Thailand's Oceania moment
The government has promised to lift the state of emergency before year's end, but it's not known if that will reverse its Orwellian attack on freedom of expression online
- Published: 23/12/2010 at 11:33 AM
- Newspaper section: Spectrum
In George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, the Ministry of Truth , or "minitrue", freely rewrites history to satisfy the Party doctrine and propaganda. It exercises strict control over the media, all forms of entertainment, education, literature and anything else that might present an alternative viewpoint. Life in Oceania is full of spying and distrust, and posters of the Party leader bearing the message "Big Brother is Watching You", can be seen everywhere, along with mechanisms such as "telescreens" to monitor the public and private lives of the populace.
In 2010 in Thailand, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry, in conjunction with the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES), has been enforcing the 2007 Computer Crime Act (CCA) to block thousands of websites.
The CRES, which came into being after the 2005 state of emergency decree was put into effect throughout most of the country in early April in response to the red shirt demonstrations in Bangkok, also exercises its power to control media such as community radio, newspapers and television.
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About the author
- Writer: Supara Janchitfah
- Position: Spectrum Reporter
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