1	Creating, climate, fear

Have already blogged on the arrests of the two persons arrested under the Computer Crimes Act for allegedly spreading rumours about HM the King - see here and here. In the end, it appears that one of the two was arrested for merely translating a foreign news article reporting that stock market fell on rumors about the health of HM the King than starting the rumor. Then a third person was arrested and later a fourth, a doctor.

These are not the only uses of the Computer Crimes Act. Previously, the police searched and arrested the editor of the well-known online news publication. She was charged under the Computer Crimes Act as she allowed (did not delete?) comments posted by readers that were alleged to constitute lese majeste. Other posts on her arrest here, here, and here (you will see she faces up to 50 years in prison).

In case you are thinking that these are just mere arrests and no one ever gets prosecuted. Someone earlier this year was sentenced to 10 years in jail for breaking lese majeste and the Computer Crimes Act.

Ambika in Reuters on the Computer Crimes Act and online censorship:

"What is most striking about the use of the law is the government's simple-minded emphasis on choking off expression and its failure to offer any serious vision for a contemporary information order," said Michael Montesano of Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

'WAR ROOM'

Since 2007, Thai authorities have blocked almost 20,000 Web pages deemed insulting to the monarch, said Aree Jiworarak, head of Thailand's information technology supervision office.

His "war room," staffed around the clock by a team of bilingual civil servants and young professionals, tackles "systematic attempts" to undermine the throne, Aree said.

Court approval is needed to shut most websites. But for those offensive to the monarchy, his office approaches Internet Service Providers to block access before getting an official court order.

About 100 such pages are found a day, he said.

"It is not just about national security. It's about the hurt feelings among Thai people. Service providers cooperate because they love the country, too," Aree said.

However, critics say providers have another reason to work with authorities: the law could subject them to the same punishment unless they cooperate.
...
"We don't want to have to invoke his majesty to prosecute cases which obviously threaten national security," said Police Lt. Gen Tha-ngai Prasjaksattru, head of the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

"We don't need to say it's libel because we have a law that says spreading lies online is a crime.

BP: How do the police prove to the judge the information was false? Do they check first? Or just assume that someone has checked for them?