NOTICE TO OUR MEMBERS

[Guest rainwalker]

All media was today ordered by ICT to exercise censorship of any news critical of the coup-makers and the new military regime. Offenders face up to six months in jail, a fine of up to Bt10,000, or both.

 

We kindly ask our members to refrain from posting sensitive political content. We reserve the rights to delete content that could be dangerous for the operation of our website.

 

We have to do a bit of self-censorship here so we don't get into trouble.

 

Thanks for your understanding.

 

Thailand clamps down on media after coup

 

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's coup leaders barred electronic media on Thursday from disseminating news and comments they deemed a threat to national security and the monarchy.

 

The Information Ministry summoned radio, television and Internet operators to "seek cooperation" in enforcing the order "to restrict, control, stop or destroy information deemed to affect the constitutional monarchy".

 

"We seek their cooperation not to present articles, remarks, or information that will infringe the democratic reform under the constitutional monarchy," chief Internet inspector Kritpong Rimcharonepak told reporters after the meeting.

 

"They can still present political comments on their media, but if anything goes wrong, the caretakers of those media must take responsibility," he said.

 

Kritpong said the order would take effect on Friday and included a ban on live interviews on radio and television, phone-in comments and scrolling messages on television from mobile phones.

 

Outlets could be closed if they broke the rules, he said.

 

--Reuters 2006-09-21

 

ICT imposes temporary ban on political text-messaging and phone-in

 

BANGKOK: -- The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology sought cooperation from broadcasters to temporarily stop activities of political expression via short-messaging or phone-in.

 

However, posting information or views on web-board is permitted provided that internet service providers ensure against offensive content.

 

Permanent Secretary for ICT Kraisorn Pornsuthee invited representatives of the broadcast media, telecoms and internet service providers to a meeting Thursday to discuss the censorship edict issued by the Council of Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy. (CDRM)

 

At the meeting, Mr Kraisorn appealed to broadcasters to suspend interactive activities in which audiences are invited to send short messages (SMS) or phone-in live programmes to express opinion or comment on politics, as these activities may cause division.

 

Broadcast media were also asked to refrain from making inappropriate reference to

[Bob]

While I truly do like this board and, as always, respect the right of the owner to decide what he does and doesn't want posted here, the internal censorship here of anything about the military junta (even if benignly stating what they have announced in public) is a bit too much in my opinion.

 

If you're going to go that far, then my suggestion is to allow nothing posted even mentioning the coup. At least that way, you don't participate in helping to paint a one-side image of the issue.

[Guest rainwalker]

While I truly do like this board and, as always, respect the right of the owner to decide what he does and doesn't want posted here, the internal censorship here of anything about the military junta (even if benignly stating what they have announced in public) is a bit too much in my opinion.

 

If you're going to go that far, then my suggestion is to allow nothing posted even mentioning the coup. At least that way, you don't participate in helping to paint a one-side image of the issue.

 

With respect, Bob, I don't think you get it.

 

The deal is that the owners of this board can be found liable and bear whatever risk exists when it comes to content posted here. It would be foolhardy to wave a red flag directly in front of someone's face when you are put on firm notice that there are prospectively real consequences to doing so.

 

The mitigation of that risk is what my notice is about; there are things that may get the GayThailand team into jeopardy. and I don't think that is necessary. And even though Mike and Gaybutton and I would look particularly saucy in stripes - being, kindly stated, somewhat portly - imprisonment and fines are not the main attractions in Thailand.

 

(Stef, being young and tall and thin, looks saucy in everything.)

 

As well, my note does not say that everything about the military junta (even benignly stating what they have announced in public) needs to be censored.

 

I did however ask for the help of the good folks who gather at this agora to be sensitive about political content.

 

Thailand is now a country is run by the military- until elections - a state of affairs that I think even the mlitary would agree is unfortunate, but is, in the minds of most, an improvement over the previous state of affairs.

 

So, considering that the checks and balances that so many of us take for granted are not currently available in the Land of Smiles, and that we are relying on the good will of men in uniform who are in absolute control, I prefer to err on the side of caution.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

With respect, Bob, I don't think you get it.

 

The deal is that the owners of this board can be found liable and bear whatever risk exists when it comes to content posted here. It would be foolhardy to wave a red flag directly in front of someone's face when you are put on firm notice that there are prospectively real consequences to doing so.

 

The mitigation of that risk is what my notice is about; there are things that may get the GayThailand team into jeopardy. and I don't think that is necessary. And even though Mike and Gaybutton and I would look particularly saucy in stripes - being, kindly stated, somewhat portly - imprisonment and fines are not the main attractions in Thailand.

 

(Stef, being young and tall and thin, looks saucy in everything.)

 

As well, my note does not say that everything about the military junta (even benignly stating what they have announced in public) needs to be censored.

 

I did however ask for the help of the good folks who gather at this agora to be sensitive about political content.

 

Thailand is now a country is run by the military- until elections - a state of affairs that I think even the mlitary would agree is unfortunate, but is, in the minds of most, an improvement over the previous state of affairs.

 

So, considering that the checks and balances that so many of us take for granted are not currently available in the Land of Smiles, and that we are relying on the good will of men in uniform who are in absolute control, I prefer to err on the side of caution.

 

 

While I truly do like this board and, as always, respect the right of the owner to decide what he does and doesn't want posted here, the internal censorship here of anything about the military junta (even if benignly stating what they have announced in public) is a bit too much in my opinion.

 

If you're going to go that far, then my suggestion is to allow nothing posted even mentioning the coup. At least that way, you don't participate in helping to paint a one-side image of the issue.

 

 

Some people just don't seem to get it.

[Guest PapaDavid]

With respect, Bob, I don't think you get it.

 

 

The problem with Bob is that he has real difficulty with the fact that a coup has taken place and bemoans the fact that "democracy" has been usurped. He has made this plain both here and on other boards (Bahtstop for example).

He has made his point forcefully but still insists on carrying on about it and saying detrimental things about the coup and it's leaders. He is now banging on about censorship.

Enough is enough. As an outsider and certainly not a citizen of Thailand Bob should respect the laws and directives of whoever is running the country, be it a Military committee or elected (if totally corrupt) Government. He has had his say - now he should shut up.

 

The moderators are quite right to insist that posters show restraint in what they say about the coup and it's leaders during this difficult time for the country.

[Gaybutton]

PapaDavid, you certainly have an interesting way of making friends . . .

 

I'm sure we would love to provide a forum for those who wish to condemn the coup, but Rainwalker is correct. We cannot. I'm sorry, gents, but I, for one, do not wish to wind up in prison because people out there want to condemn the coup or at best, put this board in jeopardy of being blocked. I am certainly not prepared to move from a prime rib at Manhattans to a cup of cold rice and a sip of water every now and then.

 

Now, people out there can tell us all about how if it were they, they would do it differently, but we're the ones who are at risk if we refuse to comply with the present instructions.

 

Nobody running this board has a desire to inhibit people from being able to post their thoughts, but the fact is that Thailand is currently under martial law and we have no choice but to comply with the publicized orders. Whether we like it or not is irrelevant. Everyone can post whatever they wish provided that they remain within the current Thai rules and the posting policies of this board. Those who wish to go 'outside the envelope' are just going to have to live with the fact that they'll have to go elsewhere to do it, at least for the time being.

 

If, and when, we are able to do otherwise, then that's when we will.

[Guest PapaDavid]

PapaDavid, you certainly have an interesting way of making friends . . .

I'm not trying to make friends - just influence people !!!

[Bob]

Well, I do think I do get it and I think some have missed my point.

 

I'm not complaining about the choice of the site owners not to allow anything critical of the coup or coup leaders. They've made a choice to adhere to ARC's decree to disallow criticism/speculation so as not to put the site or moderators at risk. I'd probably make the same choice (especially for the protection of friends and moderators).

 

But, since we're not allowed to suggest or even ask if the emperor has no clothes, it is my preference (and personal opinion) that the wardrobe not be discussed at all. There is no decree or ruling that demands adulation and, unless and until we're allowed to critically think and discuss the issues involved (participants and motives), presenting only the one side of the issue effectively supports the views

we're not allowed to analyze.

 

Regardless, understanding the board's rules, I'll adhere to them. When I see a post that either praises what is occurring or simply states the leaders' views and rulings, I'll do what comes unnaturally to me: I'll become Edith (Archie's gal, not the poster) and stifle myself.

[Guest namjai]

There is also no decree or ruling that forces you to be part of this board.

[Guest rainwalker]

The restatement of your point, Bob, clarifies your meaning and you're correct in thinking that maybe I didn't get it.

 

It's a valid point.

 

I'm not sure if others would agree to completely ignore 'the elephant in the room" but my take is to acknowledge it and be sure to treat it well enough so it doesn't stampede.

 

Life was so much simpler when all we had to worry about was Armageddon.

 

Maybe you can take solace from this George Orwell quote...

 

"Being a minority, even a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad...

 

Sanity is not statistical."

[Bob]

Thanks, Rainwalker.

 

P.S. I am nuts (i.e., a few fries short of a Happy Meal...)

[Gaybutton]

Thanks, Rainwalker.

 

P.S. I am nuts (i.e., a few fries short of a Happy Meal...)

 

I understood Bob's point right from the start. We either allow posting of other points of view or we should not permit any posting about it at all. I'm sorry, but I don't agree with that. I wish we could provide equal opportunity, but we can't and that's the way it is. I do not agree that those who wish to post what is allowable under the present rules should be prevented from doing so solely because those who wish to post opposing views cannot. Being unable to post anything at all would be, as George Carlin once said, like ignoring a turd in the punchbowl.

 

In my opinion, as long as posting falls within the rules of this message board and also complies with the restrictions set by the coup, then we should not impose further restrictions ourselves.

[Guest lvdkeyes]

The restatement of your point, Bob, clarifies your meaning and you're correct in thinking that maybe I didn't get it.

 

It's a valid point.

 

I'm not sure if others would agree to completely ignore 'the elephant in the room" but my take is to acknowledge it and be sure to treat it well enough so it doesn't stampede.

 

Life was so much simpler when all we had to worry about was Armageddon.

 

Maybe you can take solace from this George Orwell quote...

 

"Being a minority, even a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad...

 

Sanity is not statistical."

 

 

It is a simple matter of fact that this board is complying with the law. We don't have to agree with laws, but we do have to obey them, especially when we are GUESTS in the country.

[TotallyOz]

It is a simple matter of fact that this board is complying with the law. We don't have to agree with laws, but we do have to obey them, especially when we are GUESTS in the country.

 

I think many here often forget this. This is not the USA or GB or Holland or..... This is Thailand. We are here as their guests. We are not part of the citizenry. We are guests and I am thrilled to be a guest.

[bkkguy]

We don't have to agree with laws, but we do have to obey them, especially when we are GUESTS in the country.

 

I hope we all remember we are guests and should obey the law the next time we consider offing a prostitute from a bar or speeding on the motorway or ...

 

or perhaps it is not that guests have to obey the laws, they only have to obey the laws that they might get in to serious trouble for? or get caught for?

 

bkkguy

 

 

[Guest namjai]

gee...what a half-baked thought pattern.

[Guest mauRICE]

The temporary gag on criticising the coup hardly represent a new low in the curtailment of freedom of expression in Thailand.

 

Since 1951, we have, by the force of the Constitution, been forbidden from making critical comments about two closely related institutions in this country. You know which two institutions I'm referring to. I don't recall anyone on these forums screaming their hearts out at this clearly feudal and undemocratic practice. On the contrary, members of the holier-than-Thai farang brigade, many of whom schooled at the costly What-My-Boyfriend-Tells-Me Academy, tend to sing the loudest songs of adulation in homage to these two entities. Can we, in good faith, say that we have been presented with adequate information and alternative viewpoints (the full "wardrobe") as regards these institutions from within Thailand? Bear in mind that the constitutional articles barring criticism of the two entities are likely to remain for decades to come, regardless of any rewrites.

 

Thais seem to be taking the current political developments in their stride. This is, after all, their 18th coup since the 1932 'democratic' revolution. Whether they agree with it or not, it looks like they are taking the pragmatic approach of business as usual.

[Guest namjai]

Nice mauRICE! I am not very eloquent when writing so I will say what I have been saying for years (I have been visiting 2 or 3 times per year since 1987) and if I get flamed, so be it!

 

Thailand belongs to Thailand. We are all visitors. If you don't like the "bad" or "good" (depending on ones outlook) get your butt back on the plane and go home...I am sure that you will find perfection there!

[bkkguy]

gee...what a half-baked thought pattern.

 

yes, I agree, I have always thought most of the sanctimonious crap that goes with the use of "guest" in relation to Thailand is fairly half-baked and hard to understand

 

when I am in my home country, and hence not a "guest", I still have obey the law or face the consequences, so being a guest is obviously not the issue here - though being under martial law or on an easy to have cancelled visa may affect my risk assessment when deciding to break the law or not while I am in Thailand

 

when I am a "guest" in a hotel I am not expected to give up all rights to having an opinion and expressing it or offering criticisms, and how the hotel responds to my comments depends on how well I match their target audience and how valid they consider the criticism to be, and I rarely see an attitude of "if you don't like it go home" or "stop complaining, you are a guest"

 

if I invite a "guest" into my house and he makes insensitive comments about my religion or culture or whatever I am unlikely to invite him back because I don't like insensitive people, whether they are my guest or not

 

yet when I am a "guest" in Thailand ....

 

bkkguy

 

 

 

[Guest mauRICE]

I was bemoaning the hypocrisy of some members of this forum on the issue of censorship. If the banned topic supports their idyll of Thailand, they keep mum or worse, wax lyrical about it.

 

This reminds me of a small party I went to in Thailand recently. A farang and his Thai boy were celebrating their sixth anniversary together. As usual at these dos, the farang sat in one corner and their Thai handbags, err, sorry, boyfriends, were huddled together in another. Being relatively fluent in Thai, I alternated between the two groups. In the Thai corner, all they could talk about was how rich the farang was, the fancy holidays the couple took and how the boy had accumulated 20 million Baht worth of property in their six years together. Over on the farang side, there was a lot of backslapping and approving murmurs of how a relationship with a Thai boy can work with lots of $jai dee$, compromise and understanding. When tactless old me asked about the three condos and two houses in the boy's name, I was immediately hushed into silence by the farang seated next to me and given evil glances by the others.

 

I think it is inevitable that we, as residents or visitors of Thailand, form opinions about this country and its people and want to share it with others. God help us if we can't be open with one another on a forum like this. As my old friend The Colonel was wont to say, our conversion to Siamism would then be complete (and wouldn't you hate it if he was right?).