Stricter cell-phone measures likely in south

BANGKOK: -- More stringent control of cell phone use in the three violence-plgued southern border provinces may be imminent, according to Education Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra does have the authority to order further blocking of cell phone signals under the provisions of the emergency decree, Mr. Chaturon said, defending the proposal for the good of the community.

In his previous capacity before accepting the education portfolio, Mr. Chaturon had been assigned to find ways to withhold cell-phone communications technology from insurgent use in setting off remote-controlled bombs.

While a technical explanation of what the proposal involves has not been presented, it is thought that making or receiving messages by cell phone in the three-province region would not be possible, were the Prime Minister's proposal to take effect.

Mr. Chaturon, who also chairs the sub-committee on promoting trust, justice, and human rights under the National Reconciliation Commission, defended the Prime Minister's communications-controlling approach to solving the problem of violence in the South, stating that he believed it is in the national interest--despite the obvious infringement of the right to free speech, as suggested by critics.

Mr. Thaksin's proposal to further control telephone communications comes after his earlier measure requiring registration of SIM cards to prevent bombings was seen to be inadequate. Despite implementation of the SIM-card control provisions, cell-phone contolled bombings have not stopped.

However, Mr. Chaturon said, the measure to control SIM cards must be further implemented if it is to work efficiently. The private sector must lend a hand in this task.

It must be also clearly defined when to start expediting the plan to block cell phone signals, he said.

If there is no exact date when the plan will come into effect or let cell phone business operators do it voluntarily, there will be no progress, he added.

--TNA 2005-08-24

Mr. Thaksin's proposal to further control telephone communications comes after his earlier measure requiring registration of SIM cards to prevent bombings was seen to be inadequate. Despite implementation of the SIM-card control provisions, cell-phone contolled bombings have not stopped.

Now there's a big surprise, eh?

OK fine. Shut off the cell phone signals to the three provinces in question and the bad guys will then stop using mobile phones to detonate bombs. So they then switch to using alarm clocks. What next, make the possession of a clock illegal?