My right to close anti-PM websites, minister claims
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The Information and Communications Technology Ministry had been misunderstood and accused of blocking people's right to free speech following attacks from "ill-intentioned people", Minister Anudith Nakornthap said.
The ministry had no mandate to shut down websites on its own, and would normally need a court order to do that, he added. However, defamatory remarks about the prime minister could cause a site to be immediately suspended.
On Monday, Anudith was criticised for overstepping his authority by threatening to shut down pages that carried allegedly defamatory remarks against PM Yingluck Shinawatra by cartoonist Chai Rachawat on Facebook.
Meanwhile, the ICT minister confirmed reports of his vow to take action related to criticism against Yingluck. He insisted he was doing his duty and that he had the authority to do so.
He urged anyone who finds offensive messages on the Net to report them so the ministry could ask the web administrator to immediately remove the messages.
However, he added that if the intention of the website was to defame the PM, the ministry had the mandate to “suspend the site immediately” and the people responsible could be prosecuted under Article 326 of the Criminal Act, which could lead to a year in prison and a fine of Bt20,000.
Anudith became the target of criticism following his comment on Sunday.
However, Thai Rath newspaper’s website published an interview on Monday in which he claimed the ministry expedited the suspension process in the case of Yingluck because she was a leader and her situation received public attention.
Yingluck said yesterday that the MICT should not focus only on defending her from being defamed in cyberspace, but should protect everyone. She was reacting to reports about the ministry threatening to shut down websites and take action against people involved in posting defamatory messages against her.
Yingluck said everybody had the right to question the government’s policies, but the ICT Ministry would take action if any unfounded allegations were posted against anyone, not just her.
Yingluck had been severely criticised after giving a speech in Mongolia, attacking courts and independent organisations and saying Thailand had not achieved full democracy after the 2006 coup.
Asked whether she regretted that her speech led to negative comments, Yingluck said she had cited what really happened as an example so that they would not happen again.
“I was telling the truth. We would like everything to be an example so that they will not happen again,” Yingluck said.
