Daily Archives: May 30, 2012

A Thai court sentenced a local webmaster Wednesday to an eight-month suspended sentence for failing to act quickly enough to remove Internet posts deemed insulting to the country's royalty in a case widely seen as a test of freedom of expression in this Southeast Asian nation.

The ruling showed leniency toward Chiranuch Premchaiporn, who faced up to 20 years in prison for 10 comments posted on her Prachatai news website, but it still sends the message that Internet content in Thailand must be self-censored.

Chiranuch was the first to be prosecuted under Thailand's computer-crime laws, which were enacted in 2007 under an interim, unelected government that came to power after a coup a year earlier. The laws address hacking and other online offenses, but also bar the circulation of material deemed detrimental to national security, which includes defaming the monarchy.

Her case, which drew international attention, was inextricably linked to Thailand's fractious politics of recent years, as the country's traditional ruling class allying big business, the military and royalists has been desperately fighting to retain reverence for the monarchy and their influence over politics.

Most people still respect 84-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, but the evident involvement of palace circles in supporting the 2006 military coup against elected Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra opened the royal institution to unprecedented criticism, much of which was circulated on the Internet.

Judge Kampol Rungrat said Wednesday that his guilty verdict was based on one particular post that was left on the Prachatai site for 20 days, which was deemed too long.

Chiranuch "did not perform her duty in a timely manner" and "allowed the inappropriate posting to be on the website for too long," the judge said.

Chiranuch was initially given a one-year suspended sentence that was immediately reduced to eight months. She also was fined 20,000 baht ($625), which she quickly paid with help from supporters and colleagues who handed her cash.

"I expected to be acquitted, but I found the judge's verdict logical and reasonable," a smiling Chiranuch told reporters. "However, I still think the verdict will have an impact on self-censorship."

Prachatai was founded by several respected journalists, senators and press freedom activists to serve as an independent, nonprofit, daily Internet newspaper. It has attracted an audience of critics of the status quo, especially on the now-defunct web board where the comments at issue in the court case were posted between April and November 2008.

Read more:
Thai Webmaster Sentenced in Free Speech Case

Mr Gove, who has been tipped as a future leader of the Conservatives, went further by making the case unashamedly for cautious regulation.

In a tense exchange, he set out his fear that any cure proposed by Lord Leveson may be worse than the disease. I am concerned about any prior restraint and on their exercising of freedom of speech, Mr Gove told the judge.

Lord Leveson replied: Mr Gove, I do not need to be told about the importance of freedom of speech, I really dont.

The judge said he was concerned that the Education Secretary was prepared to put up with unacceptable, albeit not necessarily criminal behaviour from journalists because of the right to freedom of speech.

Mr Gove said some cases of press misbehaviour were deplorable but argued that these could be punished under existing laws, such as defamation.

Freedom of speech doesnt mean anything unless some people are going to be offended some of the time, the minister said. Defending the rough-edged trade of journalism, the minister said it twas ever thus that reporters are unpopular. Politicians and journalists have always tended to be held in relatively low regard, he said.

Mr Gove was also upfront about his admiration for Rupert Murdoch, the owner of News International, which publishes the The Sun and The Times.

He described the media tycoon as one of the most impressive and significant figures of the last 50 years.

Mr Gove, a former leader writer at The Times, said Mr Murdoch had never tried to interfere in his editorials.

He said the newspaper owner was a great man, who had created jobs and attracted controversy because he is so successful.

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Leveson Inquiry risks undermining precious liberty of free speech, Michael Gove warns