World Politics Watch on Thai censorship

YouTube Blackout Raises Concern Over Expanding Censorship in Thailand,
GRAHAM LEES | BIO | 17 APR 2007 WORLD POLITICS WATCH EXCLUSIVE

BANGKOK, Thailand -- The quaint 1956 Hollywood musical "The King and I," which most people might regard as innocuous, probably would have been banned in Thailand under broadening definitions of "national security" now being cited by military coup leaders to justify their increasing censorship.??
But in any case, the movie, starring the late Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, is already outlawed under another device that curbs public opinion, the increasingly catch-all "les majeste" rule. Brynner's singing and dancing routine has long been considered by the authorities to insult the institution of the Thai monarchy, and to distort Thai history.
The same ban applies to the 1999 remake "Anna and the King," starring Jodie Foster.
With this in mind, Thai denizens of the newish world of the Internet should perhaps not be so surprised that the popular video forum YouTube has been blocked in Thailand for running doctored clips of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, also perceived as insulting. Many non-Thais would probably agree that the video clip -- and imitators that followed -- are culturally insensitive.??
But the YouTube blackout has illustrated to a global audience a level of creeping electronic censorship that is now extending into all Web corners where Thais want to talk about the country's political impasse since tanks ousted the elected government last September.??
That government, led by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is now in exile, was accused by the military and its supporters of dividing the nation by causing large-scale pro- and anti-Thaksin demonstrations -- although only in Bangkok -- over the issues of corruption and, ironically, concentration of power and censorship.??
But even as the military-appointed caretaker government, led by a former general, supposedly grooms the country for parliamentary elections, all political activity remains banned -- and a new, sinister-sounding law is being drawn up: the Computer-Related Offenses Commission Act....."

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Full article: http://worldpoliticswatch.com/article.aspx?id=706

Applications for moderator at Baht Stop are being invited. It is a Thai based site with lots of faux cut and paste Thai politics.

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Singapore Esplanade Theatre from 6th August. Will this cause a diplomatic incident?

http://www.sistic.com.sg/cms/events/ind ... ontent=915 (http://www.sistic.com.sg/cms/events/index.html?content=915)

YouTube Blackout Raises Concern Over Expanding Censorship in Thailand,

As we take our turns condemning army censorship let us not forget that if it weren't for the previous ELECTED DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT that IMPLEMENTED the tools of free-speech internet suppresion in Thailand then the new government would not have these tools so already available to use. These tools are probably made by a US Corporation (in the early days of Thai censorship I remember often having "Internet Information Server (IIS)" in error messages pop up quite a lot). And then Google Corporation (another American corporation) did bow too Chinese government censorship in order to get business.

Come on WowPow, let's stop with this child-like hypocracy.

And I remember seeing a recent controversial Time magazine issue with a familiar face on it in many bookstores in Thailand, so give 'em some credit.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

"Anna and The King" should have been banned everywhere as it was such useless film. I once saw the fabulous Jodie Foster and her girlfriend who is much older and very plain.

When he was young and good looking , Marlon Brando once screwed Yul Brynner ( Marlon was a star fucker of major proportions)..but said he was a dud fuck.:snorting:

Dear Lunch, Just in case anyone be as foolish as me and think for one moment that http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v27/wowpow/55m.jpg Anna and the King is anything to do with the glorious Rogers and Hammerstein musical The King and I - 6 Oscars 1957.

I went to see Anna and the King expecting some enjoyment but was sad that it was not entertaining and ended in complete fantasy.

The King and I, is pure Hollywood and the American Musical at it's very fine best. Recently I was hospital visiting an American lady, with severe heart problems, who was besotted with the musical which she had enjoyed on film and stage. She desperately wanted to visit the Grand Palace but it was not to be. I bought a dvd which I am enjoying very much at the moment. It has great charm and wonderful music and lyrics and does not pretend to be 'real' Thailand.