Thailand

Coup law being used to crack down on internet and dissidents

Article published on the 2009-02-05 Latest update 2009-02-05 15:31 TU

(Photo: AFP)

In Thailand, internet sites are under close watch by the government. Surveillance has been tightened since the 2006 military coup, and a law against insulting the king is being used to put people in jail for writing blogs and comments.

The government installed by the military enacted a law in 2007 policing the Internet, and the current administration of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is implementing it with vigour.

Thai authorities are also hunting down critics of the government, the military or of the country's royalty, says Ji Ungphakorn, associate professor of politics at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

“This government, which is being backed by the military, has suddenly decided to crack down hard on dissent,” Ungphakorn, who is being prosecuted for writing a book critical of the 2006 coup, told RFI. “People who are less famous, if you like, have been arrested for surfing the internet and writing comments.”

Lèse-majesté laws, which have been on the books for some time, make insulting the King a punishable offense. But in combination with the new internet surveillance, the Thai government has a powerful tool that is being used to harass activists, writers and political analysts, he says.

What’s more, some elements in the army, Ungphakorn reports, are pushing to have the penalties stiffened to 15-25 years for criticizing or insulting the king.