THAI ‘THOUGHT POLICE’ TO ARREST PEOPLE WHO PRESS ‘LIKE’ ON FACEBOOK FOR THE WRONG REASONS

Computer crime police in Thailand have warned the public that if they click on ‘Like’ in certain posts in Facebook they could face trial and imprisonment.


The message is aimed at people who might ‘like’ a change of government currently controlled by the Pheu Thai Party and widely believed to still be being run by exiled Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

It seems the closest thing yet a national government has come to creating ‘Thought Police’ aka Thinkpol the law enforcement officials who arrested Winston and Julia in George Orwell’s ‘Nineteen Eighty Four’.

In Orwell’s book the Inner Party not only try to control people’s actions but also their thoughts. Guilty persons can be charged and punished for ‘thoughtcrime’ – thinkcrime in newspeak.

Major Gen Pisit Pao-in, commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division of the Royal Thai Police told the ‘Nation’ newspaper:

 “It will be if you ‘like’ a message deemed damaging to national security. If you press ‘like’, it means you are accepting that message, which is tantamount to supporting it. By doing so, you help increase the credibility of the message and hence you should also be held responsible.

How the Nation headlined the interview – Picture – The Nation

“I’m not prohibiting from pressing ‘like’. But if you ‘like’ this kind of message, you will be arrested,” he added. 

“There are two kinds of sharing. If you share in a way to support the original message, this is wrong. But if you comment against the message, this is okay.” 

“They, other countries, have different laws. We are taking preventive measures in dealing with this matter. Others may use the principle of law but we use the principle of political science.”

Major General Pao-In said the laws were directed at people who were trying to physically stir up unrest by advocating a coup, or exhorting others to resort to violence on the streets.

On 21 October 2008, the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions ruled that Thaksin Shinawatra, one time owner of Manchester City FC, while prime minister, abused his power to help his wife buy public land at auction, and sentenced him to two years in jail. He subsequently left the country, but was refused asylum in the U.K.

Thai style – the TCSD’s cute owl

The current Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is Thaksin’s younger sister. The current government wished to bring Thaksin back but cannot override the court giving him an amnesty without passing new laws.

This has led to unsettlement in a country which is bitterly divided over Thaksin’s period in power which saw a massive increase in allegations of corruption and human rights violations, but also government measures to alleviate the suffering of the poor. It still remains, in the form now of the Pheu Thai, the government of choice.