as the suicide song? Or Diamanda Galas did something wrong? The weird thing is that it's just this version. The Sarah McLachlan version didn't seem to attract the same attention. First time I'd heard the song, but what a sad, powerful song. Thanks MITC for introducing it to me.

Still blocked, still unacceptable

A good article about the continued censorship of YouTube (Taksin's mouthpiece) by the Thai Juanta (unelected government).

The YouTube block remains. But of far more concern to Thais who want to see a return to democracy is the regime's blocking or intimidation of Thailand-based Web sites that provide a forum for political discussion. The YouTube affair has drawn greater public attention to the information ministry's Internet calling card -- an Orwellian emblem in the shape of an eye, which is superimposed on blocked sites.

In Thailand, freedom of speech was guaranteed by the country's popular 1997 constitution. Unfortunately, it was ripped up by the coup leaders who condemned it as too weak to protect the nation from despots. Many opponents of the creeping censorship in Thailand argue that government agencies are acting illegally in blocking Internet sites. Cynics say that's why the Computer-Related Offenses Commission Act is being drafted.

On another way to look at this, Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom guilty of les majeste? Due to his ban of the video, the total views reached 66,553 before the video was pulled. Had the and the minister of information and technology silently banned the single video, they might not have caused so many to see it. However an all out ban has now cause the search terms "youtube banned thailand" to return over 1,000,000 hits in Google and over 900 news stories worldwide.

YouTube still blocked

It seems the Thai Government is trying to figure out how to block single videos, rather than the whole site.

"I don't want to hear a lecture on free speech ... I am a proponent of free speech but this is just culturally insensitive and offensive," he said, adding that he would not block access to materials that are anti-government. "But we will not tolerate materials that offend the monarchy."

On the other hand, how convenient is it for the anti-Taksin camp, that the government blocked the Taksin YouTube speaches?

Thailand Blocks YouTube again!

They did it before.. now they are doing it again.... This time at least the whole world knows about it.

This blogger has to say it is not without reason. Google, do the right thing and take down the offending video! Thailand, do the right thing and don't block a whole website cause of one video!


If you are upset, you can do something.... FACT

Fact and Thai Censorship

If you are Thai and interested in keeping your blog, maybe you should visit the Freedom Against Censorship Thailand site and see what you can do.


FACT recommends that a privacy provision be added to the new
Constitution that prohibits retaining logged data of any individual's
Internet activity.

Section 39, Freedom of Expression, allows all persons in Thailand to
express their opinions in all forms, spoken, written and electronic
form. FACT recommends this section be broadened to prohibit all
censorship: no banned books.

Thailand blocks YouTube?

Using True service and typing in www.youtube.com you are now greeted by a page telling you... no more YouTube. Censorship in Thailand has reached a new low...
Not to worry, here are 9 other video sharing sites to upload your videos to. Check their reviews here:

1) Blip.tv
2) VideoEgg
3) Dailymotion
4) YouTube
5) Veoh
6) Google Video
7) Grouper
8) Jumpcut
9) AOL
10) Eyespot