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UPDATE (Thailand): Websites and radio stations shut down by military junta

October 4, 2006

UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL UPDATE ON URGENT APPEAL

ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Update on Urgent Appeal

4 October 2006

[RE: UG-018-2006: THAILAND: UN rights bodies must act urgently to address junta; UP-189-2006: THAILAND: Illegal detention of former government ministers]
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UP-190-2006: THAILAND: Websites and radio stations shut down by military junta

THAILAND: Military rule; martial law; threats to human rights defenders; restrictions on freedom of assembly & expression
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Dear friends,

The military junta that since September 19 has taken over government in Thailand has shut down at least two critical websites and also numerous local radio stations. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) calls for your support to urge that people in Thailand be entitled to speak and act freely in response to the illegal takeover of power by the army.

The two websites that have been shut down were a new one set up by human rights defenders in Thailand in response to the coup, www.19sep.org, which was closed shortly after it was activated, and the Midnight University website, www.midnightuniv.org.

Midnight University is a leading non-formal education centre. Its Thai-language website has been well-established, with over half a million visitors per month from all over the world, thousands of articles and discussion boards. The site was shut down on September 29 after its staff held a protest against the coup on September 28, during which they ripped up pieces of paper labelled "interim constitution", in reference to the temporary charter that the military regime has had prepared. The protest was not covered in the mainstream media but reported on the independent Prachatai website (in Thai).

Both websites were reportedly shut by the Ministry of Information & Communication Technology, which has been authorised to censor any media outlets that are found to be acting contrary to the interests of the regime.

The Midnight University has announced that although it could easily reopen the site from abroad, as a matter of principle it will not do so and has instead demanded that the ministry lift the ban on the site.


DENIALS OF FREE SPEECH & ASSEMBLY:

Despite the appearances that the new junta has attempted to create, there have been many restrictions placed on speech and assembly in Thailand since September 19, some direct and many more subtle.

There are persistent reports of close monitoring and management of broadcast media, including patrolling of soldiers at television stations and inspections of radio facilities. Hundreds of local radio stations have either been closed or are operating under restrictions. In the north, where the former government had strong support, radio operators are being inspected and have been informed that only a few will be allowed to stay open. All broadcast outlets have been told to "cooperate" with the new regime.

The junta has also not yet revoked any of its orders banning political assembly and movements by local administrative leaders, or other restrictions on broadcasts involving spontaneous giving of opinion, such as by talkback radio and SMS text sending to television programmes. 

The effect of all these prohibitions and restrictions has been to create a false impression of widespread support for the junta. This is inevitably causing frustration among persons who are opposed to the takeover but without avenues to speak out, on the pretext of "national unity".

For instance, a taxi driver sprayed his car with anti-coup slogans and drove it in to a tank on September 30 in an act of protest. He survived the crash and in hospital has said that he did it because he wanted to show that the junta does not have the support that it pretends to have.

International media rights group Reporters Without Borders also today issued an open letter to the newly-appointed interim prime minister, deploring self-censorship and restrictions on media outlets in Thailand. It also reports that a BBC news article has been blocked to users in Thailand. The letter can be read at: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=19055.


UPDATE ON PREVIOUS APPEAL:

On October 1 the four former government ministers detained after the coup were released without charge (see UP-189-2006).

According to news reports, the police had been instructed by the coup group to "monitor" the four. No information was given out publicly on what was meant by that.

Recent releases by the AHRC on other developments in Thailand are:
AS-232-2006 "The right man for what job?"
AS-229-2006 "Misunderstanding the coup"
AHRC-PL-088-2006 "Protests against coup in Korea & Thailand"


SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please show your support for the Midnight University and other human rights defenders in Thailand by calling for a lift on the bans on websites and other restrictions placed upon people in Thailand by the military regime there. Please also call for the regime to unconditionally withdraw from power and allow for the writing of a new constitution under a democratically elected government (for more discussion, see AS-232-2006).

To support this appeal, please click:

Sample letter:

Dear ____________,

THAILAND: Shut down of websites by military junta

I am writing to you regarding the forcible closure of websites by the military junta in Thailand, and other actions contrary to free expression and human rights.

The Ministry of Information & Communication Technology has closed at least two websites, and reportedly restricted others. The two websites are www.19sep.org, which was set up by rights defenders in Thailand after the coup, and www.midnightuniv.org, a well established and popular site for non-formal education and critical exchange. The Midnight University site was closed on September 29 after its staff protested against the military coup.

I join calls for these sites to be allowed to operate freely from Thailand, and for other restrictions on free speech there by the military regime to cease at once. This must include the withdrawal of military personnel from broadcasting facilities, the ceasing of activities intended to shut down local radio stations, and the lifting of orders inimical to free opinion and assembly, notably Order No. 5 and Announcement nos. 7, 10, 15, 22 and 27.

I also note with concern the introduction of a new interim constitution that secures further power for the military authorities in Thailand. I do not believe that the arrangements made under this constitution will lead to a return to democracy or protection of human rights in Thailand. I urge that the Royal Thai Army and other parts of the armed forces withdraw fully and unconditionally from the political process and allow for a free and fair election, after which a new constitution may be drafted by elected representatives, not military appointees. 

Yours sincerely,

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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. General Surayud Chulanont
Interim Prime Minister
c/o Government House
Pitsanulok Road, Dusit District
Bangkok 10300
THAILAND
Tel: +662 280 1404/ 3000
Fax: +662 282 8631/ 280 1589/ 629 8213
E-mail: spokesman@thaigov.go.th 

2. Mr. Kraisorn Pornsutee
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Information & Communication Technology
Building 9, TOT Public Co. Ltd.
Chaeng Wattana Road
Laksi, Bangkok 10210
THAILAND
Tel: +662 505 8886/ 7103
Fax: +662 568 2583
E-mail: kraisorn@mict.go.th, ksporn@mict.go.th or pr@mict.go.th

3. Mr. Krit Garnjana-Goonchorn
Permanent Secretary
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
443 Sri Ayudhya Road
Bangkok 10400
THAILAND
Fax: +662 643 5111/ 5320 
Tel: +662 643 5271/ 5333
E-mail: kritg@mfa.go.th, permsec@mfa.go.th or information@mfa.go.th 

4. Mr. Luis Alfonso de Alba
President
UN Human Rights Council
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9012 (ATTN: PRESIDENT HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL)
E-mail: jdiaz@ohchr.org 

5. Ms. Louise Arbour
High Commissioner for Human Rights
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax:  +41 22 917-9012 (ATTN: HIGH COMMISSIONER)
E-mail: larbour@ohchr.org 

6. Mr. Ambeyi Ligabo
Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression
c/o J Deriviero
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9177
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION)

7. Prof. Saneh Chamarik
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission of Thailand
422 Phya Thai Road
Pathum Wan District
Bangkok 10300
THAILAND
Tel: +662 2219 2980
Fax: +66 2 219 2940
E-mail: commission@nhrc.or.th 


Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)

Document Type :
Urgent Appeal Update
Document ID :
UP-190-2006
Countries :
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Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice

A need for dialogue

Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries.  Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings.  Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like. 

Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere.  People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor. 

Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person.  And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm.

There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances.  Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly.  In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate.  Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle.

In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates.  For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.

Changing society

In the past bridging this gap was a formidable task; it relied on channels of public expression that required money and were therefore controlled by investors.  Printing presses were expensive, which blocked the gate to expression to anyone without money.  Except in times of revolution the media in Asia has tended to serve the well-off and sideline or misrepresent the poor.

Still, thanks to the IT revolution it is now possible to communicate with large audiences at little cost.  In this situation there is a real avenue for taking issues from private to public, regardless of the class or caste of the individual.

Practical action

The AHRC Urgent Appeals system was created to give a voice to those affected by human rights violations, and by doing so, to create a network of support and open avenues for action.  If X’s freedom of expression is denied, if Y is tortured by someone in power or if Z finds his or her labour rights abused, the incident can be swiftly and effectively broadcast and dealt with. The resulting solidarity can lead to action, resolution and change. And as more people understand their rights and follow suit, as the human rights consciousness grows, change happens faster. The Internet has become one of the human rights community’s most powerful tools.   

At the core of the Urgent Appeals Program is the recording of human rights violations at a grass roots level with objectivity, sympathy and competence. Our information is firstly gathered on the ground, close to the victim of the violation, and is then broadcast by a team of advocates, who can apply decades of experience in the field and a working knowledge of the international human rights arena. The flow of information – due to domestic restrictions – often goes from the source and out to the international community via our program, which then builds a pressure for action that steadily makes its way back to the source through his or her own government.   However these cases in bulk create a narrative – and this is most important aspect of our program. As noted by Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando:

"The urgent appeal introduces narrative as the driving force for social change. This idea was well expressed in the film Amistad, regarding the issue of slavery. The old man in the film, former president and lawyer, states that to resolve this historical problem it is very essential to know the narrative of the people. It was on this basis that a court case is conducted later. The AHRC establishes the narrative of human rights violations through the urgent appeals. If the narrative is right, the organisation will be doing all right."

Patterns start to emerge as violations are documented across the continent, allowing us to take a more authoritative, systemic response, and to pinpoint the systems within each country that are breaking down. This way we are able to discover and explain why and how violations take place, and how they can most effectively be addressed. On this path, larger audiences have opened up to us and become involved: international NGOs and think tanks, national human rights commissions and United Nations bodies.  The program and its coordinators have become a well-used tool for the international media and for human rights education programs. All this helps pave the way for radical reforms to improve, protect and to promote human rights in the region.