14 DAY TRIAL // Thailand's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ITC) announced that it is planning to invest between $3-$15 million in order to build a firewall solution aimed at blocking websites with content deemed as offensive, especially the ones that denigrate the monarchy, at a national level. The firewall will also block web content connected to terrorism or adult matters.
Thailand is currently the country with the longest-serving monarch in the world, the 80-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, crowned as king over 62 years ago. The country also has very strict lese majeste laws with punishments of up to 15 years in jail.
A list of 1,000 websites which defame the monarchy has already been compiled and will serve as first batch to be blocked by the future firewall. According to the ITC Minister Mun Patanotai, 85% of such websites are operated from outside Thailand and offending and terrorist websites will also make the object of filtering rules.
Thailand's Prime Minister, Somchai Wongsawat, who is also the Defence Minister, has already addressed the issue to the intelligence and telecommunications institutions involved, like the Telephone Organization of Thailand (TOT) and the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT). “'I have already ordered to decisively prosecute anyone who criticises the monarchy - no faction should use the monarchy. [...] The government, officials, military, police and every Thai must all uphold the monarchy,” said the Prime Minister.
The Thai government is already blocking websites it finds as offensive, but it is currently done on a site-by-site basis and the process is not centralized. Such was the case with YouTube, which was banned in Thailand for several weeks, because they refused to remove a video portraying the Thai monarch in a distasteful manner.
Ironically, the decision of the Bangkok officials comes after the Global Network Initiative released last week the Principles on Freedom of Expression and Privacy, which are to be adopted by Internet companies everywhere. Major Internet players like Microsoft, Google and Yahoo! have already signed the code of conduct and vowed to abide by it.