Council for National Security's spam SMS enraged cell phone users

 CNS sent its unsolicited messages to millions of cell phone users in a bid to calm the crowds in the wake of the Constitution Tribunal's verdicts on May 30.

 

Many have posted complaints on several webboards that, during and after the judgment day, they received messages from the CNS through their mobile phones.   One of those messages read "Thai people. Please heed the King's speech. Be conscious, in harmony, rational, and respectful of the laws," while others called on the recipients to be mindful and stay home listening to the verdicts.

 

A webboard user Kant wrote in the forum of Fah Deaw Kan magazine that he had received several such messages; the first one was received on May 30 late afternoon informing him the acquittal of Democrat Party.   He noted that no message was sent about the dissolution verdict of Thai Rak Thai Party later that night.  On May 31 late afternoon, the message about the King's speech was sent to him twice.   And on June 1 late afternoon, a truncated message "Chula Network Promoting Virtue to Lead Democracy which is..." was also received.  He said he never subscribed to the hot news service.

 

Another user 'queen's power' wrote in Prachatai that he received two CNS messages from a sender at 022996000.  One read "Army Commander-in-Chief and CNS Chairman wishes to see peace, order and harmony.   All parties please perform your duty and be peaceful," and the other " CNS calls on the people to think carefully in joining demonstrations in order to avoid violence and damage to the country."

 

A user 'Do Dek' also wrote in Prachatai that he also received the same 'Army Commander-in-Chief' message three times.  "I wonder if this is a rights violation, just like a junk mail," the user said.

 

Mr. Sombat Bunngamanong aka Bo Ko Lai Jud, a leader of Thai Say No group that campaigns to reject the draft charter, told Prachatai that he had received 3-4 such messages from the sender Hotnews, although he never subscribed to the service.   He was annoyed and irritated by them, in particular the one on May 30 telling him to watch TV at home, and not to go to the Tribunal office.

"They have total control over the state media, and enjoy cooperation from private media and news agencies.   We almost lose all our space.  Community radios were closed after the coup. They even persecute us in the internet. Now what the media feeds us is what the CNS wants us to know. Now the SMS," he said.

 

He said this is not unlike junk mail which is a problem in the cyber world nowadays.   For him, the SMS is more personal than emails, and has far reaching impact than emails, as Thai people use more than 20 million mobile phones.

 

"Consumers have the rights to choose or not to choose.  But, with the SMS, I can not choose not to receive.   At least I have to glance at the topic, and get angry.  I think what if they receive messages from us, like CNS Get Out!," he said.

 

According to Siam Turakij newspaper of June 2-5, 2007, only AIS cell phone users receives such messages.   AIS Public Relations Director Mrs. Wilai Kiangpradu said that it was the CNS who asked the company to cooperate.  She said during sales promotion, sending a message costs 1 baht, and normally it costs 3 baht per message.   AIS has 20 million cell phone numbers.  So sending the message costs 20 million baht per message.  However, the CNS has asked for cooperation, so AIS sent the messages to all numbers for free, she said.

 

According to Matichon newspaper of May 31, 2007, DTAC Vice CEO Mr. Thana Tianatchariya said that the company had received a fax from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) asking for cooperation.   But when the company inquired CNS officers, it was told that they did not know about this.  So the company did not know what to do, and had yet to send the messages until it received a confirmation letter signed by both the CNS and the Ministry.   

 


Source: 
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