The Information and Communication Technology Ministry (ICT) has scrapped its plan to meet Line executives in Japan after finding many users of this messaging service tend to avoid texting provocative content.
The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has asked the public to avoid sending messages which flout the junta's orders.
The ICT had flagged a possible meeting with Line Corporation as part of the junta's measures to prevent people using the social network to instigate protests. After taking a closer look at the typical content, which is non-controversial, they have now decided against the idea. No word was to hand on whether the ICT still intends to contact Facebook and Google as planned.
A source at the NCPO insisted the junta has no policy to ban people from using social media such as Line, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The source asked for better understanding from the public about its policy to control some media outlets such as satellite television stations which had been a key part in provoking political conflicts.
On Wednesday a one-hour outage of Facebook sparked public outcry against censorship, though the junta insisted it did not pull the plug on the service. It blamed a technical glitch for the nationwide blackout.
Meanwhile, Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board yesterday met the office’s staff to announce measures approved by the junta to stop illicit drugs.
Six urgent measures will be taken. They are broad measures to stop the spread of drugs; for keeping enterprises and entertainment venues under surveillance; for providing treatment to drug addicts; for seizing property from suspects in drugs crimes. Others are punishing authorities found to have connections to drugs and reporting arrests in drug cases to the NCPO.