Steering assembly blames social media for Thai society's ills

[webfact]

Steering assembly blames social media for society's ills
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- THE media and especially social media is being used as a political tool to bring about hatred and conflicts in society, the National Reform Strategic Assembly (NRSA) suggested yesterday.

The issue was raised while members of the steering assembly were discussing media reform.

NRSA member Worawit Sri-ananraksa said they must tackle the issue of the media and members of the public being used to create conflicts and national division. He said fast-changing technological advancements have brought about more effective communication channels that can reach the masses.

"Some groups of people can communicate to the masses and they do not have the same goal in presenting their information as ethical media have. They actually use the communication channels [social media] to create hatred in society,'' he said.

Media reform will not only cover mainstream or conventional media, but also any content presented by anyone that is deemed wrongful, he said.

NRSA member Pol Maj General Pisit Paoin said social media posed the biggest security threat because Thais are addicted to social media.

"Our country is ranked in the world's top ten countries that use Facebook. Without reform, we will face a lot of problems. People have been using this channel of communication to do illegal deeds that threaten national security,'' he said.

The Media Reform Committee of the now-defunct National Reform Council believed the media should be upgraded in terms of quality and standards to serve the public and must uphold professional ethics to boost its credibility.

Jumpol said the media must be protected in terms of media rights and freedom of expression and it should be free from state interference and dominance.

Meanwhile, the NRSA will explain to foreign diplomats the country's road map to democracy and reform on November 11, NRSA spokesman Suwat Jurapan said yesterday.

The NRSA would also explain the road map to Thai diplomats stationed in 96 countries around the world on November 14 so they can pass the message on to their host governments, he said.

NRSA spokeswoman Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunand said the steering assembly has come up with five guidelines that it must follow.

First, the assembly must abide by the 2014 interim charter to appoint 11 committees to work on reform and another special committee. It must continue the work on national reform of the now-defunct National Reform Council, the assembly must prioritise urgent reform issues that must be completed, the assembly must coordinate with other four core-agencies to work in the same direction.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Steering-assembly-blames-social-media-for-societys-30272207.html

-- The Nation 2015-11-04

[smutcakes]

Nice cushty little number Khun Pornthip has got herself there. I suppose insisting that the bomb detectors worked contrary to all scientific evidence has paid off after all.

[BuckBee]

The tools in power positions are ones making the media content so rich.

only problem with it is hard to hide all the facts & control the spin like they been so use to .

Edited November 3, 2015 by BuckBee

[selftaopath]

Humnnnn might bolster the power mongers excuse to LIMIT/CONTROL/CENSURE the internet.... like their BFF China.

[Strangebrew]

Reality check social media is like a mirror it reflects what it sees. If progress was happening positive comments would happen.

[BSJ]

The truth is poison in the house of lies.

[arrowsdawdle]

Single gateway should take care of that, make it easy to block all social media except for crony elites. However, it appears from the OP that there may be a faulty steering assembly that needs to be replaced.

[waldroj]

How very thin skinned of the junta!

Threaten to censor social media and manipulate reality to suit their perception of it.

Yes please, do reform the media! But, start with the pathetic purveyors of perverse propaganda and prevarication (NNT, The Nation, and the broadcaster you can trust).

[Thailand]

"The NRSA would also explain the road map to Thai diplomats stationed in 96 countries around the world on November 14 so they can pass the message on to their host governments, he said."

They could do this via the social media, very effective in getting messages across apparently.

[TheKnave]

Cockroaches, scurrying from the light...or rather to turn off the light.

Edited November 4, 2015 by TheKnave

[ddavidovsky]

Media reform? This way lies tyranny.

[FangFerang]

Social Media is a national security threat?

It's a misinformation threat, certainly, and if that is national security then there is no security.

[manhood]

NRSA, who need them?!?!??!?

They always blame somebody else being responsible for something that goes wrong: just blame yourself with your incompetence and find the right people to bring this country forward (ups i only see foreigners can do that who are not in the system of corruption and nepotism)

And to point out your incompetence you need free press and social media! And we all know why you are soooo very scared of that!

Oh i forgot this country don't want foreigners but they depend soooooo very deeply on them every day!

[Hawk]

Meanwhile, the NRSA will explain to foreign diplomats the country's road map to democracy and reform on November 11, NRSA spokesman Suwat Jurapan said yesterday.

The NRSA would also explain the road map to Thai diplomats stationed in 96 countries around the world on November 14 so they can pass the message on to their host governments, he said.

Explain again and again and again.

I believe everyone understood at the beginning, Thailand is controlled by a dictatorship. The government may fool some of the people some of the time but certainly not all of the people all of the time.

[robblok]

Partly true of course that hatred and misinformation can do a lot of damage.

But social media do a lot of good too bringing bad things to light. So i against censoring it but if misinformation and hatred is spread it can be dangerous too. Its a double edged blade.

[eldragon]

Partly true of course that hatred and misinformation can do a lot of damage.

But social media do a lot of good too bringing bad things to light. So i against censoring it but if misinformation and hatred is spread it can be dangerous too. Its a double edged blade.

Agreed. There is a lot of dangerously inaccurate information floating around on the Internet and, in turn, on social media websites. But whatever. Gotta take the good with the bad when it comes to the Internet.

[AGareth2]

In order to maintain happiness

pull the plug

[NeverSure]

I have a good idea for the junta. Block Facebook.

[Laughing Gravy]

Please stop criticising Dear Leader and his merry band of juntaists?/junters?/junticians?junts? as their only concern is bringing happiness back to the people, and not to perpetuate the rule of the old elite as some so shamelessly maintain!!

I assume you are being sarcastic. If so If not

[phoenixdoglover]

"NRSA member Pol Maj General Pisit Paoin said social media posed the biggest security threat because Thais are addicted to social media."

Notice how the rhetoric has escalated. Before, it was divisive talk causing public confusion and disharmony. Now, the divisive talk is a "security threat".

[huangnon]

Usual paranoid rhetoric. The SET bounces nicely when these statements are made though.

[WhizBang]

I wonder if this a harbinger of things to come? The blocking of social media, especially facebook, not to mention the entire internet.

These control freaks just do not get it. If they try to cut off facebook it will result in an uprising. Perhaps the junta need to look more closely at what is being said about them on the internet. They might learn something.

Anybody really expect election in 2017?

[docshock13]

So wait a minute. Is this their reasoning? Because ppl use social media to bring to light and discuss Thailand's social ills, if they get rid of social media then all the problems will be solved and disappear??

Once social media is banned, what will they blame it on next? Will they blame it on the rain??? Or just blame it on the boogie??

[oneday]

Delusional...all of them. They are at least half the problem, but they can't and won't see it.

[TheCruncher]

Partly true of course that hatred and misinformation can do a lot of damage.

But social media do a lot of good too bringing bad things to light. So i against censoring it but if misinformation and hatred is spread it can be dangerous too. Its a double edged blade.

Indeed it is a double edged blade.

It brings to light the bad things from the people they want to see removed, but also the bad things the happiness boys don't want to be exposed to.

Decision decisions.

[bangon04]

I have a good idea for the junta. Block Facebook.

Social media in Thailand does seem to be an addiction, but look around any railway carriage in asia and you will see the same cretins hunched over their smartphones, escaping the real world.

Social media also produces uncritical slaves to fashion, celebrity and short term trends. The "short term" is important, and people are less interested in long term problems, or long term changes.

So in some ways, social media can help the government to achieve their long term aims. Certainly it has in the west. Or maybe I mean the big corporations which run the governments.

The examples of social media "outrage" are many. In Thailand a loss of face can be a catalyst for short term change. But can it change anything in the long term?

Edited November 4, 2015 by bangon04

[CantSpell]

I have a good idea for the junta. Block Facebook.

Aye, then they might see from front seat what a real coup is...

Block facebook and even the PDRC parades at their high numbers would look ridiculous compared to the number of people that would take on the street when they lose their facebook..

Reminds me of the end of the movie "Surrogates"...

They better be careful what they will do...

[Srikcir]

NRSA member Pol Maj General Pisit Paoin said social media posed the biggest security threat

I guess that lets the Southern Malay-Thai insurgents, human traffickers, drug and fuel smuggling, and Uighur bombers off the hook. The military just lost its rationale for submarines too.

[wabothai]

Why not tell Zuckerberg he is to blame for all Thailand's ills. Or TV for that matter.

Go buy some mirrors you steerers.

[phycokiller]

easy for them to ban free speech inside of Thailand, but thanks to social media difficult for them to prevent Thais outside of Thailand expressing their views, not that its an immediate issue but the fun hasnt started yet. personally I think at some time in the near future the country will be closed down for several weeks, at the least, and that will include internet.