The content in this page ("Writer fumes over govt s online crackdown" by Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation) is not produced by Prachatai staff. Prachatai merely provides a platform, and the opinions stated here do not necessarily reflect those of Prachatai.

Writer fumes over govt s online crackdown

On-line political writer Wattana Sukwat, one of the many writers having their content blocked or deleted by the ICT Ministry under emegency rule said the removal of his 200 or so articles is not just undemocratic but akin to deleting his on-line identity.

"I am a like matrix removed [in the Hollywood movie 'The Matrix'] and no longer exists [in cycber space] ," he said yesterday (Thursday).

Wattana, whose articles are hosted on red-shir site, insisted that he is not a red-shirt but wrote articles critical to both sides of the political divides said it appear that the government is now treating anyone critical of them as being on the side of ousted and convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's camp whom red shirts supports.

Two hundred articles written by Wattana under his pen name "arin" was located onhttp://arinwan.redthai.org, one of the 36 websites shut down by the government under emergency decree. At least 190 additional sites have since been blocked as well. 

"Freedom of thought is the basis of a democratic system. They have no right to censor any view which doesn't incite violence like setting arson."

Wattana is working on an alternate site to defy state's censorship although some of his 200 or so articles are lost forever due to lack of backup plan.

The writer said he didn't expect this to occur to him as he is highly critical of red shirts as well. However, one of Wattana's recent articles was about Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Finance Minister Korn Jatikavanit's lineages and politics.

 

Source: 
<p>http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/04/22/others/Writer-fumes-over-govt-s-online-crackdown-30127728.html</p>

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