CENSORSHIP

Govt block on YouTube website stays

ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT and AP

The government yesterday retained a ban on the popular YouTube video website despite the removal of a short film clip which insulted the King.

Even though the offending video was withdrawn, the site still featured at least one still-frame from the contentious 44-second clip, said Minister of Information and Technology Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom yesterday.

''That's not enough. We want the picture removed too before we unblock it,'' said Mr Sitthichai, who added that Thai authorities have contacted YouTube to request it remove all traces of the video.

Thai authorities blocked YouTube on Wednesday after its owner, Google Inc, turned down his request to remove the clip. He had not heard back from the company about his new request to remove the still photo.

''In some countries, it's a norm to have their leaders mocked, but this is different.

''With the King, it is offensive to the Thai public,'' he said.

When the minister approached Google to remove the video, the company told him the site contained material which attacked US President George W. Bush far more harshly than the Thai king had been mocked.

After the site was blocked and news of the ban circulated, the number of viewers of the video skyrocketed, with more than 40,000 visits in about 24 hours, according to YouTube's statistics. Total views reached 66,553 before the video was pulled.

Although the clip raised issues about freedom of expression in Thailand, many viewers reacted with outrage, hurling abuse at the clip's creator, self-described as 30-year-old ''paddidda'' based in the US.

Meanwhile, a free internet-media advocacy group has expressed concern over the blocking of YouTube and another political website, www.saturdaynews.org, saying expression on the internet was part of participatory democracy.

Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT) co-founder C. J. Hinke said it was a pity the video clip on YouTube caused Thai authorities to block the entire website.

He also disagreed with the attempt to block and censor expression of the opponents of the Sept 19 coup _ some are conducting a signature collection campaign at www.saturdaynews.org, to petition the King to remove Privy Council president Prem Tinsulanonda.

Freedom of expression and people's participation were basic principles of democracy, he said.

On Feb 9, FACT, which represents 311 petitioners and 59 international human rights and civil liberties organisations, asked the ICT Ministry to disclose details of its list of blocked websites. The ministry turned down its request, saying the blocking was carried out in line with martial law. However, FACT has determined that as of March 12, a total of 1,388 sites had been blocked.

A YouTube spokeswoman, Julie Supan, said in an e-mail statement on Wednesday night that the company was disappointed that its site had been blocked.

''The internet is an international phenomenon and while technology can bring great opportunity and access to information globally, it can also present new and unique cultural challenges,'' she wrote.

YouTube was one of a number of Web sites deemed insulting to the king and blocked by Thailand's military-installed government, Sitthichai said.

Critics have accused the current government of blocking Web sites criticizing the September coup that overthrew former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The interim government installed after the coup has come under increasing criticism, and groups calling for an early restoration of democracy have organized protests.

Bangkok Post

Friday April 06, 2007