BK talks to C.J. Hinkes, coordinator of Freedom Against Censorship Thailand, or FACT (facthai.wordpress.com), about the the state of censorship under the new government and how to escape the censors.

How many websites are currently blocked?
Well, the information now is the Minister of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) has blocked 4,700 new websites. They haven’t deleted the old block lists, though. The MICT blocks 17,000 sites, the Royal Police 32,000. In addition to these, internet service providers (ISPs) have their own block lists because they can be prosecuted for hosting or allowing access to sensitive content. We have sources in the government agencies but not with the ISPs so we don’t know of the exact numbers.

What is being blocked?
They mostly block discussions about the monarchy. Most of the comments are not exactly revealing secrets, but when people put them in print, the government tends to freak out. Another banned topic is the situation in the deep South. The Muslim Party is systematically blocked. Thai people are robbed of the opportunity to discuss this important issue. Gender relationship and sexual topics get banned, too. They block a lot of discussion on homosexuality.

What is happening to people who post this kind of content?
Here’s a sample of the worst case: Suwicha Thakor, an oil engineer, posted some materials on the internet which were deemed to be lese majeste. The head of the DSI raided his house with a SWAT team at 4am. He’s still in jail four months later. He also lost his job.

Is that common? Do most people who get blocked also get prosecuted?
No. Mostly, you just get blocked but the police don’t go after you.

How can I see blocked content and avoid being tracked?
As every move you make on the internet is recorded to your IP address, you need to use an anonymous proxy such as Psiphon (psiphon.ca) or Tor (www.torproject.org). These allow you to see blocked content and mask your IP. FACT has released CDs with these circumvention tools, many developed by China’s outlawed sect the Falun Gong. You can download the CD from our website and a new version is coming out soon.

How can I debate touchy subjects without getting my website blocked?
Thai people know how to be polite, and zigzag—that works. As long as you say things indirectly, it’s fine. Critizing the “TAT Governor” will not draw as much attention as criticizing her using her name, for example. Discussion and content in Thai is more frequently blocked than discussions in English, too. They probably don’t have that many English-speaking censors.

What is FACT’s goal?
We don’t care who is in power; we’re not political. We just don’t want to see any censorship, whether online, in movies or in print.