Internet law experts and webmasters yesterday lashed out at what they said was the government's illegal blocking of websites and the use of threats and intimidation tactics against webmasters by government officials. Paiboon Amornpinyokiart, an internet and IT law expert, said nowhere in the controversial Cyber Crime Act -- which was pushed through by the military-appointed government and took effect on July 19 -- does it say the government has the authority to freely block websites. The law says any move to block a website must be backed by a court order.
He said the Information and Communications Technology Ministry (ICT) had to first seek court orders if it wanted to block any "undesirable" websites. The Cyber Crime Act was passed through the National Legislative Assembly along with a number of other controversial bills this year, despite grave concerns raised by local and international human and media rights groups.
The president of the Thai Webmasters Association, Poramate Minsiri, said most of the content of the new law had been altered during the deliberation in parliament and was acceptable to him.
But, he said, the unchecked blocking of websites by the government without court approval was now a major problem.
Webmasters have received phone threats and other various forms of intimidation from officials criticising content on their websites and threatening to ban them, he said. Mr Poramate also said the officials intimidating them had refused to reveal their names.
He said webmasters had provided software programs such as Ultrasurf to internet users to reverse the blocking but had then been told off by the ICT for distributing the programs.
Mr Poramate said ICT officials should carefully study the scope of their authority permitted under the new computer crime law and alter their actions accordingly.
Chiranuch Premchaiporn of www.prachathai.com, a website providing information on social and political issues, said the government's rush to issue media-related laws shortly after the Sept 19 coup was grossly inappropriate.
The draft Radio and Television Broadcasting Bill, currently being deliberated, has also drawn widespread criticism for the heavy punishments it will impose on radio and television operators who operate without state permission.
She said community radio operators would be badly affected by the draft bill as most operate without licences.
Source: AsiaMedia
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