Thai Internet / Censureship?

[dawnstar@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

hi there, can i ask a dump question, because i havent had time to deal
with it myself. Last year, The Thai section of the Internet Society
(ISOC) or something like that depending where you are, your language,
said they had a law project and were going to establish strict internet
censorship on content and providers. That was denounced abroad on an
internaitonal level as targeting freedom of expression. Bangkok Post
then attacked the statutes of the ISOC, Thai section. Whats happened
since. And are the Thais active on the net for Free Burma movement. Or
not very active at all using the net, for Free Burma. I guess they have
too much work in the camps, but as a political instrument to express
ideas and evolve a society, it would seem to be a practical and useful
medium. Naturally. ds

panyoma panyoma wrote:
> 
> That is bullshit or unable to think rationally by a Thai politician.
> The realty is that Thailand itself is facing a transitional challenge
> to the democracy after the economy combustion and many Thai are pissed
> off with free fall borrowers,associates of the many politicians of the
> country,politicians  for the bust and IMF is trying to " help out" or
> what.
> People like Chaulvalid Youngchaiyud, general- turn politician,logging
> tycoon is a powerful figure in today Thai politics is now becoming a
> very loud question Thai people are asking to themselves in the tough
> time economy.
> 
> Because their taxes are repaying the bad loans that the big top
> peoples did.
> This is not fair.
> 
> The Burmese cheap labourers were once contributed to a growth of
> Thailand's now fucked economy.
> Forceful repatriation or inhumane treatment to those once were
> needed,boom time labourers is a crime.They are a labour force and have
> rights as much as the fighting students are as political force and
> rights,are bi- product of Thai's raw exploitation as get- rich quick
> approach on Burma.Burmese students are not very easy about it.
> 
> Thai must now try the alternatives and have a go.
> Help topple the military of Burma!
> Burma under democracy will do you good, Khun Htone.Get thin.Now!
> 
> 
> panyoma/syd
> 
> 
> 
> panyoma/syd
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The
> 
> TIN KYI wrote:
> 
>      The Nation - Nov 9, 1999.
>      Headlines
>      Is Thailand too kind to Burmese refugees?
> 
>      ACADEMICIANS, activists and officials were at loggerheads at
>      yesterday's
>      seminar on Burmese refugees as they were unable to find
>      common ground on how
>      the government should deal with the plight of hundreds of
>      thousands of
>      Burmese refugees, exiles and dissidents living in the
>      country.
> 
>      Human rights and aid workers said the government needs to
>      rethink its
>      policies towards the Burmese refugees and dissident students
>      living in the
>      country, while officials said tighter enforcement is needed.
> 
>      The Interior Ministry's Director of Information and Foreign
>      Affairs, Wannida
>      Boonpracong, and Senator Charan Kullavanijaya said Thailand
>      has been too lax
>      with dissident groups in the past and accused some
>      dissidents of exploiting
>      the ''flexibility'' of Thai authority.
> 
>      ''What we called 'displaced' people are in fact 'illegal
>      immigrants',
>      according to our law. But because of our humanitarian
>      principles, we have to
>      treat them as 'displaced people','' Charan said.
> 
>      But human rights activists Somchai Homlaor and aid worker
>      Jack Dunford,
>      director of the Burmese Border Consortium, said the
>      government needs to
>      rethink its policies towards the Burmese refugees and come
>      up with a
>      comprehensive assessment of the situation.
> 
>      ''Putting them in a crowded camp like Maneeloy is not the
>      answer,'' said
>      Somchai, suggesting that the asylum seekers should be given
>      greater access
>      to education and the freedom to carry out their activities
>      like normal
>      citizens as they wait to be relocated to a third country.
> 
>      Wannida, on the other hand, suggested that Thailand should
>      not become a
>      breeding ground for Burmese political activists and
>      so-called ''freedom
>      fighters'', saying that many exiles do not understand their
>      limitation in
>      being refugees.
> 
>      Moreover, said Charan, Thailand does not have a legal
>      commitment to any
>      international forum such as the United Nations Refugee
>      Convention and,
>      therefore, the government is not obligated to use anybody's
>      framework or
>      method in dealing with the refugees.
> 
>      ''Our policy in dealing with the refugees is based on
>      humanitarian
>      principles. Repatriation has always been on a voluntarily
>      basis,'' he
>      stated.
> 
>      A Burmese dissident attending the seminar accused the
>      authorities of
>      ''painting a wonderful picture''. In reality, the situation
>      on the ground is
>      quite different, he said.
> 
>      A Burmese student was granted refugee status, but his
>      parents were forced
>      back to Burma where their fate is uncertain, he said,
>      speaking on condition
>      of anonymity.
> 
>      Bangkok-based UN High Commissioner for Refugee's regional
>      representative
>      Jahansha Assadi said the agency's work has been limited to
>      asylum and
>      protection as UN officials are denied access to the Burmese
>      side to monitor
>      the returnees.
> 
>      Since last Thursday, a wish list has been passed around to
>      Burmese asylum
>      seekers eligible for relocation to a third country, asking
>      them where they
>      would like to go.
> 
>      Assadi said about 16 countries have expressed interest in
>      taking some of the
>      refugees, but so far only the United States has said
>      publicly that it's
>      willing to admit about 1,000 out of nearly the 3,000 which
>      come under the
>      UN's ''people of concern'', or POCs.
> 
>      About 100,000 displaced people, most of whom are ethnic
>      Karen who had fled
>      the fighting between government troops and rebel armies, are
>      living in camps
>      along the Thai border. Almost 3,000 have been granted
>      ''refugee'' status,
>      thus enabling them to request to be relocated to a third
>      country.
> 
>      The UN and the Thai government have been tight-lipped over
>      the fate of about
>      10,000 ethnic Shan from Burma living along the northern
>      border.
> 
>      Like many other refugees from Burma, the Shan had crossed
>      over to the Thai
>      side, refusing to be relocated. Human rights groups accused
>      Burma's military
>      junta of systematically relocating hundreds of villages to
>      keep at bay the
>      support coming in for the rebel armies.
> 
>      The issue of refugees has become a hot topic amid growing
>      tension between
>      Bangkok and Rangoon after five Burmese armed dissidents
>      stormed the Burmese
>      Embassy in Bangkok.
> 
>      Rangoon accused Bangkok of using ''kid gloves'' in solving
>      the 25-hour
>      standoff with the dissidents and responded by closing the
>      border and
>      cancelling all concessions to Thai fishermen.
> 
>      Rangoon also refused to cooperate with the Thai authorities
>      and threatened
>      to shoot its own nationals being pushed back from Thailand.
> 
>      About one million Burmese are working in the country. Most
>      have taken up
>      jobs in factories along the border, working for below
>      minimum wages.
> 
>      Charan called the current repatriation of Burmese workers
>      ''a joke'', as
>      many are able to return to Thailand at will. He said the
>      authorities should
>      go after the factory owners who have long ignored the
>      country's immigration
>      law.
> 
>      He also warned that Thailand risks being condemned by the
>      international
>      community especially after Burmese troops have threatened to
>      shoot those
>      sent back.
> 
>      ''They will accuse us of pushing these people to their
>      deaths,'' he said.
> 
>      BY DON PATHAN
> 
>      The Nation
> 
>