'Single Gateway' won't be pursued if illegal, breaches rights: Prayut

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DIGITAL GATEWAY
Gateway won't be pursued if illegal, breaches rights: Prayut
JEERAPONG PRASERTPOLKRANG,
ASINA PORNWASIN
THE NATION



BANGKOK: -- PRIME MINISTER General Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday the "single gateway" plan would not be implemented if an ongoing study found it to be illegal and a breach of human rights.

The plan was only at the study stage to see if it should be developed, he reaffirmed.

However, Prayut wondered if people ever asked themselves if social media and the Internet were being wrongly used and if that could negatively affect the young generation and society.

The idea of a single gateway to regulate the Internet has sparked lots of discussion and anger among some groups, who have asked the government to renounce the policy.

At a separate event, Inform-ation and Communications Technology Minister Uttama Savanayana said the single-gateway was a study of how to oversee the use of online channels.

Cyber-security is a challenge for the government's digital-economy policy, he said, as it is increasingly threatened by fraud, scams, hacking, system attacks and the use of malware for the purpose of cybercrime, terrorism and other destructive acts.

These cyber-threats challenge economic security, people's lives and the country as a whole, as the government plans for the digital economy, he explained.

At 10pm on Monday, a group of people opposing the single gateway posted comments on the "Citizens against Single Gateway: Thailand Internet Firewall" Facebook page inviting people to undertake a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack on some state websites.

The group also posted the IP addresses of these targeted sites.

A source in the IT industry said some of the websites targeted for attack could not be accessed.

Three hours later, the group announced on its website that it was taking a break after the attack, but vowed to continue the DDoS attack unless the government cancels the project.

When asked whether the ICT Ministry would use the law to deal with these people, Uttama said the role of the ministry was "to oversee the reliability of the systems [internet, online and IT]".

All state agencies also have their own legal units, he added.

Paiboon Amonpinyokeat, a legal expert on the Internet, said such DDoS attacks could violate the Computer Crime Act.

Government Spokesman Maj-General Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the PM had merely instructed state agencies to study the pros and cons of the idea. But he warned that inviting people to attack state websites was breaking the law.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Gateway-wont-be-pursued-if-illegal-breaches-rights-30270338.html


-- The Nation 2015-10-07

[coulson]

Seems someone has been checking out Facebook lately

[NongKhaiKid]

Of course he can declare it isn't illegal.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

Of course he can declare it isn't illegal.

Yes, he is the law now.

[slipperylobster]

Immorality, corruption and crime ... in the real world ... should be first on any agenda. Education and "one gateway" (prison) for those who are guilty.

Innocents should have access to many gateways.

[lovelomsak]

Of course he can declare it isn't illegal.

Yes, he is the law now.

This is his way of saying he isnot doing anything illegal so it will go ahead. Most freedoms are gone here now and he makes the laws. So Thailand's has a single gateway no matter what. I am so tired of this guy He is another Suthep but has a big hammer.

Edited October 7, 2015 by lovelomsak

[Netzero]

With Section 44 - how can it breach rights?? They have a blank check to do what they want.

[bamnutsak]

Gateway won't be pursued if illegal, breaches rights: Prayut

One would assume that the leader of a country could consult its' brightest legal minds and quickly get a brief on the "legality" of this "idea"? (Like they would say "No" to him.)

I assume that if you can "legally" overthrow an elected government, "legally" abrogate a Constitution, "legally" murder protesters, "legally" appoint yourself PM, et al., then you can "legally" censor the internet, all in the name of protecting the "citizens"?

[apetley]

The narrow mindedness is astonishing.

[hawker9000]

Now he sounds like he's just saying whatever he can to get this out from under the spotlight and back behind closed doors.

[FangFerang]

Frankly, I think there are two problems with this plan. One, it is killing a flea with a sledgehammer. Two, what happens when power shifts, and the shoe is on another foot?

Imagine Thaksin reading Prayuth's emails.....or Suthep reading Yingluk's....or Phra Budda Issara reading the new Supreme Patriarch's....

A SCARY SCENARIO FULL OF GRIEF AND CONFLICT

[englishoak]

He is soo out of his depth its untrue.

[MaxLee]

Gateway won't be pursued if illegal, breaches rights: Prayut

IF,... the legendary IIIIIFFFFFFFF ,........

well,............ you better study that, dear PM.... no offense, sir....

[Srikcir]

With Section 44 - how can it breach rights?? They have a blank check to do what they want.

Yes.

Section 44 of the 2014 Interim Charter empowers the NCPO leader to "issue any order "for the sake of the reforms in any field, the promotion of love and harmony amongst the people in the nation, or the prevention, abatement or suppression of any act detrimental to national order or security, royal throne, national economy or public administration, whether the act occurs inside or outside the kingdom. The orders so issued are all deemed "lawful, constitutional and final".

Only the 5-member NCPO with Prayut as Chief can amend the Charter. The Constitutional Court cannot challenge the legality of NCPO directives or its Charter.

Prayut has likened the NCPO to the communist Chinese politburo than to any democratic institution.

[oneday]

Mr. P is like an overbearing father who thinks only he knows what is right.

If he won't build the "single gateway" if it is illegal then they will find a way to make sure it is legal. All he has to do is use 44 and declare it legal.

[realenglish1]

When did this guy ever worry about Human Rights ? Not too often He has rule 44

[Fat Haggis]

Staging an illegal coup didn't seem to bother him !!

He will do what he wants, his memo that was leaked last month instructed this to be in place by the end of September, he didn't seem to give two flying fraks about legality or civil/human rights then

[toybits]

Well, this is peanuts compared to tearing up a piece of paper a little over a year ago...

[thaiguzzi]

He'd be better off having a proper "watershed" regarding tv programs and the dreadful soaps. No soaps pre 9.00pm. No screeching women and stupid violence prior to 9.00pm. That is what will help protect the younger generation and society.

[tx22cb]

"Prayut wondered if people ever asked themselves if social media and the Internet were being wrongly used and if that could negatively affect the young generation and society."

Prayut is more worried about whether the Internet will negatively affect the Old generation and a tiny stratum of society.

[mrrizzla]

What about your own regimes breach of HR general?

[easybullet3]

Of course he can declare it isn't illegal.

Yes, he is the law now.

This is his way of saying he isnot doing anything illegal so it will go ahead. Most freedoms are gone here now and he makes the laws. So Thailand's has a single gateway no matter what. I am so tired of this guy He is another Suthep but has a big hammer.

he and his team are probably desperately searching for a way to MONITOR all internet communications without anyone finding out about it.

maybe a single gateway is not the only method to entrap all information.

he will probably just end up requsting all Internet providers share their gateways with the government.

[ldiablo]

Prayut wondered if people ever asked themselves if social media and the Internet were being wrongly used and if that could negatively affect the young generation and society.

Buddy, the vast majority of the population are adults and can decide for themselves whether or not to believe everything they read on the net. They don't need grandpa Chan-o-cha who probably doesn't even know how to turn on a computer to decide for them.