DBTB Protests Against the WordPress.com Blockage in Thailand
By Administrator in Don't Block the Blog! | 6 comments
Barely a few days earlier Turkey had gone through a similar blockage of the entire WordPress.com domain being blocked for Turkish users. Reports are now coming in that Thailand has also sadly scummed to a similar bout of censorship effectively blocking the entire WordPress.com domain for all internet users in Thailand since August 22nd
The team at Global Voices Advocacy Group has been on top of this issue and has confirmed from a prominent Thailand blogger newspaper Prachatai, that Thailand has indeed plunged into a era of WordPress.com censorship
The blocked websites displays a splash screen in Thai which reads
“Sorry. TOT Plc., as an organization of Thai people, has restrained the access to this website as it contains content, text, and/or picture that is unappropriated which affects the mind of Thai people all over the country and cannot be accepted.” Screenshot
In an effort to raise awareness Freedom Against Censorship in Thailand (FACT) has launched an online petition do drop by and support the Thai Bloggers.
The entire Don’t Block the Blog team would like to join in this protest for all Thailand Bloggers and Blog readers in their battle for free speech.
bact' | Aug 27, 2007 | Reply
Actually, Prachatai is not a blogger, it is an online newspaper
http://prachatai.com/english/aboutus.php
it is also available in English language
http://prachatai.com/english/
Pisey Pech | Aug 27, 2007 | Reply
We support freedom of expression and freedom of speech. The blockage of the BLOG in Turkey and Thailand would deliberately harm the foundamental of human rights which exist the constitution.
We would like the leaders of these countries reconsider this blockage.
Administrator | Aug 28, 2007 | Reply
Bact – thank you for the update – I just made the correction
kinkminos | Aug 28, 2007 | Reply
without in any way endorsing such censorship, and taking a look at the flip side of the coin, i think that it’s not ALL bad. heavy handed blanket censorship cases such as thailand & turkey serve to bring believers (and some non-believers who think they are believers) in freedom of speech together, leading to a stronger sense of community, and stimulating discussion on how to tackle the issue of freedom of speech in a 21st century world drowning in a surfeit of electronic expression.
these are hiccups on the road to less restricted expression in the world in general and paranoid, shackled 3rd world communities in particular.
—–
I’ll be sullen and withdrawn
I’ll dwindle off into the twilight realm
Of my own secret thoughts!
I’ll lay on my back here ’til dawn,
In a semi-catatonic state
And dream of guitar notes
That would irritate
An executive kinda guy…
Well, i guess that one did the trick!
If they only coulda heard it,
Half-a-dozen of ‘em woulda strangled
While they was suckin’ on each others’
“outside now”
phrank zapper
-
DamionKutaeff | Mar 23, 2008 | Reply
Hello everybody, my name is Damion, and I’m glad to join your conmunity,
and wish to assit as far as possible.