On March 11, the Prime Minister met with a group of cyber activists, and told them that the arrest of the Prachatai Director was not his government’s policy and not beneficial to any party. He asked the activists for details of the arrest, and said that the crackdown on websites as periodically announced by the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MICT) had affected the country’s image and that was cause for concern.

Abhisit said that the crackdown on websites and arrests of many internet users were not problems resulting from the provisions of Criminal Code Article 112, or the lèse majesté law, but from implementation. If anything needs to be changed, it should be the practice, not Article 112.

Article 112 is not a special law, but protection of the monarchy; like ordinary people need to be protected from libel, said the PM.

The PM said, after returning from the UK, he would review the procedure and prosecution of offences under the 2007 computer crime law to be more prudent and proper.

He also consulted with the activists about the possibility of setting up a special committee consisting of the MICT, police, and experts to deal with inappropriate web content more efficiently.

The activists from Netizen, the Campaign for Media Reform and Freedom against Censorship Thailand presented their letter to the Prime Minister, which said the arrest was intimidation and a threat to the rights and freedoms of online media.

They urged the government to have flexibility in dealing with the online media which, technologically speaking, is different from other media, and asked the authorities to adopt a milder approach, which was not repressive.

They also urged the government to stop propagating negative and divisive attitudes towards online media such as portraying Prachatai as part of a conspiracy which is ‘subversive to the monarchy’.

The activists had previously met the PM on Jan 13, 2009, to oppose the government’s ‘War Room’ which was set up to work against online media. On that occasion, the PM agreed to set up a working group through which representatives of internet users could have dialogues with relevant authorities to seek common grounds.

Police insist Prachatai arrest strictly lawful

According to Thai-language daily Thaipost on March 12, Police Central Investigation Bureau Deputy Commander Pol Maj Gen Worasak Nopsitthiporn, as chief of the investigating committee in charge of Prachatai’s offences under the Computer Crime Law, said that the police action against Prachatai was authorized by law. It was not persecution and was not ordered by anyone. The committee made the decision after consulting with all relevant authorities.

‘The arrest warrant was carefully considered. It was approved by the court. The question as to why [the police] did not ask for a summons from the court is not relevant, because the police can ask the court to issue a summons or an arrest warrant. And the police granted bail for Chiranuch on the day of arrest, without detention,’ said the Deputy Commander.

The Dean of Chiang Mai University’s Law Faculty Somchai Preechasilapakul said that in general an arrest warrant would be issued for serious cases such as homicide or when the accused was expected to flee. In the case of Prachatai, the website was publicly recognized and had been cooperative towards the authorities, so he thought the arrest warrant was more than necessary.

Red-shirted activist summoned by police for lèse majesté offence

Former political prisoner for 16 years and anti-government activist Surachai Sae Dan said that he had been summoned by the police on a lèse majesté charge related to his speech at a public rally on Dec 15, 2008. He had reported to the police on March 10, and had not been detained.