Draconian state and the raid of independent online news website
Yesterday an editor of Prachatai.com, an independent, pro-democracy, online news website, was held by the police with warrant. She was released on bail after 5 hours. Her personal computer was confiscated and hard drive copied for investigation.
The police said Prachatai.com violated one section of the recently enacted Computer Crime Act, by allowing lese majeste content on the public webboard. Such content is deemed as a problem to national security. The provision includes jail and fine term. The police did not and could not produce the portion of webboard posting in question, and had not issue warning message a they normally would. It's understandable that there must be someone behind this.I won't further give commentary on this specific issue due to the Law. Only thing I can say is that I am so sorry for Thai society and it's political system that has always clinged on and made use of public sentiment on untouchable subject. Lese Majeste law has always been abused by politicians and non-politicians, to destroy your opponent. Swift interrogation and severe punishment are deemed "appropriate" by the public because of historic makings and reverence to the Institute. However few of them really know what's actually going on and almost always choose to trust the plaintiff, seeing him/her/them as being altruistic. When there's an incident such as this, I think of the word "draconian". I also think of certain political regime such as Nazicism where public sentiments are carefully tailored made and cleverly used by political institute. People are massively tricked so they ignore some underlying justice and principles for the sake of inventive norms like good "moral" or the praise of "national hero". They are made to be partially blinded and partially unconscious without their knowing. This still holds true to Thai society and it's crippled political system and cultural makings.Thailand is still not a free and open society.
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