Civil and political rights
Freedom of expression
Vietnam looks to bolster its internet censorship
Following the recent intensification of his country’s crackdown on political dissent, Vietnamese president Tran Dai Quang has argued for the need to develop a more robust internet censorship regime in an article published to a state media website. Quang said enemies of the state had ...
Regime aims to tighten media control, surveillance
The junta’s National Reform Steering Assembly (NRSA) has given the green light to media reform proposals which will tighten control over online media and surveillance.On 3 July 2017, the NRSA voted 144-1 in favour of the report compiled by its social media reform subcommittee. Keep reading ...
Rights agency the next to be replaced
The National Human Rights Commission appears likely to be the next target for mass dismissal of members, after the Election Commission. NHRC chairman What Tingsamitr disclosed on June 8 that the matter was clearly mentioned in Article 60 of a new law on the rights ...
Interior Ministry mulling investigations into NGOs' "neutrality"
Human rights NGOs Licadho and Adhoc were among a group of organisations who were warned by the Ministry of Interior today that they are being scrutinised for allegedly violating their neutrality by supporting the opposition CNRP. News of the inquiry was first disclosed by government-aligned ...
At 97, this Vietnamese grandma has mastered the Internet
At first glance, it’s easy to dismiss Le Thi as just another raddled old woman. At 97, she has lost almost all her teeth and a severe hunchback impedes her movement. She spends most of her time lying in bed on her side, slowly chewing ...
Free speech takes a hit ahead of the Thai vote
An explosion at a military hospital in Bangkok on the third anniversary of the ruling junta underscored Thailand’s delicate political situation ahead of the first full-fledged election in seven years. The kingdom’s two largest political forces have remained deeply split since the coup that brought ...
ISPs escape liability for illicit content in new Act
Local internet service providers (ISP) and foreign social networking companies will be exempt from liability for illegal content under Thailand’s new Computer Crime Act 2017, says a legal expert.The new Computer Crime Act, which goes into effect today, does not have a mandate to impose ...
Net giants join govt on clean-up
The Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), an industry association made up of eight internet giants, has agreed in principle to work with local authorities to tackle webpages and content that violate the law. The agreement was allegedly reached Tuesday after a meeting among representatives of the AIC, ...
New media ombudsman set up
In-House Media ombudsmen were officially introduced for the first time on May 17 by the National Press Council of Thailand to improve effective self-regulation of the industry. The move came as the state has attempted to introduce a new media regulation bill that media groups ...
Facebook to block local content
Facebook Inc has agreed to continue to consider the Thai government’s requests to restrict local access to content on its site found to be in violation of the country’s laws. The US internet giant replied to the Thai Internet Service Provider Association after a group ...
