Making Sitthichai Look Good
Former Minister for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom - the guy who banned YouTube so to speak - was a controversial figure, but the current MICT Minister is even worse. Prachatai have helpfully translated a radio interview he did (I have slightly edited it to change the format to make it more readable - all emphasis is not in original obviously):
Broadcast from 17.35 to 19.00 on 14 May 2008 at Think Radio, 96.5 MCOT
Moderated by Patchara Sarapimpa and Wisuth Khomwatcharapong
Patchara: The big news today is that the MICT ordered a ban on three websites alleged to feature lèse majesté contents. After a commercial break, we will get to hear from the Minister of ICT, Dr. Man Pattanotai.
Patchara: Here we are going to talk with the ICT Minister, Dr. Man Pattanotai.
Patchara, Wisuth: Good afternoon sir.
MICT : Good afternoon, Khun Patchara and Khun Wisuth. I have been engaged on different lines and am sorry for being late.
Wisuth: How many websites have been blocked so far?
MICT : Hello.
Patchara: Sir, how many websites have been blocked so far?
MICT : Well, our officers are dealing with them We blocked both messages and images. In fact, we have been doing this for a week. In most cases, it is difficult since the webhosting service providers are located outside the country.
Patchara: That's right.
MICT: They are in California, Texas, New Jersey, we know where they are all located. We have received cooperation only from Google California and YouTube. During the APEC ministerial meeting in Bangkok, I talked with their Minister, and then Mr. David Cross, a diplomat from Washington. They knew the administration of Google and understood Thai culture. They knew well how we felt. After that contact, the content disappeared.
BP: The State Department made representations to Google? Really? Why? I thought the Thai government already had an arrangement with Google to block individual videos from Thailand, so does this necessitate involving the State Department? Let me take a guess, the MICT is pretending to talk up his importance and influence/
Patchara: Not on Google anymore?
MICT : No, no longer on either Google or YouTube, I mean they are not available in Thailand. But of course, they cannot deny the access to the content worldwide.
Wisuth: That's right, we have no access to them from here, but elsewhere.
Patchara: So if people use ISPs in the country, they can no longer have access to YouTube?
MICT : There are more than 200 internet service providers in Thailand, and we, and CAT know them all. So if they are in Thailand, we can deal with them because we have the law. I have to thank Khun Patchara and Khun Wisuth for reading out the penalty, they deserve it if they are not loyal.
Patchara: What really happened, sir? From the news I read, it was MICT asking for cooperation. But the latest news was that MICT simply issued an order to ban some websites. So in fact, you invoked your power to impose the ban, rather than to seek cooperation, right?
MICT: Yes, I just ordered them closed. Of course, we understand that it is inappropriate to use the term, and it would be more pleasing to say we asked for cooperation. But they know what "asking for cooperation" means.
Patchara: So you just invoked your legal power?
MICT : Yes, we are clearly authorized by the criminal laws.
Patchara: But why did not you say you banned the websites by yourself?
MICT : We have to seek court warrants.
Patchara: That's right.
Wisuth: Now, they are just ordered to close, anything else?
MICT We just cited the criminal laws to ban them.
Patchara: And Fah Diaw Kan and Prachatai are banned because..?
MICT : They have content about the monarchy. Thai people cannot bear this, and no one can. Not just me or my officers. Even the former ICT Minister, Sitthichai Pokaiyaudom, once he was informed about this, he asked me to ban them. And he would encourage folk who have the knowledge to hack the websites. Everyone is helping us. Even operators of internet services who have the knowledge in hacking also help us.
Patchara: So we can no longer access the contents in YouTube?
MICT : Yes
Patchara: We cannot access them from Thailand?
MICT : Yes, but you can from elsewhere.
BP: Isn't hacking illegal ? Encouraging people to hack makes him an accomplice.
Patchara: So the websites, like, YouTube , still have the material, but you have to access the contents from abroad.
MICT: I am not sure which proxy servers they are using, probably from India, or Malaysia. We have to keep tracking them down and blocking them.
Patchara: They are websites registered abroad.
MICT : Yes
Patchara: What about Prachatai or Fah Diaw Kan, are they registered abroad?
MICT : (coughing) I'd better not name it.
Patchara: Are they in Thailand?
MICT : It's better for me not to name it.
Wisuth: In Thailand, after blocking the access, will you also pursue legal prosecution?
MICT : The MICT officers can just monitor them.
Patchara: Just monitoring?
MICT : Well, the criminal laws put this clearly. And the DSI (Department of Special Investigation) and the Crime Suppression Division also keep monitoring, and military intelligence as well.
Patchara: How?
MICT : We have our joint taskforce, and we maintain cooperation.
Patchara: And then what, will there be a prosecution or not?
MICT : We know that some of them are afraid and on the run. We have to call them rouge websites, the illegal websites. They do the websites secretly, make them available for some time, and then close them down. Some websites are just accessible after midnight. We know about this from the USA. Because when it is daytime in USA, it is nighttime here.
Patchara: Yes
MICT : We cannot be too complacent.
Patchara: So will the MICT pursue any legal action against them, too? After you blocked the websites, and the websites are closed, but before they are closed they featured this content.
MICT : Well, Khun Patchara, we have a policy on this but I cannot elaborate on it. There is no need to pursue legal action.
Patchara: It is simply a policy now.
MICT : Khun Patchara should know I cannot elaborate on this.
Patchara: You mean you do not want to pursue legal action against them, right?
MICT: Doing so will it become a big scandal. We'd better suppress the news. Someone higher than me is of this opinion.
BP: A policy? As in a policy supported by law. Or a policy just made made up? Someone higher than him? I think it is some palace-connected phuyai and Ajarn Somsak seems to agree.
Compare that with Chalerm:
Authorities have checked 14 of 29 websites with content deemed offensive and will complete the job within a day, Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung said on Friday.BP: No wonder the other day that the Democrats wanted the MICT and not Chalerm to handle the 29 websites - yes, the websites which criticise the Democrats.
Of the 14 checked, four agreed to cooperate to remove harmful messages on a voluntary basis, he said. The government will try to reason with the webmasters before enforcing the law, he added.
This is simply stupid. Another phu-yaism if there ever was one. Phu-yai double speak: we will not abide by the law, we encourage people to break the law, because the monarchy is at stake. All Thais understand this.
WTF, seriously. Where are the Democrats? Where is Sophon? Where is Yoon? Here is a Thaksin man violating the principles of democracy AND acting like a totalitarian idiot. Where are you critics when real issues pop up.
This interview sickens me.