Govt To Launch Media War Countering Red Shirts

[HagenvonTronje]

2 x WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY

2009

Prime Minister's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey yesterday told a seminar, "Thai Press Freedom: Would it fuel or quell the fire of conflicts?" marking World Press Freedom Day,

the time had come for the mainstream media to strictly maintain neutrality.

They should not behave like cheerleaders at sporting events when reporting on political conflicts. The media should report the truth, while professional media bodies should keep reviewing their own role, he said.

"Members of the media always call for press freedom," Mr Sathit said."Let's see how they are going to regulate themselves and the ones that have been used as political groups' instruments."

The minister said the government right now was more concerned about the impact of short message services (SMS) via mobile phones as they can also be misused to spread disinformation.

Bangkok Post, 04.05.2009 - Pradit Ruangdit, WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY: Cheerleading role 'improper'.

online here

yep, stricly keep neutral as newspaper, doesn't voice an opinion, just print what the Government says, because that is the truth. and don't start to sing a song for the opposition or so, keep neutral, write about BLAH. anyway, the Prime Minister's Office Minister is so far happy with the press, they seems to have learned how to "regulate themselve". stay neutral isn't anything more than the new white movement of see close your eyes and ears ans shut up your mouth. for the sake of harmony become a vegetable, please and now all together, let's shut up.

but dangerours, dangerous. SMS worries the government, can not be controled and someone could send a picture around what isn't in the truth catalogue of the government.

how shameless they can be? as oposition to the lines above a few line from the opposition of the year 2005 and what the y said on WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2005.

2005

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva concurred with Prinya’s

dark vision of the future of press freedom

in Thailand.

“In the future, alternative media may be limited to sending SMS text messages,

but even then the powers that be might still be benefiting financially from it,” Abhisit said, in a thinly-veiled reference to AIS, Thailand’s leading mobile-phone service provider, owned by the family of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The day may come, he added, when no newspaper will be allowed to be critical of the government.

Abhisit insisted that during the previous reign of the Democrat Party, Thailand’s media were much more vigorous because press freedom was guaranteed by authorities. “Every morning I used to read strident criticism of the government [in daily newspapers]. Every evening [television] news programmes were harshly critical of the administration.

The Nation, 04.05.2005 - Pravit Rojanaphruk, PRESS FREEDOM DAY : State control of the media slammed as ‘degradation’.

online here

perplexing, how that trip into the visionary past and back to the future of the good old days match each other. The Prime Minister's Office Minister of 2009 gives almost a direct answer to the dark vision of the 2005 Abhisit 'they day may come ...' - 'the time had come ...' and both mention the SMS communcation too, and the Power of 2009 is afraid of such things, scared of SMS, because they could be critical of the government.

the not so old propaganda of thaksin get an much more older style of propaganda and mind control (VERBOT!) as counter. for get his oxford Ph.D. M. Phil he didn't learn so much, just mimic all the other students their, only on the outside lokking like an educatetd. with proper mimic technique even a farmhouse (the thai brand from the 7/11) toast bread would get such degree. there is no excuse for, like that is the only way to counter measure evil Thaksin tricks. and that isn't pragmatism, it's hypocrisy. pragmatism is honest. and if that is 'really ' the goal, to prevent that thaksin comes back or another figure in the same style, teach the people how to question authorities and how not to follow blind the new idol. question and double check that as well, better to avoid idols at all.

[LawnGnome]

They might well be blocking websites, but all my favorite porn sites work fine!

[HagenvonTronje]

that eagle from the ISOC logo seems to be an american bald eagle, national bird of the United States of America.

i was wondering when i saw that bird on the ISOC logo, isn't hat the american eagle? and looks like it is. but i think, i didn't found the original artwork, all more or less copies. but all have the same image as basis. the last seems to be a popular kitsch poster and gif planted and crossposted allover the internet on patriotic web pages.

is that a famous artwork or just a random pic out of tausends eagle pictures? and how an US-american feel, if he see the the national symbol of his country used by Thailands Ministry of Information and Communication Technology for their internet control & censor unit? is that appropriate? should i call 1212?

[LawnGnome]

that eagle from the ISOC logo seems to be an american bald eagle, national bird of the United States of America.

i was wondering when i saw that bird on the ISOC logo, isn't hat the american eagle? and looks like it is. but i think, i didn't found the original artwork, all more or less copies. but all have the same image as basis. the last seems to be a popular kitsch poster and gif planted and crossposted allover the internet on patriotic web pages.

is that a famous artwork or just a random pic out of tausends eagle pictures? and how an US-american feel, if he see the the national symbol of his country used by Thailands Ministry of Information and Communication Technology for their internet control & censor unit? is that appropriate? should i call 1212?

As a US citizen, I can say that I have no feelings at all regarding their use of the eagle. Eagles are not indigenous to the US alone. If you are alleging some sort of "copyright infringement, based on an outline alone, then the question that would be better served asking is .............

Edited May 11, 2009 by LivinginKata
Flame removed

[HagenvonTronje]

Satit: New D-Station allowed to air if content is not provocative

BANGKOK, 13 May 2009 (NNT) – Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office Satit Wonghnongtaey said the opening of New D-Station of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) was permitted as long as the content aired was not provocative.

Mr. Satit said that the Government could not impede on the reopening of UDD’s New D-Station, under the circumstances that information reported in the television program were facts and truth without any provocative attempts. However, if the content aired is deemed inappropriate, it would be the duty of the National Telecommunication Commission’s sub-committee to handle the situation.

The Minister said the Frequency Allocation Act would be in effect within June, saying that the system would be used to check content appropriateness in programs broadcasted on satellite stations.

Earlier, the old D-Station was closed down as a result of the national turmoil in April; however, Mr. Adisorn Piengket, the D-Station Executive and UDD core leader had announced that he would reopen the television station on 18 May 2009 by mimicking the operation opening process of ASTV television station of Mr. Sondhi Limthongkul, the core leader of People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and media mogul.

-- NNT 13 May 2009

article here

[HagenvonTronje]

Satit: Thaksin’s claim not a cause for concern

BANGKOK, 13 May 2009 (NNT) - Minister to the Prime Minister's Office Satit Wonghnongtaey said the government is not concerned about the claim of fugitive ex-prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who allegedly said the government would only be in power until July.

Mr. Satit dismissed the claim by the fugitive former prime minister, saying it was not a cause for concern. The Minister to the PM’s office stated that the government would move forward in working for the country. Furthermore, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was constantly making fast progress in recovering the country’ s image.

With the prepared 300 billion baht mid-year budget, many projects to improve the country’s image and to create patriotism among people would be launched, said Mr. Satit. Concerning the case that Puea Thai MPs would erect a stage in the northeastern areas and arrange the phone-in by Mr. Thaksin, he voiced unconcern, saying that most people were capable of using their own discretion and judgement in regards to this matter.

-- NNT 13 May 2009

article here

[HagenvonTronje]

Politically incendiary TV, radio content to be banned

Bangkok Post

Published: 14/05/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

Incendiary political content on community radio and satellite TV stations will be banned under proposed regulations issued by the National Telecommunications Commission.

The government said it would enforce the changes evenly against any broadcaster which offends, including the red shirt-run DStation and yellow shirt-owned ASTV satellite TV stations.

Prime Minister's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey said the regulations would allow the NTC to take action against community radio and satellite TV stations which air content deemed to undermine democracy. The regulations require cable TV and satellite TV channels to seek permission for each programme being aired, Mr Sathit said. ''Once the regulations take effect, any broadcast station airing content deemed to be politically incendiary won't be allowed to operate.''

An NTC sub-committee has held public hearings on the regulations for community radio stations, and would soon hold hearings for satellite TV stations. The sub-committee is taking into account suggestions from the public. Revised regulations are expected in June.

...

continue

-- Bangkok Post 14/05/2009

[HagenvonTronje]

'Stealth' budget up for approval

By Piyanart Srivalo

The Nation

Published on May 12, 2009

Tomorrow's Cabinet meeting is expected to endorse a Bt157.5 million secret stealth budget including Bt25 million for spying on the red-shirted protest group, a government source said yesterday.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has instructed the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to include surveillance of the anti-government movement in its annual operating plan, the source said.

The NIA will spend part of the Bt25 million to build up a grassroots network in the capital and provinces, he said.

The NIA would use national reconciliation as a cover to shadow the red shirts and would spend the budget to produce intelligence information to frustrate anti-government propaganda, he said.

Also in the NIA's annual work budget is Bt48 million for operations the deep South, Bt3 million for operations at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bt10 million for collecting intelligence to ensure the Royal Family's safety and Bt20 million for coordinating with international intelligence agencies to counter terrorists.

The NIA would get Bt12 million to stake out drug trafficking syndicates and Bt39.5 million for internal expenses, the source added.

-- The Nation May 12, 2009

article here

[HagenvonTronje]

ICT opens a hotline to receive information on inappropriate websites

BANGKOK, 6 May 2009 (NNT) - The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) opens hot line 1212 for people who want to give hints on inappropriate website.

ICT Minister Second Lieutenant Ranongrak Suwannachawee revealed that currently the ministry had opened a hot line 1212 and E-mail [email protected] to support the internet security operation center (ISOC) in order to monitor and suppress illegal activities on the internet more quickly and efficiently.

..

go here to the article

.............................

...

i wonder about how many calls ISOC will they get at all at 1212 and how many calls will be just prank calls, pretend to be drunk, franco-canadien or SGT. HARTMANN want to order a pizza, cheese sticks and salad and don't give up so easy.

i just called them, funny team. english is spoken, albeit a little bit difficult to understand even if they spell their own website www.mict.go.th.

why i called - http://www.mict.go.th is down. i can not connect them at the moment. and it's also down on http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com

first was a long introducing by the other person on the line, so perfect that i thought for a moment i am still on hold and it's a voice from tape soon will asking me to press number nine. but it's was a real person.

me: hello, can we speak english?

internet security operation center (ISOC): yes

me: :MINISTRY ICT, right? i have a problem with the internet. i can not connect to the website of the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology. mict.go.th. i looks down and offline. i have true internet."

ISOC: website?

me: yes, mict. 1212 is the telephone hotline for it, right. but i wanted to visit the website, why is it offline and can you tell me when it is online again?

ISOC: website? double-u, double-u, double-u, worldwideweb MICTdotGOdotTH? the website?

me: yes, dotGOdotTH is offline.

ISOC: pling

a short goodbye and i am now in placed on hold. TOTjingle and pop music. during the talk with the hotline staffer i got the feeling, he didn't had a clue that the website is offline and what to do in such case.

...

ISOC: noise

me: hello?

ISOC: yes (it's an other person now)

me: a short hello,.... and i can not connect mict.go.th. but i wanted to visit the website, is that a temporary problem?

ISOC: moment, i check that. pling

on hold again. pop music.

...

ISOC: noise

me: hello?

ISOC: yes, website is offline. maybe overthere they turn it off. but i will back again.

me: Thanks, but i called the right number, 1212, that is the hotline of the MICT, the telephone number to contact the MICT, right?

i know i am probably not exactly at the right point, to enquire about a offline mict page, but 1212 is the service hotline of the MICT or with who i am talking right now, TOT? an other organsation. what is that service hotline 1212 actually exactly good for?

ISOC: 1212 is the hotline for the public to complain about inappropriate website ...

(and 3-4 sentence more, i see that is not her job to do the public relation and explain me everything, if the website down for what ever reason, the telephone hotline staff maybe the last one that got informed and the website not so important at all, at 2 o'clock in the night with an internet-nerd and foreigner who doesn't spoke a single word in thai during that conversation)

me: i see , thank you for your help and have a nice day. goodbye.

ISOC: goodbye.

click.............

it was a spontanious decision to call them, with a better planning is much more fun possible. actually i was only curious if that telephone number is disconnected from the world too or what will happen if i call there, check their reaction when i talk only english and inform them that their website (thai language only) is offline. that mict.go.th is offline was a good excuse to make a call.

i still don't know why they are offline. could a server attack by some computer chaos freedom fighter club possible? or script-running juveniles, /b/tards of 4chan, web commies? maybe t he Party Van comes to my street or is allready in front of the house.

according to freedom against censorship in thailan, FACT, thailand made it into the list of the world’s top five countries of Internet censorship sounds dramatically, and the list maybe only one of the thousand of lists you can find in the internet.

but that there is heavy censorship of the internet and in the media in thailand, that is no question and the statements of the government in the last couple of weeks bizarre. there is even a STASI budget of 150 million Baht. fonzi wrote the right commentar to it.

i checked www.mict.go.th on Alexa.com and got some interesting figures:

Where people go on Mict.go.th:

92.5% - mict.go.th

7.3% - w3.mict.go.th

Mict.go.th users come from these countries:

89.6% - Thailand

9.3% - Laos

1.1% - OTHER

Mict.go.th traffic rank in other countries:

222 - Laos

965 - Thailand

Upstream Sites

Percent of total visits to mict.go.th preceded by a visit to the upstream site.

44.58% youtube.com

24.94% google.co.th

4.53% megaclick.com

3.53% sameskybooks.org

3.27% hi5.com

Downstream Sites

Percent of total visits to mict.go.th followed by a visit to the downstream site.

28.70% google.co.th

13.00% youtube.com

9.87% megaclick.com

7.62% google.com

5.38% sameskybooks.org

3.14% jjgirls.com

3.14% rtarf.mi.th

2.69% hi5.com

2.24% ask.com

2.24% slutgirlfriends.com

in laos the ministry got very good page rank. and the 7,3% of website visioirs, that went to w3.mict.go.th., they just got there because their intention was to visit another webpage, but this page got blocked and the traffic redirected to w3.mict.go.th. whereby not all of the blocked pages got redirected. lot of them just look like offline. http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com is a good tool to check the site in such moments.

if the ministry is still offline in the afternoon, maybe somebody else has time for a phone call too. or order pizza at 1212.

in the meantime check this out: under a subdomain i found this piece: http://office.mict.go.th/index.html Look at it, the officals of The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, how they handle the Internet.

[HagenvonTronje]

EDITORIAL Unnecessary censorship

Published: 15/05/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: News

The National Telecommunications Commission usually flies under the radar of public awareness. But when the group comes out with a ruling, it is often a noteworthy declaration.

The request on Wednesday for permission to govern the content of every community radio and satellite TV station was sensational by any standard. The NTC was charged by the 1997 Constitution to return the public airwaves to the public. Now, the commission proposes to place a whole new set of public broadcasters under its control, including monitoring and censoring the broadcasts themselves.

The regulations are only a proposal by the NTC. It is disturbing that the government has apparently leapt to support the commission's request, without any public input or parliamentary discussion.

The country has the word of PM's Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey that the NTC would never overstep its responsibility, and only would take action if broadcasters used "politically incendiary" statements.

Mr Sathit had no examples of what might be incendiary speech, and neither did the proposal from the NTC to the government for permission to start monitoring right away. Mr Sathit said he was certain the NTC would be even-handed in its treatment of both the ASTV satellite broadcasts by the yellow-shirt supporters, and DStation backed by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and the red shirts. If either or both were judged to have incendiary content, they would be taken off the air. The same would hold true for all community radio stations.

These proposed regulations are onerous and will be opposed by all advocates of free speech and a free press. They are nothing less than political pressure on new broadcast media to exert fearful self-censorship. According to the government, they require every such "new media" broadcaster to get prior permission from the regulators before they begin any programme. This is not only intimidation of the worst sort, it is clearly impractical. Under these regulations, any media under NTC control would have to wait for permission to comment on current events - in other words, neither news nor comment on the news would even be legal.

Both Mr Sathit and the NTC should withdraw these poorly thought-out proposals. The NTC should start again, and redraft regulations that reflect its founding purpose, which is to ensure that all segments of the public have access to the broadcast media. The government, starting with Mr Sathit's office, should also rethink its stand, beginning from the premise that the constitution - the supreme law of the land - guarantees full press freedom and forbids prior censorship of any kind.

...

continue

-- Bangkok Post 15/05/2009

[HagenvonTronje]

PM warns The Red News not instigate violence

Published on May 16, 2009

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Saturday warned The Red News, whichi is a new newspaper of the red-shirt movement, not to distort information to instigate rifts and violence.

Abhisit said anyone or any group can use its media as long as it will break the law.

He said if the newspaper presents distorted information, it will create damages to the country and violate the law.

The prime minister said the government did not harm the people but simply wanted to return the country to normality following the Songkran riots so the red-shirt movement should not try to use the issue to instigate more rifts.

The Nation

-- The Nation May 16, 2009

article here

[dbrenn]

PM warns The Red News not instigate violence

Published on May 16, 2009

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva Saturday warned The Red News, whichi is a new newspaper of the red-shirt movement, not to distort information to instigate rifts and violence.

Abhisit said anyone or any group can use its media as long as it will break the law.

He said if the newspaper presents distorted information, it will create damages to the country and violate the law.

The prime minister said the government did not harm the people but simply wanted to return the country to normality following the Songkran riots so the red-shirt movement should not try to use the issue to instigate more rifts.

The Nation

-- The Nation May 16, 2009

article here

>>>>He said if the newspaper presents distorted information, it will create damages to the country and violate the law.<<<<

Ha ha ha!

Just curious - In order to substantiate its claims to be Thailand's leading English language "business newspaper", when is our high brow and intellectually forthright Nation going to hire a proof reader to improve its dreadful standard of English? If it can't afford a proof reader, what does that say about its journalists? I mean, how much do proof readers cost in Thailand?

[Koo82]

They might well be blocking websites, but all my favorite porn sites work fine!

I found new porn sites with more attractive videos.

[Koo82]

the old D-Station was closed down as a result of the national turmoil in April

The reds said tonight at Sanam Luang that they may have the D-Station back on 18th May and a few days later they'll have another one.

They said if Abhisit's people closed 1, they'll open 2. If Abhisit's people close 2, they'll open 4.

[HagenvonTronje]

Most new media outlets spread toxic misinformation: Rosana

Published on May 22, 2009

Thai people had little need for multiple media outlets such as cable TV and websites since most spread misinformation, which caused bigger social division, Bangkok Senator Rosana Tositakul said yesterday.

"Do we really need so many media channels? And how could we control a large number of media channels, anyway?" Rosana asked at a seminar entitled "How to Reform the New Media", held by Thammasat University's Faculty of Journalism and Communications.

Rosana said media reports about misinformation incited hatred, so the media should report with more conscience.

"Misinformation is like toxic food that causes damage to the viewer's brain," Rosana said.

However, Adisak Limparungpattanakit, who heads the Satellite Television Association of Thailand, said it was impossible to control media content and prevent the existence of "new media".

"The lawmakers always want to control the media. However, they can never catch up with the new technology," he said.

Adisak said a new national broadcasting and telecommunications commission should not only try to control the media, but help people across the country get access. It should also encourage outlets to produce more good content instead of only blocking 'bad' content.

"As no one can decide what is good or bad, the government should encourage good media content instead," Adisak said.

-- The Nation May 22, 2009

article here

[Plus]

Twenty years ago media role was simple - go out, look around, and tell it as you see it.

Twenty years ago media could flatly refuse to broadcast lies, now they are hunted for it. They can't refuse, they have to be "balanced".

Now the media is forced to simply provide a channel for one way communication, without any personal input. Now the mantra is - let people decide what the truth is.

That's not what the media was originally meant for - people gave the media the power to separate facts from fiction they didn't want for themselves. That's why we have concepts of reliable media and investigative journalism.

Twenty years ago "mouthpiece" was a derogatory word, now it has become media's duty - to serve as a mouthpiece for anyone who wants to talk.

[HagenvonTronje]

Press Release - Reporters Without Borders

Internet censorship to be followed by censorship of radio and TV

Reporters Without Borders is alarmed by a government announcement on 14 May that it will introduce new regulations for community radio stations and cable and satellite TV stations aimed at controlling programme content. Broadcasters would be required to seek permission for each programme being aired, the government said.

“The adoption of these regulations would deal a fatal blow to free expression in Thailand, which is already heavily restricted on the Internet,” Reporters Without Borders said. “The government will have the power to ban programmes that question their policies and legitimacy. We urge the authorities to scrap this plan.”

Sathit Wongnongtoey, the minister in charge of the prime minister’s office, said the regulations would enable the authorities to take action against any broadcaster airing content deemed to undermine democracy. They would be enforced even-handedly with both “red-shirt” (anti-government) and “yellow shirt” (pro-government) broadcasters, Sathit said.

“Once the regulations take effect, any broadcast station airing content deemed to be politically incendiary will not be allowed to operate,” he added.

The communication ministry has been censoring the Internet strictly since January, ridding it of all content that is deemed to be “politically incendiary” or to “attack the king.” Suwicha Thakor, for example, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on 3 April on a lese majeste charge for posting content critical of the monarchy online.

Reporters Without Borders defends imprisoned journalists and press freedom throughout the world. It has nine national sections (Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). It has representatives in Bangkok, London, New York, Tokyo and Washington. And it has more than 120 correspondents worldwide.

© Reporters Without Borders 2009

-- 20.05.2009

article here