Internet Politics in Thailand after the 2006 Coup
105
Table 5.6
SUMMARY OF ONLINE SERVICE PROVIDERS ’ ROLE AS INTERMEDIARY CENSORS OF ONLINE DISCUSSION
FORUMS IN THAILAND
Name of Online
Discussion Forum
Intermediary Censorship Experience
Reaction
www.midnightuniv
.org*
The Web-hosting company from which the
forum rented server space was blocked
during the aftermath of the coup and
discontinued service to the forum thereafter.
Forum moderator decided to change
to a new Web-hosting company and
introduced a new fi ltering system for
forum postings.
www
.prachataiwebboard
.com
†
During the period of intense political confl ict
in 2008 – 2009, the contracted Web-hosting
company decided to terminate service to the
Prachatai online forum, evidently out of fear
of the political sensitivity of the forum ’ s
content.
Webmaster decided to separate
hosting services used for the online
newspaper and for the online political
discussion forum. The latter moved to
rent from an overseas Web-hosting
service, to avoid blocking problem.
www.sameskyboard
.org
‡
The contracted Web-hosting service company
was reportedly pressured by the MICT to
abruptly halt service for www.sameskybooks
.org/ and its other online services. The
MICT ’ s interference also wiped out the
affi liated online forum — www.sameskyboard.
org — and all the database kept by the online
publisher for the previous fi ve years.
The editor of the www.sameskybooks
.org/ publicly condemned MICT for
their alleged interference and opened
a temporary Web site and a new
online forum. Later, the service
shifted to an overseas hosting
company for all its online services.
*The site www.midnightuniv.org, known as Midnight University, is a leading alternative educational Web site that
compiles academic resources on various sciences including social science and anthropology. The site also provides
a forum for the public to exchange opinions on matters of interest. A group of progressive-minded academics, a
number of whom are from Chiang Mai University, run this Web site and the political discussion forum attached to
it. After the 2006 coup, www.midnightuniv.org attracted a lot of media attention because it represented very rare
voices in society that condemned the coup and denounced the postcoup (2007) constitution.
†
The site www.prachatai.co.th, or Prachatai for short, is an online newspaper that is very famous for its leftist and
highly critical political standing. Prachatai is also openly anti-2006-coup. Founded in 2004 by a well-known social
activist, it aims to be an independent medium free from state control, after the model of the famous Minda News
(http://www.mindanews.com) in the Philippines. Prachatai ’ s initial funding was allocated by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. Later, when the foundation blacklisted it for probing into the foundation ’ s spending, its supporter
shifted to overseas sources such as the Rockefeller Foundation and Open Society Institute. Prachatai also runs a famous
left-wing online discussion forum — www.prachataiwebboard.com, of which the political room is most popular.
‡
The site www.sameskyboard.org, or samesky for local users, is a popular left-wing online political discussion forum
attached to www.sameskybooks.com, an online site of local publishers of Samesky magazines. Samesky magazine is
well-known for its progressive and critical viewpoints on politics and society.
105
Table 5.6
SUMMARY OF ONLINE SERVICE PROVIDERS ’ ROLE AS INTERMEDIARY CENSORS OF ONLINE DISCUSSION
FORUMS IN THAILAND
Name of Online
Discussion Forum
Intermediary Censorship Experience
Reaction
www.midnightuniv
.org*
The Web-hosting company from which the
forum rented server space was blocked
during the aftermath of the coup and
discontinued service to the forum thereafter.
Forum moderator decided to change
to a new Web-hosting company and
introduced a new fi ltering system for
forum postings.
www
.prachataiwebboard
.com
†
During the period of intense political confl ict
in 2008 – 2009, the contracted Web-hosting
company decided to terminate service to the
Prachatai online forum, evidently out of fear
of the political sensitivity of the forum ’ s
content.
Webmaster decided to separate
hosting services used for the online
newspaper and for the online political
discussion forum. The latter moved to
rent from an overseas Web-hosting
service, to avoid blocking problem.
www.sameskyboard
.org
‡
The contracted Web-hosting service company
was reportedly pressured by the MICT to
abruptly halt service for www.sameskybooks
.org/ and its other online services. The
MICT ’ s interference also wiped out the
affi liated online forum — www.sameskyboard.
org — and all the database kept by the online
publisher for the previous fi ve years.
The editor of the www.sameskybooks
.org/ publicly condemned MICT for
their alleged interference and opened
a temporary Web site and a new
online forum. Later, the service
shifted to an overseas hosting
company for all its online services.
*The site www.midnightuniv.org, known as Midnight University, is a leading alternative educational Web site that
compiles academic resources on various sciences including social science and anthropology. The site also provides
a forum for the public to exchange opinions on matters of interest. A group of progressive-minded academics, a
number of whom are from Chiang Mai University, run this Web site and the political discussion forum attached to
it. After the 2006 coup, www.midnightuniv.org attracted a lot of media attention because it represented very rare
voices in society that condemned the coup and denounced the postcoup (2007) constitution.
†
The site www.prachatai.co.th, or Prachatai for short, is an online newspaper that is very famous for its leftist and
highly critical political standing. Prachatai is also openly anti-2006-coup. Founded in 2004 by a well-known social
activist, it aims to be an independent medium free from state control, after the model of the famous Minda News
(http://www.mindanews.com) in the Philippines. Prachatai ’ s initial funding was allocated by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation. Later, when the foundation blacklisted it for probing into the foundation ’ s spending, its supporter
shifted to overseas sources such as the Rockefeller Foundation and Open Society Institute. Prachatai also runs a famous
left-wing online discussion forum — www.prachataiwebboard.com, of which the political room is most popular.
‡
The site www.sameskyboard.org, or samesky for local users, is a popular left-wing online political discussion forum
attached to www.sameskybooks.com, an online site of local publishers of Samesky magazines. Samesky magazine is
well-known for its progressive and critical viewpoints on politics and society.