Amnesty International concerned over webmaster guilty verdict

The organisation was reacting over the conviction of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the director of Prachatai, by the Supreme Court Wednesday.

Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s acting Senior Director for Research, said in a statement that the ruling highlighted how the Thai authorities are using and abusing a range of laws to enforce direct censorship and impose a climate of self-censorship. Since the military coup in 2014, Internet service providers and media outlets have operated under increasingly sweeping restrictions. They are under pressure from authorities to cooperate and steer clear of comments deemed unfavourable.”

 “The Computer Crimes Act is a flawed piece of legislation that has become another weapon in the authorities’ arsenal to silence dissent. It should repealed immediately or amended and brought into line with international human rights law and standards,” Luther said.