Thai Govt. Pressured to "Come Clean" on Web Site Blocking

[Gaybutton]

As many of you know, among many others, a few months ago several of the gay Thailand web sites were suddenly and without warning blocked within Thailand. This occurred during the time Thaksin was still the Prime Minister and now there is more web site blocking than ever. My web site was the first of the gay Thailand web sites to be blocked. To this day I still have never been told why it was blocked and was never given any idea who I could contact to discuss it. All I ever knew was that I woke up one morning, with no prior warning, to find the web site blocked. I was never contacted or asked to change anything about my web site. They simply blocked it and that was that.

 

The popular gay Thailand web sites are no longer blocked, but the current Thai government has seen fit to block many thousands of web sites, according to the publicity. Quite frankly I have yet to surf to a blocked web site and I have no idea which web sites are actually blocked. Of course, if you are outside of Thailand, then you won't be blocked. Are there any readers of this message within Thailand who still encounter blocked web sites?

 

The present issue seems to be that there is no published criteria as to how the decisions are made regarding which web sites to block and no information as to who is actually doing the blocking and why.

 

The following appears in THE NATION:

_____

 

ONLINE CENSORSHIP

'Come clean on Internet interference'

 

Pressure Group FACT Challenges the ICT Ministry to Explain Why it is Blocking Certain Websites

 

Pressure against Internet censorship is mounting, and members of Freedom Against Censorship in Thailand (FACT) have asked the information and communications technology minister to come clean on blackouts.

 

The group asserted that since the September 19 coup Internet censorship had increased 500 per cent. There are now 13,435 blocked websites.

 

"The [ministry] blacklist and all other information relating to censorship is covered by a veil of secrecy," the group said.

 

"FACT believes taxpayers have a right to know what goes on at every level of government. FACT believes the blacklist should be made public."

 

Media-reform campaigner Supinya Klangnarong and Canadian-born Bangkok-based C J Hinke are leading members.

 

The complaint to minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom was signed by 257 activists and 56 organisations opposing censorship from 19 countries.

 

It demands answers to 20 questions about Internet censorship. FACT maintains no law in Thailand sanctions censorship. "Web censorship is being done illegally," it insists.

 

FACT is seeking criteria employed in deciding if a site will be blocked.

 

The group made a submission to the National Human Rights Commission on November 15. FACT asserts the ministry "has consistently refused to cooperate" with commission requests for clarification.

 

"It's high time to lift up the rock under which bureaucrats at this maverick agency have long been hiding. It's time to end censorship in Thailand and pursue democracy," the group said in a statement.

 

Pravit Rojanaphruk

[Guest Boxer]

www.sawatdee-gay-forum.com is still censored for me but

 

http://p092.ezboard.com/fsawatdeeforumfrm21 is not although very few posts??

 

 

[Guest jinks]

I have set up an expensive way around the problem.

 

I travel (currently in Spain) with my laptop (Americans read notebook).

 

I have a PC at home turned on.

From my aptop I access my PC via http://www.logmein.com (free option)

 

I will be able to access and post from a non-Thai IP address.

 

From here in Sitges, Spain I have posted on our board with two different IP addresses

 

If any of my real friends want to borrow the log-in let me know.

 

By real I mean more than casual acquaintances.

 

Cheers,

[Bob]

Jinks, if you're running XP or Vista, you can do that same thing with the remote access features of those programs except you're doing a direct connection over the internet to your computer and not going through some website.

It's kinda wierd when you log in and get your home desktop (and full operational control of it) appearing on your laptop .....but it is rather handy.

Like you, you can leave your home computer on (and, if need be, you can reboot from your remote laptop after you log in). Or, you can also get some software that'll let you turn it off and then turn it back on from your remote.