The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation has ordered the MICT to close 190 websites, of which over 60% are claimed to be politically seditious.  Since the red shirt protests started, the MICT has ordered the blocking of about 500 URLs per day on average.

On 16 April, a source at the CRES said that the CRES had ordered the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology to close 190 seditious websites, most of which broadcast the red shirts’ protests.

According to the source, officials are keeping a close watch, especially over camfrogs broadcasting the protests which provoke and incite violence and divisiveness.  It takes less than 10 minutes to block an URL.  However, there have been some hurdles with small ISPs, because during Songkran they did not have staff to do 24 hour a day monitoring.

About 7-8 URLs of the YouTube website where seditious clips were posted have been ordered closed.  Some websites have continued by changing their domain names from .com to .net [Prachatai, for example].  The 190 websites were ordered closed only temporarily, and when the situation returns to normal, they can go back online.  They will be notified by email, the source said.

The MICT has received complaints to close about 400-500 URLs a day, of which 60% were politically seditious, with the rest being websites offensive to the monarchy, containing pornography, or offering gambling and drugs.

The source confirmed PM’s Office Minister Sathit Wongnongtoey previous statement that the MICT could order the closure of websites directly, because it was authorized under the State of Emergency. 

Those who wish to inform on such seditious websites can call 1212 and 1555, the CRES public relations centre.