Thai police summon Facebook users over coup-rumor posts, threaten to jail people for ‘liking’

[Penny Lane 8,159]

I wasn't there, and thankfully so since I don't swim in that low end of the pool, but just going by what he wrote.

Sounds like you're the one who needs to get over themselves.

[Karee 4,191]

I guess I should feel flattered that someone hates me for no reason. I thought that was reserved for famous people. Right on!

[Karee 4,191]

[Darnell 8,479]

FaceBook is Evil.

[decocker 7,198]

haha. #######.

[GandD 5,966]

I noticed that too. Odd that he censored that word. I enjoy two things about Gowan, the feud with Karee and that he refers to himself as "the mighty Gowan" sometimes.

[Ban Hammer 13,589]

one member will no longer be able to participate in this thread.

[Darnell 8,479]

Uncle SMS?

Wow.

[Karee 4,191]

Yay! According to the cops, it was a huge success. Only took a week. I wish we could get results like that here in the U.S.

Scare tactic successful, says crime suppression chief

Pakorn Puengnetr,
Asina Pornwasin
The Nation August 10, 2013 1:00 am

THE CHIEF of the police's Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) yesterday admitted to using as a scare tactic a police warning to take criminal action against those who "like" or share anti-government statements on social media deemed harmful to national security.

As it had effectively discouraged netizens from spreading online comments on an ongoing political situation, the policy would continue, Pol Maj-General Phisit Pao-in insisted.

He said the netizens' campaign was not illegal in itself and the four people summoned for posting or distributing statements about a possible coup and calling on people to hoard food and supplies ahead of political rallies against the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had not yet been treated as suspects.

"We are seeking to resort to a psychological impact in terms of crime prevention, and not wanting them to go to jail," he said.

"The policy against posting seemingly harmful statements, or 'liking' and sharing them, has been very effective. Since I made the announcement [on August 5] threatening to take legal action, Thai social media have become silent. My emphasis about imposing the policy is aimed at maintaining peace and order," Phisit added.

The division commander said "liking" such statements fell under the 2007 Computer Crimes Act, which targets the distribution of false or baseless statements harmful to national security.

"Police do not stop you from 'liking' such statements, but this can subject you to facing criminal action," he said.

Sharing such statements may or may not violate the law, depending whether you put your own words in support of them, he said. "If you share them with your comments based on instructional purposes or based on your opposition to them, this is not illegal," he added.

The four media associations yesterday issued an open letter to the TCSD, saying that comments made by Sermsuk Kasitipradit, the editor of Thai PBS's politics and security news desk, was within his constitutional rights to freedom of expression and had not meant to cause panic or disorder to the public, as alleged in a TCSD summons concerning his statements.

The media bodies said strict interpretation of the law by the TCSD was an act of intimidation against members of the public in regard to the expression of their views on social media, and therefore an abuse of power under Article 157 of the Criminal Code.

The four organisations said they deemed "liking" and sharing statements on social media to be a natural act of interactivity among netizens, and the police should not interpret such actions as offences under the 2007 Computer Crime Act, unless there was proof that those who like or share the comments know that they were false or harmful to national security.

Sermsuk yesterday met with TCSD officials along with his lawyer, and said later that he felt relieved after explaining his stance to the division, that is, that he had not meant to cause disorder through his Facebook comments.

"Being summoned on this occasion will not affect how I post my future comments online," he added.

Lawyer Nakhon Chomphoochart said Sermsuk's role as a media member was to seek truths and make them public, including those about to be published or which still need verification.

"His statements tell of a rumour and explain that it is rather untrue, with the purpose of informing the public and to seek verification about it. There are his comments added to the lead statement, that it is difficult for [what is suggested by] this rumour to be true," he added.

Source:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Scare-tactic-successful-says-crime-suppression-chi-30212319.html

[Jacque67 7,328]

No they didn't do squat. I think Hilary Clinton may have had something to do with it. I remember sitting in a Thai police station with the cops telling me if I didn't sign a confession, I was going to jail. I called the alleged USC emergency number over and over with no answer. I also remember when the tsunami happened, the US Embassy lagged way behind other western countries in assisting it's citizens. So despite carrying around that blue passport, it's a good idea to assume you're on you own.

Yep, after the earthquake , tsunami and Fukushima nuclear plant potential meltdown, USC's were evacuated from the area but had to pay half the costs. I was evacuated by the British Embassy and everything, including a stay over in HK was free. I even got money to buy clothes and toiletries.

[Darnell 8,479]

Wow - a bureau of crime surpression (sp?) with a chief of bureau.

What's the equivalent in the U S A ?

[Karee 4,191]

This just keeps getting better.

'Liking' political rumours is a crime Police Maj Gen Pisit Pao-in, commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, defends his agency against criticism over its threat to take legal action against Facebook users who "like" certain messages of a political nature.

He talks to The Sunday Nation’s Pakorn Puengnetr in an exclusive interview.

Q : Are asking if clicking "like" is now against the law.

It will be if you 'like' a message deemed damaging to national security. If you press 'like', it means you are accepting that message, which is tantamount to supporting it. By doing so, you help increase the credibility of the message and hence you should also be held responsible.

Q : Is this rule the same in other countries?

This has nothing to do with foreign countries, because they have different laws. We are taking preventive measures in dealing with this matter. Others may use the principle of law but we use the principle of political science.

Q : Do you think the police have done anything wrong in this?

I don't know. But believe me, I can take legal action against you. The Penal Code and the Computer Crime Act can be applied in this matter.

Q : Which message of the four people summoned by the TCSD was deemed unlawful?

Basically, they talked about the possibility of a coup, which is groundless and is clearly against the Computer Crime Act.

The TCSD action is just meant to have a psychological impact. We don't want these four persons to be jailed. We just questioned them and it's okay for them to say they didn't mean to create panic.

After this action, people are now more careful [about their Facebook messages]. I am mainly aiming at social peace.

So you mean from now on, people can't click 'like'?

I'm not prohibiting from pressing 'like'. But if you 'like' this kind of message, you will be arrested.

Q : What about "sharing" such a message?

There are two kinds of sharing. If you share in a way to support the original message, this is wrong. But if you comment against the message, this is okay.

Q : Will this rule be applied to all cases?

We will just focus on cases of political violence. If you don't prevent it, bad news will be covered by foreign media and confidence [in Thailand] will be affected.

Q : There has been a campaign that "liking is not a crime".

It's okay for people to "like" a Facebook page. But they can't 'like' rumours anymore. I think I have achieved my goal.

Q : Is the TCSD action intended as a threat?

No. We work without any bias about the political colours. Two of those summoned were red shirts, another is a white mask. [The last one is Thai PBS editor Sermsuk Kasiti pradit.]

Q : How did the TCSD go about this case?

I have a team here [at TCSD] and at the Royal Thai Police HQ. Our team searched the keyword "coup" and we found posts by these four persons. It was not difficult. We didn't have a particular watchlist.

Q : Do you think police will be criticised for this action?

It's okay. I just do my work and I have achieved my goal.



What the law says

The Criminal Code and Computer Crime Act can be enforced against people who "like" and "share" Facebook messages deemed unlawful by police, according to the Technology Crime Suppression Division commander.

Section 59 of the Criminal Code, involving Criminal Liability, states that "A person shall be criminally liable only when such person commits an act intentionally. … To commit an act intentionally is to do an act consciously and at the same time the doer desired or could have foreseen the effect of such doing."

Section 83, about Principals and Supporters, states that, "In case of an offence accrued by commission of two persons or more, such accomplices deemed to be principals shall be punished as provided by the law for such offence."

Under Section 14 of the Computer Crime Act, any person involved in dissemination or forwarding of computer data already known to be against this law shall be subject to imprisonment for not more than five years or a fine of up to Bt100,000, or both.

Source:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Liking-political-rumours-is-a-crime-30212365.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Nationmultimediacom-Politics+%28NationMultimedia.com+-+Politics%29

Bolded underlined reference above mine.

[Jacque67 7,328]

Do you live in Thailand?

[Karee 4,191]

Do you live in Thailand?

I live in Texas now. I lived in Thailand for 3 years previously.

[Jacque67 7,328]

I live in Texas now. I lived in Thailand for 3 years previously.

Sorry if my responses seem tardy, but I have a certain person on ignore. So your wife is with you now? How does she feel about this? As a non-Thai my experiences of the country have only been good. Is it different for citizens?