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King asked to pardon Internet users prosecuted on lese majeste or national security chargesReporters Without Borders has written to King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the eve of his birthday on 5 December asking him to pardon Thai Internet users who are in jail or who are being prosecuted in connection with the dissident views they allegedly expressed online. US money can end ‘net censorship-Washington PostOf course we can question the fact that the Global Internet Freedom Consortium, of which FACT is a member, has a hidden agenda, namely Falun Dafa, and therefore an axe to grind with Chinese authorities. Computer Crimes Act too ambiguousMutita Chuachang, Athit Suriyawongkul Sawatree Suksri, a lecturer of the Faculty of Law, Thammasat University, who has studied computer-related law in Germany, talked to Prachatai about the 2007 Computer Crimes Act which she finds too ambiguous in many points, including, for example, national security, which has been subject to arbitrary interpretations by the authorities. Statement of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility on the Maguindanao Massacre in the PhilippinesSEAPA Statement of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility on the Maguindanao Massacre in the Philippines Online censorship and arrests of Internet usersThe legal tools that the authorities abuse to restrict free expression in Thailand are the 2007 Computer Crime Act and the lese majeste law (section 112 of the criminal code), which mainly targets Internet users. Harassment and intimidation are constantly employed to dissuade Internet users from freely expressing their views. Arrested doctor granted bail-Bangkok Post20-11-09FACT comments: Now wait just a cotton-picking minute here! Dr. Thassaporn “admitted she posted false information about the King’s health on the internet”. So what, precisely, was that “false information”—the King’s death??? This article states in error Dr Thassaporn is the fifth arrestee; so far, we’ve only counted four. But Thai police never sleep when they want to clean up govt’s good name: we can bet on some more arrests soon! Incidentally, we need to add a "rumour" to the mix--the rumour here is Thai govt intends to charge Bloomberg News over the original article and close down Bloomberg's Bangkok office.] Computer crime law as lèse majesté substitute-AHRC20-11-09THAILAND: Computer crime law as lèse majesté substitute Asian Human Rights Commission: November 20, 2009 In recent days police in Thailand arrested and charged another person over causing a decline in the stock market by spreading rumours through the Internet about the king’s health. From a Hut in Southern Sudan, Children’s Voices Fill the Airwaves(November 12, 2009) In Kauda, a remote town in the heart of the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan, southern Sudan, many children don’t attend school at all. If they do have access to a teacher, the lessons are often held under trees and the teachers lack even basic resources such as desks, books and pens. TOT wants to expand 3G by AprilTOT Plc says it could call bids from suppliers for the second phase of its nationwide 3G project worth 20 billion baht in April, and would become the first local operator to offer the high-speed mobile broadband services on the 2.1Ghz bandwidth. Columnist pressured to quit from Thai PostTue, 10/11/2009 - 07:47 A media watchdog has urged the Thai-language Thai Post daily to explain to the public its decision to remove the column of Bai Tong Hang, who eventually resigned from the paper. Three Internet users arrested for blaming fall in stocks on king’s ailing healthSubmitted by tewson on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 15:02 Three Internet users have been arrested in the past four days for posting articles blaming King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s poor health for last month’s fall in the Bangkok stock exchange. They have been charged under article 14 of the Computers Crime Act 2007 with endangering national security by spreading false rumours about the king’s health. Thai speech advocates question use of Computer Crimes Act vs two accused of stock manipulationSubmitted by tewson on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 14:59 Speech and Internet advocates in Thailand are questioning why the Thai police invoked the Computer Crimes Act in going after two Thais accused of spreading rumors on the King's health, media reports in Bangkok say. StatementThai Netizen Network: Request for Clarification Regarding The Arrests of Internet Users Pursuant to the following cases (bold items highlighted by Thai Netizen Network) Thailand’s new tsunami of political repression – SET them FREE!Politicians can be so entertaining. Sometimes we laugh so hard we cry. Of course, the posturing and bluster of politicians always leads to the truth being forgotten as they try to distance themselves from any issue which could interfere with their position at the public trough. Three Internet users arrested for blaming fall in stocks on king’s ailing health
Three Internet users have been arrested in the past four days for posting articles blaming King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s poor health for last month’s fall in the Bangkok stock exchange. They have been charged under article 14 of the Computers Crime Act 2007 with endangering national security by spreading false rumours about the king’s health. Media under siege in Southeast Asia-The Nation01-11-09[FACT comments: Finally, The Nation speaks again for truth and freedom.] EDITORIAL Media under siege in Southeast Asia The Nation: October 30, 2009 http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/10/30/opinion/opinion_30115499.php Latest rankings for press freedom leave Thailand and all other Asean countries with nothing to shout about. New, free VPN from Anchor Free26-10-09HotSpotShield AnchorFree: October 21, 2009
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Anchorfree-1063036.html AnchorFree Extends Reach of Hotspot Shield — Introduces New Local Language Feature and Updated Mac Version ress ReleaseJournalists in Bangkok Get Historic Press Briefing with Climate Change Negotiators(October 8, 2009) Bangkok, Thailand -- Senior climate change negotiators from all of the major negotiating blocs today made an unprecedented joint appearance before journalists at an event organized by the Climate Change Media Partnership in association with the Com+ Alliance. Thai arrested for sending lèse majesté clips-Prachatai18-10-09 Thai man arrested for sending lèse majesté clips to a British blogger in Spain Prachatai: October 16, 2009
http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/1447
The Criminal Court has agreed to a request by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to detain Nat Sattayapornpisut, 27, who has been charged under the 2007 Computer Crimes Act after he was found to have sent offensive clips to a blog called ‘StopLeseMajeste’. Thank you, thank you, thank youFri, 16/10/2009 - 14:04 Harrison George [Press Announcement by Harrison George on Being Awarded Numerous Prizes] In response to the signal honour of being awarded the Wurlitzer Prize for Promising Journalism (Retirement Age Category), I wish to express my humble and sincere thanks to the selection committee. Although, as the award citation notes, I have yet to make any significant positive contribution to journalism, it is a great personal encouragement to me that the committee sees the potential for this in my future career. I solemnly undertake to do all in my power to strive for the achievement in my part-time profession of which the awards committee evidently feels I am capable (lèse majesté and cybercrime laws permitting). Authoritarianism prevents press freedom progress in much of Asia, Thailand ranks at 130thTue, 20/10/2009 - 16:53 Reporters Without Borders Political power grabs dealt press freedom a great disservice again this year. In Thailand, the endless clashes between “yellow shirts” and “red shirts” had a very negative impact on the press’s ability to work. As a result, the kingdom is now 130th. Happy Internet Human Rights Day!Today is the 98th anniversary of the 1911 Wuchang Uprising which led to the collapse of the Qing Dynasty and founding of the Republic of China in 1912. (I wonder how the 100th anniversary will be celebrated in the People's Republic two years from now?) To mark the occasion, 15 Chinese intellectuals have issued a Declaration of Internet Human Rights, suggesting that netizens of China and the world celebrate October 10th to be Internet Human Rights Day. U.S. tests system to break foreign Web censorshipReuters: August 13, 2009
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE57C5OQ20090813 The U.S. government is covertly testing technology in China and Iran that lets residents break through screens set up by their governments to limit access to news on the Internet. New Initiative to Study Impact of Media on Global DevelopmentInternews and the World Bank Institute to Examine Which Types of Support to News Media in Developing Countries are Most Effective
ICT snubs Thaicom contract change
The satellite concession contract between the Information and Communication Technology Ministry and Thaicom Plc cannot be amended because it is long-term and was signed more than 12 years ago, said ICT Minister Ranongruk Suwunchwee. Cuba and Burma grapple with the Internet threatDictators might hate the Internet and everything that it stands for, but most of them have already quietly made peace with it, if only for reasons of economic development: they bet that the Web could improve their economies faster than it could erode their grip on power. Dictators may still tinker with the Internet - some choose to filter, some choose to censor, and some - to deploy cheap online propaganda - but ultimately, they have accepted that it's here to stay. As the cases of Russia and China illustrate, controlled and even quasi-controlled environment could easily co-exist with societies that are growing more prosperous without necessarily becoming any more democratic. Youth Speak Out : Engaging in Democracy and Grasping OpportunityRaise Your Voice, Share Your Ideas, and Get Involved in Democracy! Submit your essay on democracy, and get your free ticket to the world’s largest gathering of democracy and human rights activists in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2010! Print and Broadcast Media Freedom: Disparities and OpeningThis report examines how the communications landscape has changed over the past decade, and discusses new opportunities and restrictions for both print and ..... PublicationsAfghanistanAfghanistan’s Media Milestone:
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