Political War Transfers To Cyberspace

[george]

PARLIAMENT IN UPROAR:

Political war transfers to cyberspace

BANGKOK: -- A day after Democrat MPs stormed out to protest what they called the government's unfair allotment of debate time, the government's annual performance report to the House deteriorated yesterday into a pitched battle on the Internet between the ruling Thai Rak Thai Party and the rival Democrats.

Their feuding turned into a propaganda war when the two parties used the heavy weapons of their websites to fire off stinging allegations at each other.

Under the banner "Thai Rak Thai: Political Party of National Reform", the party's site included two message boxes on blinking backgrounds in response to the Democrats' walkout. It blamed its political foes for doing nothing but trying to exploit situations for their benefit.

One box showed a quote by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who spoke in yesterday's House session, saying a man who worked hard but was not good at public speaking would never look as credible as those who always praised themselves before the public and blamed others for all mistakes.

Thaksin addressed the House by sarcastically telling the tale of three schoolboys, one who never helped the other two friends clean a classroom, as their teacher ordered, and upon the teacher's return would show up and lie that he alone had done all the cleaning.

Unfortunately, the teacher believed him rather than the two boys, Thaksin said.

"The two boys then prayed that this kind of child would be sterile when he grew up to prevent another generation of the same type," he said.

The other box was put up soon after a Democrat Party walkout on Wednesday. It read, "Don't take our open mind and good manners in the last two years as criteria for taking advantage of the House."

Following the boxes was a banner espousing the innocence of eight Thai Rak Thai ministers, who had been grilled by the opposition during the no-confidence debate last week. They were cleared of any wrongdoing by a majority vote by government MPs. It also claimed that the opposition tried to forge documents and make up stories during the debate.

"Our messages are not abusive," said Thai Rak Thai spokesman Suranan Vejjajiva. "We have to counter allegations of the Democrat Party which have no hint of truth."

The Democrats, meanwhile, let the missiles fly.

Soon after their walkout the Democrats on their website posted the banner "House Seized" and "Government Shut Our Mouths".

Despite refusing to rejoin the session, leading members of the Democrats opened their own theatre at the party headquarters to criticise the government's performance, focusing their barbs mainly at the family businesses of Thaksin as they did in the censure debate.

Duplicating the House's protocol for the debates last week, the Democrat Party members one by one stepped up to a podium and, in some cases, used charts and photos during their presentations before a camera. The video was broadcast on the party's website, thus avoiding the interruptions of Thai Rak Thai members, whose protests during the debates had in some cases shut down the opposition's efforts to make their case.

If listening to the Democrat debates was hard on the Internet due to the slowness of slow data transfer, the Democrats posted transcripts and evidentiary documents on the website to back up their allegations.

"Whether or not it is a cyber war between the two parties, the people will benefit because the information on our website cannot be distorted," said Jurin Laksanavisit, opposition chief whip and Democrat MP.

Pradit Pataraprasith, Democrat party secretary-general, claimed the party's site had received 120,000 hits on Wednesday, the day its members walked out of the House. Visitors wanted to get the truth, which the party did not have a chance to present, he added.

Deputy House Speaker Somsak Prissanananthakul asked the two parties to stop attacking each other by using abusive words on their websites. He said it would ruin the image of House members as a whole.

Meanwhile, Thaksin responded to an accusation on the Democrats' website that he had exploited his state authority to benefit his family businesses, which had allegedly increased Bt90 billion in value during three years of his government.

"This is what the Democrats only have in their head," Thaksin said. "It proves that they do not deserve to rule this country."

--The Nation 2004-05-28

[englishoak]

Sounds about right