Scare tactic successful, says crime suppression chief

As it had effectively discouraged netizens from spreading online comments on an ongoing political situation, the policy would continue, Pol Maj-General Phisit Pao-in insisted.

 

He said the netizens’ campaign was not illegal in itself and the four people summoned for posting or distributing statements about a possible coup and calling on people to hoard food and supplies ahead of political rallies against the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had not yet been treated as suspects. 

 

“We are seeking to resort to a psychological impact in terms of crime prevention, and not wanting them to go to jail,” he said.

 

“The policy against posting seemingly harmful statements, or ‘liking’ and sharing them, has been very effective. Since I made the announcement [on August 5] threatening to take legal action, Thai social media have become silent. My emphasis about imposing the policy is aimed at maintaining peace and order,” Phisit added.

 

The division commander said “liking” such statements fell under the 2007 Computer Crimes Act, which targets the distribution of false or baseless statements harmful to national security. 

 

“Police do not stop you from ‘liking’ such statements, but this can subject you to facing criminal action,” he said.

 

Sharing such statements may or may not violate the law, depending whether you put your own words in support of them, he said. “If you share them with your comments based on instructional purposes or based on your opposition to them, this is not illegal,” he added.

 

The four media associations yesterday issued an open letter to the TCSD, saying that comments made by Sermsuk Kasitipradit, the editor of Thai PBS’s politics and security news desk, was within his constitutional rights to freedom of expression and had not meant to cause panic or disorder to the public, as alleged in a TCSD summons concerning his statements.

 

The media bodies said strict interpretation of the law by the TCSD was an act of intimidation against members of the public in regard to the expression of their views on social media, and therefore an abuse of power under Article 157 of the Criminal Code.

 

The four organisations said they deemed “liking” and sharing statements on social media to be a natural act of interactivity among netizens, and the police should not interpret such actions as offences under the 2007 Computer Crime Act, unless there was proof that those who like or share the comments know that they were false or harmful to national security.

 

Sermsuk yesterday met with TCSD officials along with his lawyer, and said later that he felt relieved after explaining his stance to the division, that is, that he had not meant to cause disorder through his Facebook comments. 

 

“Being summoned on this occasion will not affect how I post my future comments online,” he added.

Lawyer Nakhon Chomphoochart said Sermsuk’s role as a media member was to seek truths and make them public, including those about to be published or which still need verification.

 

“His statements tell of a rumour and explain that it is rather untrue, with the purpose of informing the public and to seek verification about it. There are his comments added to the lead statement, that it is difficult for [what is suggested by] this rumour to be true,” he added.