Junta leader presses ICT Ministry to be harsher on lèse majesté websites

The Thai junta leader has ordered the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) to deploy harsher measures on lèse majesté websites.
 
According Daily NewsPrayut Chan-o-cha, head of the Thai junta, urged the MICT during a high level meeting at the Government House on Monday morning to closely monitor lèse majesté websites and other websites that might affect public morale.
 
In the one-hour meeting, which was attended by Udomdej Sitabutr, Army Chief and Interior Minister, Prayut also discussed progress in the legislative process.
Since September, Prachatai has received reports that the Thai authorities reportedly planned to implement a surveillance device as of 15 September to sniff out Thai internet users, specifically targeting those producing and reading lèse majesté content.
 
After the coup in May, the number of lèse majesté prisoners outstripped any period in Thai history. Coup makers since the 1976 coup have regularly cited a surge of lèse majesté offences as a justification for overthrowing an elected government.
 
Many of the recent alleged lèse majesté cases since the May coup were committed online, especially on Facebook. Apart from the charges under Article 112 or the lèse majesté law, most of the suspects were also charged with importing illegal content into a computer system under Article 14 of the Computer Crime Act.
 

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