Thailand's draconian cyberlaws tipping towards totalitarian

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Opinion

Thailand's draconian cyberlaws tipping towards totalitarian

By Don Sambandaraksa, Correspondent -

   

A display panel at the Royal Thai Army's cyber unit taken Sept. 9, 2015. Photo: WeLoveRTA.org

 

BANGKOK: -- Amendments to the criminal code removing judicial oversight of wiretapping combined with new laws on cybercrime, cyber security and even the digital economy all suggest the Good People running the country can no longer distinguish between internal security and external threats.

 

These laws, as written, may well criminalize satire such as internet memes and have other far-ranging repercussions for free speech and privacy. Proponents argue these new powers would only be used against enemies of the state and are necessary given how much of our lives are now online. Many others shudder at the thought, as the line between the state and those running it increasingly blur.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/opinion/2016/09/14/thailands-draconian-cyberlaws-tipping-toward-totalitarian/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2016-09-15

[Alive]

The use of the Good People is growing. I believe those who empowered and run this regime use that term for themselves. They will make the Internet good again!

[Kasset Tak]

It's a little like:

When US wanted a button that could kill internet.

NSA spying on everyone on internet.

NSA and CIA employing hackers to spy on other countries and then complain that other countries uses hacker to spy on US.

But hey no big fuzz about that because that's the US and not any other country.

[Alive]

This is the present regime's plan for Internet and social development in Thailand.

[baboon]

19 minutes ago, Kasset Tak said:

It's a little like:

When US wanted a button that could kill internet.

NSA spying on everyone on internet.

NSA and CIA employing hackers to spy on other countries and then complain that other countries uses hacker to spy on US.

But hey no big fuzz about that because that's the US and not any other country.

So you don't have a problem with this new law?

[bobmac10]

Let's be honest, with a totalitarian regime such as we have now, no-one is going to stop these control freaks from doing what they like.

This is just the beginning, they want to silence any opposition and the internet is where they will be able to do it.

At least in the US, people are allowed to gather to demonstrate, not so here.

 

[waldroj]

"...Thailand's draconian cyberlaws tipping towards totalitarian..."!

 

Only the cyberlaws???

 

Even though this may be so, everyone in the country will put on a happy face...

...OR ELSE!

 

[NongKhaiKid]

Just how far have the powers that be gone already as i'm sure waiting for laws to be in place is the least of their concern ?

[worgeordie]

Looks like Thailand wants to be more totalitarian,than even 

N.Korea,China,and Russia, Thailand wants to be No 1.

regards worgeordie

[maoro2013]

Enemies of the state are who they want them to be.

[mtls2005]

Reforms you will like, or else.

[adhd]

who is not surprised that in the land of cheap sex,   online porn is banned ...

 

maybe if those young chaps got off in front of their phone, there would be less teenage pregnancies ?

[Emster23]

Dear thought police: when you come for me, just knock. I'll let you in no problem. Don't kick the door down, I'd like some of my possessions to be around long enough for gf to ship them back to what once was home.

[robblok]

Not a good thing that they can intercept without court orders. That certainly is a step backwards and the online defamation should be amended. Of course it should be punishable if you try to defame someone based on false information but not when its true. 

 

Totally wrong laws. 

[baboon]

52 minutes ago, robblok said:

Not a good thing that they can intercept without court orders. That certainly is a step backwards and the online defamation should be amended. Of course it should be punishable if you try to defame someone based on false information but not when its true. 

 

Totally wrong laws. 

I'm afraid it is an all or nothing deal with this lot. You don't get to pick and choose. It's 'With us or against us' and it is only going to get worse...

[robblok]

4 minutes ago, baboon said:

I'm afraid it is an all or nothing deal with this lot. You don't get to pick and choose. It's 'With us or against us' and it is only going to get worse...

 

They certainly seem to play for keeps kinda like what YL did when she included her brother in the amnesty. They all seem to go all the way once they are in power no regard for the other side. 

 

I still feel this is the lesser evil, but I am totally against these new cyberlaws and some other new junta laws.  There is no perfect side just one that is less bad then the other. Based on preference we pick one. 

 

In a perfect world id go for an elected not corrupt goverment who had respect for the other side. But its far from perfect here. 

[BSJ]

Frog and bringing water to boil springs to mind!

[baboon]

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

 

They certainly seem to play for keeps kinda like what YL did when she included her brother in the amnesty. They all seem to go all the way once they are in power no regard for the other side. 

 

I still feel this is the lesser evil, but I am totally against these new cyberlaws and some other new junta laws.  There is no perfect side just one that is less bad then the other. Based on preference we pick one. 

 

In a perfect world id go for an elected not corrupt goverment who had respect for the other side. But its far from perfect here. 

"They certainly seem to play for keeps kinda like what YL did when she included her brother in the amnesty."

 

No, it isn't kind of like it at all. Nor does YL have anything to do with this topic. I mean for Christ's sake...

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, baboon said:

"They certainly seem to play for keeps kinda like what YL did when she included her brother in the amnesty."

 

No, it isn't kind of like it at all. Nor does YL have anything to do with this topic. I mean for Christ's sake...

I feel it does.. whoever is in power wants it all.. total victory over the other side.. if you deny that bringing T back home and angering everyone else was not going for total victory over the other side and having totally no respect for the other side then we are done.

 

This is similar.. no respect for the other side going for total victory with rules like this in place they keep in power and have no respect for the other side. 

 

You see it with all those governments.. once they are in power they will do whatever they want with no respect to others. Remember how they wanted to arrest a democrat PM because he came with rotten rice accusing him of theft ? They all want to use the law to control the other side. Or how YL set the DSI on Abisith ? They all use the law to get power over the other and making sure that their voice is the only that is heard. 

 

Now the junta is increasing its stranglehold on the PTP because that is what this will be used for.

 

I am against these laws.. 100% but I am not blind that they all abuse the law to their advantage. 

[huangnon]

2 hours ago, worgeordie said:

Looks like Thailand wants to be more totalitarian,than even 

N.Korea,China,and Russia, Thailand wants to be No 1.

regards worgeordie

 

Despite all the daft laws and grand Orwellian-sounding names (Ministry for Information; which is totally the opposite, etc), Thailand lacks the will, or long-term planning ability to implement totalitarian conditions here. The place will always be anarchic and erratic, that's just how the people are wired up.

[baboon]

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

I feel it does.. whoever is in power wants it all.. total victory over the other side.. if you deny that bringing T back home and angering everyone else was not going for total victory over the other side and having totally no respect for the other side then we are done.

 

This is similar.. no respect for the other side going for total victory with rules like this in place they keep in power and have no respect for the other side. 

 

You see it with all those governments.. once they are in power they will do whatever they want with no respect to others. Remember how they wanted to arrest a democrat PM because he came with rotten rice accusing him of theft ? They all want to use the law to control the other side. Or how YL set the DSI on Abisith ? They all use the law to get power over the other and making sure that their voice is the only that is heard. 

 

Now the junta is increasing its stranglehold on the PTP because that is what this will be used for.

 

I am against these laws.. 100% but I am not blind that they all abuse the law to their advantage. 

A former Prime Minister attempting and failing to pass a dodgy amnesty bill through parliament is nothing whatsoever to do with a military junta imposing draconian cyber crime laws. Laws which I appreciate you are against and of that I am not attempting to suggest otherwise.

[williamgeorgeallen]

the good general and his team are ramping things up. am i the only one impressed by everything they are doing? as long as they can delay the elections and keep everyone pacified this can go on for a long time.  perhaps the withering economic conditions will cause some conflict with the masses. is anyone here still pro army?

[silent]

3 hours ago, Alive said:

This is the present regime's plan for Internet and social development in Thailand.

 

How can they possibly follow the leader's assertion for Thai people to start thinking outside of the box like that?

[hawker9000]

3 hours ago, bobmac10 said:

Let's be honest, with a totalitarian regime such as we have now, no-one is going to stop these control freaks from doing what they like.

This is just the beginning, they want to silence any opposition and the internet is where they will be able to do it.

At least in the US, people are allowed to gather to demonstrate, not so here.

 

You know it's not just the local powers that be.  There's another TV thread running right at this very moment - one of those periodic pleas for support & self-validation among the hapless invested; kind of a circle jerk thing - where some knobhead is moaning about why members who post any negative comments whatsoever about their experiences in Thailand don't have their posts banned.  He himself has got nothing but good things to say, and if you don't agree, then your comments should be banned.  And plenty agreeing with him.  If foreigners support such censorship and suppression of free speech, why should the locals be any different?

[baboon]

4 minutes ago, hawker9000 said:

You know it's not just the local powers that be.  There's another TV thread running right at this very moment - one of those periodic pleas for support & self-validation among the hapless invested; kind of a circle jerk thing - where some knobhead is moaning about why members who post any negative comments whatsoever about their experiences in Thailand don't have their posts banned.  He himself has got nothing but good things to say, and if you don't agree, then your comments should be banned.  And plenty agreeing with him.  If foreigners support such censorship and suppression of free speech, why should the locals be any different?

Do you support this bill?

[KhaoNiaw]

7 minutes ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

the good general and his team are ramping things up. am i the only one impressed by everything they are doing? as long as they can delay the elections and keep everyone pacified this can go on for a long time.  perhaps the withering economic conditions will cause some conflict with the masses. is anyone here still pro army?

 

The thing is when elections finally arrive, and even if or whenever you get a semblance of a democratically-elected government, they won't do anything about laws like these. They'll be like kids in a candy store making use of them for their own benefit. Very few in the political arena here believe in an open democracy. Most people on all sides would quite happily eliminate all opposition by any means possible and if they have the instruments like these to do it,  it's not ultimately going to make much difference who's in power.

[Caveat Emptor]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

Not a good thing that they can intercept without court orders. That certainly is a step backwards and the online defamation should be amended. Of course it should be punishable if you try to defame someone based on false information but not when its true. 

 

Totally wrong laws. 

I understand what you are saying but with a govt that controls everything what difference does a court order makes when courts are unlikely to refuse ?

[hawker9000]

Just now, baboon said:

Do you support this bill?

 

Of course not.  I don't support the pathetic expat Polyannas trying to hush up  comments they think are negative either.

 

[z42]

Tipping towards??? LOL, that ship has already sailed

[williamgeorgeallen]

13 minutes ago, KhaoNiaw said:

 

The thing is when elections finally arrive, and even if or whenever you get a semblance of a democratically-elected government, they won't do anything about laws like these. They'll be like kids in a candy store making use of them for their own benefit. Very few in the political arena here believe in an open democracy. Most people on all sides would quite happily eliminate all opposition by any means possible and if they have the instruments like these to do it,  it's not ultimately going to make much difference who's in power.

yes of course elections are pointless but i think that is when the anger of the masses is going to cause the army a problem. pretty sure that is why they are being delayed. bomb here or a bomb there and they can be delayed for a very very long time.