I absolutely concur with FACT, FREEDOM AGAINST CENSORSHIP THAILAND. What I believe is that "They are invading my right and I myself am protecting mine".
As a consequence, I signed the petition (14-12-08 at 13:31) against a blocking produced from Thai government. The following points are what I agree with. Apart from that, you can read a full version of them, which is the FACT's press release (16-11-06).
FREEDOM AGAINST CENSORSHIP THAILAND–NOW!
A distinguished group of academics, journalists, publishers, business owners and parents today formed the Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT) to file a formal petition before the Thai Human Rights Commission asking for a complete ban on Internet censorship in Thailand.
Since 2002 when Internet censorship was initiated by the Thai
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There is no Thai law which permits such blocking, all of which is done in secret. In fact, the 1997 Thai Constitution guarantees unfettered access to all communication, as does the Thai Telecommunications Act. MICT has funded a study from Sukhothai Thammathirat University’s legal faculty to determine how current laws can be used to enforce Internet blocking in order to subvert and undermine the foundation of law enshrined in the Thai Constitution.
The Thai Government conceals a hidden agenda by targeting pornographic websites, the majority of those blocked. At least 11% of websites blocked are critical of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, his Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party, government handling of the violence in southern Thailand and the September 19 coup d’etat.
In addition to keeping this blocklist secret, Thai government agencies also will not disclose their criteria for blocking websites or who, in fact, is making these decisions. Nor will they define what is considered “a threat to national security”. This lack of public transparency is in direct contravention of the Information of Government Act 2540.
Since September 19, MICT is also blocking public discussions in which comments and replies from the public are posted to moderated and unmoderated webboards such as Prachatai, Pantip and Midnight University. Midnight University has already brought their case before the Human Rights Commission and the Administrative Court and was granted an interim injunction to unblock their website pending the Court’s final determination.
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The blocking of websites or, in fact, any government censorship of freedom of expression, is most often used by an insecure government in a feeble attempt at control of its citizens. Usually the censorship is directed against views government deems unconventional or unorthodox, if not an outright threat to power, as in Burma or China or North Korea or, in fact, in the USA using its PATRIOT Act. Thailand is not Burma or China or North Korea (yet). Perhaps Aung San Suu Kyi said it best: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”
There are an estimated more than two billion distinct websites, including at least ten million pornographic sites. Is blocking millions of sites A) within the Thai government’s capabilities; B) worth the huge expenditure necessary; or C) just a smokescreen for a far more sinister political agenda?
Internet censorship impacts on academic research, business competition, media freedom, and family education, among many other fundamental rights and freedoms.
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The Internet is presently the only forum in which all opinions are equal, neutral and non-commercial. Should not any person judge the validity of those opinions for themselves? We do not believe the World Wide Web should be in any manner curtailed, censored or managed anywhere.
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The world is watching. Internet censorship is improper, obscene and illegal in a democratic Thailand.
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