27 June 2005

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the latest moves by the Thai administration to restrict freedom of expression online.

Thailand's cyber policing agency, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MICT), has ordered a temporary closure of two websites whose contents the ministry deemed highly critical of the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The websites are, www.thai-insider.com, run by Ekkayuh Anchanbutr, businessman-cum anti-corruption crusader and www.fm9225.com, run by Anchalee Paireerat, executive director of Community Radio Station FM92.

Ekkayuth and Anchalee believed their websites were targeted and vowed to challenge the decision and get their websites back in operation. They said they were considering taking legal action against the ministry for violating the constitutional rights to freedom of expression and access to information.

'Anybody with a valid opinion should be allowed to voice it, as freedom of expression is a basic human right," said IFJ president Christopher Warren.

The Thai Webmaster Association has refuted the ministry's claims that the closure was not politically motivated, and that the MICT should instead have sought the intervention of the Association.

There is no specific law governing the Internet in Thailand. Under MICT regulations, cyber inspectors are authorised to arrest hackers and suspend web boards, websites that contain material deemed morally indecent, undermining the royal institution, defamatory and detrimental to national security.

'These conditions placed upon web-users are unfair and should be removed instantly' said Warren.

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