Writer fumes over govt s online crackdown
On-line political writer Wattana Sukwat, one of the many writers having their content blocked or deleted by the ICT Ministry under emegency rule said the removal of his 200 or so articles is not just undemocratic but akin to deleting his on-line identity.
"I am a like matrix removed [in the Hollywood movie 'The Matrix'] and no longer exists [in cycber space] ," he said yesterday (Thursday).
Wattana, whose articles are hosted on red-shir site, insisted that he is not a red-shirt but wrote articles critical to both sides of the political divides said it appear that the government is now treating anyone critical of them as being on the side of ousted and convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's camp whom red shirts supports.
Two hundred articles written by Wattana under his pen name "arin" was located onhttp://arinwan.redthai.org, one of the 36 websites shut down by the government under emergency decree. At least 190 additional sites have since been blocked as well.
"Freedom of thought is the basis of a democratic system. They have no right to censor any view which doesn't incite violence like setting arson."
Wattana is working on an alternate site to defy state's censorship although some of his 200 or so articles are lost forever due to lack of backup plan.
The writer said he didn't expect this to occur to him as he is highly critical of red shirts as well. However, one of Wattana's recent articles was about Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Finance Minister Korn Jatikavanit's lineages and politics.
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In the short term censorship
In the short term censorship and a crack down on opposing thoughts by force will win out, but eventually the media, which tends to self censor to avoid such problems in Thailand, will turn on those oppressing thought and opposite views.
As media we must write the truth as we see it, stay neutral as best we can and fight for media freedom at every turn. If the government surpasses alternate thought, do they actually represent democracy?
No. They don't. The represent
No. They don't. The represent fascist repression. Don't they. The convergence of the Thai-Burman Military Model of Government proceeds at an ever increasing pace.
The frogs in the pot over the fire on the stove are beginning to notice that the water seems hotter than it used to be.
I know how this gentleman
I know how this gentleman feels, I've had everything I've ever written or posted on Youtube on the subject of lese majeste law blocked in Thailand. I think it's because Thai royalists are "confused" by alternative points of view to their own.
In Thailand there only ever seems to be one "official" sugar coated easy to swallow truth. All other opinions are "a danger to national security". Bah! This colouring book attitude to Thai history and society makes for a nation of braindead royalist idiots.
It goes further than that,
It goes further than that, Emilio, because not only are there way too many 'braindead royalist idiots', there are more than enough of those idiots and other more vindictive types who are prepared to ensure anyone with opposing views are punished (one way or other) for having the audacity to think differently - and the greater the punishment, the happier the brain dead & vindictives become - its sick.
Thailand's long-term
Thailand's long-term hypocrisy where everyone basically does what he wants but is forbidden from saying anything about it has come to roost.