The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology has blocked a page of the Nitirat website which published the first declaration of the People’s Party after the overthrow of the Absolute Monarchy in 1932.

On 13 December, Sawatree Suksri, a member of the Nitirat group and a law lecturer at Thammasat University, found that she could not access the page, and, instead, using the internet service of True, was redirected to an MICT page with the following message:

Sorry for any inconvenience.
The page you are trying to visit has been blocked by the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology.
For more information, please contact Ministry of Information and Communication Technology
120 Moo 3, floor 6, Government Complex Commemorating His Majesty the Kings 80th Birthday
Changwattana Road, Laksi, Bangkok 10210 Tel. 02-141-6950

She said that her group, as the website owner, or the website administrator had never been notified about the blocking by either the Ministry or the internet service provider.

She assumed that the Ministry had acted under Section 20 of the 2007 Computer Crimes Act, which authorizes responsible officials, with court orders, to block internet content deemed affecting national security and public morals.

‘MICT has to explain how the People’s Party’s 1st declaration, which marks the beginning of Thailand’s democracy, goes against national security or the public good morals.  This is a public document which Thammasat University has put on display at the Pridi Banomyong Monument,’ she said.

It was Pridi, a leading member of the People’s Party and the founder of Thammasat University, who wrote the declaration which strongly criticized the monarchy at the time.

However, the same document can still be accessed at the Pridi Banomyong Institute website.  

Sawatree said that she was collecting information and evidence and would hold MICT and True Corporation to account for this.

Source: http://www.prachatai.com/journal/2012/12/44204