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Google 'has double standards'
10/04/2007 07:10 - (SA)
Bangkok - Thailand on Monday vowed to continue blocking video-sharing website YouTube until clips deemed offensive to the king are removed, accusing the firm's parent company Google of double standards.
Communications minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudoom urged Google to help the military-backed government by removing a mushrooming number of videos mocking revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
"Those clips are very harsh to the feelings of Thai people and our culture, and foreigners will never understand," Sitthichai said during an interview with a Thai television channel on Monday.
"Google has said they have no censorship policy, but earlier agreed to censor its website in China when the same kind of dispute occurred, because China is so powerful compared to Thailand."
The Chinese version of the Google search engine, Google.cn, was launched in January 2006 amid much controversy because the company agreed to censor its service according to the wishes of China's propaganda chiefs.
"We have no other choice but to try every effort until the clips are removed," Sitthichai said. "We will negotiate with Google to help us."
Thailand last week blocked access to YouTube after the site refused to take down a clip showing defaced images of the king, including pictures of the monarch next to images of feet - seen as deeply offensive in Thailand.
Original clip removed
Although the original clip has been removed by the user who created it, similar videos have started appearing.
On Monday morning, some 20 clips related to the controversy were seen on the site. Most of them mocked the king and the Thai government, but others featured YouTube users discussing free speech, censorship and cultural sensitivities.
Sitthichai on Monday also defended his ministry's move over the weekend to shut down the political page of Thailand's most popular online chat room, Pantip.com, one of a growing number of political websites now banned here.
Media rights watchdogs have expressed concern about an escalating clampdown on free speech since a military coup here last September.
Sitthichai said Pantip's political page was shut down because some topics were considered a threat to national security, and others were offensive to the king.
"Pantip will be shut down temporarily until the political situation eases or the comments posted on the site improve," Sitthichai said.
"Those comments use destructive and severe words... If they want to discuss politics, they should use reasonable words. Then we won't have a problem with people who want to criticise the junta, the government or support the former premier," he said.
- AFP
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