Midnight University Outraged By Site's Blockage

[Jai Dee]

MU outraged by site's blockage

The Midnight University yesterday issued a statement "opposing the closure of channels of free communication" and called on members of the public not to submit to the military junta's violation of people's rights.

The statement said the military leaders had thoughtlessly closed down websites that expressed dissenting views on the coup, showing that it was incapable of leading political reform that was free and equally open to all.

The university's website has been blocked by the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Ministry since Friday night.

The statement said that it was not hard for the university to overcome this technical difficulty as it had received various offers from international hosting companies to host its website overseas.

"We are of the opinion that the problem of availability of a public space is not technical in nature, but essentially political. And it has arisen because the self-proclaimed 'Council for Democratic Reform' [known as the Council for National Security from yesterday] has used its coup-begotten power to impose a blockage on public space.

"Therefore, we need to fight this illegitimate power together right here in this land rather than evade it and find a new public space elsewhere."

Source: The Nation - 2 October 2006

[Jai Dee]

Popular political website shut down after holding anti-coup protest

The Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) which assumed control of Thailand via a recent military coup has shut down a popular political website several hours after a meeting with journalists assuring them that the Thai media will be respected and protected by the interim charter.

Set up by academics, the website, Midnight University ( midnightuniv.org ), had been providing an important and popular forum for Thais to discuss the virtues and risks they saw in the 19 September 2006 coup that ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The website was shut down on the night of 29 September after the people behind it staged "a high-profile protest against the draft interim constitution," reports English daily "The Nation".

Earlier, on the same day, CDR Chairman Gen. Sondhi Boonyaratkalin had met with some 20 representatives of major local media professional groups and newspapers who had sought assurance as regards free expression principles in the interim charter.

Webmaster Somkiat Tangnamo said the shutdown of Midnight University meant the loss of 1,500 scholarly articles provided for free public education. "This particular action is a threat against academic freedom, a threat against press freedom, and a threat against an important public sphere. It in effect removed the public sphere from society, which is unacceptable and cannot be justified," "The Nation" quoted him as saying.

The Information and Communications Technology Ministry is authorised by the CDR to "control, block and destroy" information that may be detrimental to the present administration.

The CDR has banned activities of local politicians and shut down more than 300 out of some 3,000 community radio stations to prevent supporters of Thaksin from voicing their thoughts and mobilising.

It appointed former army chief Surayud Chulanont as Thailand's interim prime minister on 1 October.

Source: Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) - 3 October 2006