{"id":819,"date":"2011-10-03T10:14:29","date_gmt":"2011-10-03T15:14:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ideasillustrated.com\/blog\/?p=819"},"modified":"2016-10-13T13:39:25","modified_gmt":"2016-10-13T13:39:25","slug":"king-bhumibol-is-a-noob","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ideasillustrated.com\/blog\/2011\/10\/03\/king-bhumibol-is-a-noob\/","title":{"rendered":"King Bhumibol is a Noob"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an effort to suppress disparaging remarks about\u00a0the monarchy, the government of Thailand has\u00a0recently established an official agency called the Office of Prevention and Suppression of Information Technology Crimes<\/a>. The sole purpose of this\u00a0department\u00a0is to enforce the country’s l\u00e8se-majest\u00e9<\/a> laws by combing\u00a0the Internet for anything offensive to\u00a0King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his family and then either eliminating or blocking the\u00a0offensive material.<\/p>\n

Agency technicians have apparently blocked over 70,000 pages so far, including\u00a0those with pictures of the king with a foot above his head\u00a0(considered very rude) and\u00a0those that misuse informal pronouns before the king’s name.<\/p>\n

Punishment for such disrespect for authority can be harsh. Under Thai law, even the digital distribution of information that threatens the “good morals of the people”\u00a0 will get you five years in prison. For anyone who insults or defames the royal family,\u00a0sentences can stretch to 15 years.<\/p>\n

I am always surprised at the lengths to which repressive regimes will go in order to “safeguard” the sensibilities of its citizens while trying to maintain the openness and flexibility of the Internet.\u00a0I’m even more surprised at this particular effort to shield a grown man from the forms of\u00a0mild online abuse and disagreements\u00a0that confront other world\u00a0leaders every day.<\/p>\n

This kind of experience can certainly be frustrating. However, is white-washing the Internet really the answer? Is it even possible? Wouldn’t everyone’s time be better spent teaching the king to deal with a few negative comments rather than censoring the entire Web? I understand the desire for people to protect someone they love from getting hurt but, in the long run, such heavy-handed tactics will probably fail. The Internet is just too irrepressible.<\/p>\n

In an old\u00a0discussion<\/a> of online ethics, Simon Waldman notes:<\/p>\n

“I find the views expressed on many organizations’ sites repellent. But one of the greatest achievements of the Internet has been to create the greatest gallery of human opinion in history, and that is something we should marvel at, rather than shake our heads in dismay.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Would the people of Thailand deny their king access to such a place?<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

BTW: Sawatdee-krap, Mr. Surachai<\/p>\n

Update:<\/p>\n