Webmaster has right to complain: PM
Published: 8/03/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: News
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Prachatai’s political website operator is allowed to make a complaint if she believes there was a breakdown in law enforcement.
The prime minister was responding to an operation by the Crime Suppression Division (CSD) police which raided the office of Prachatai’s website on Friday and took its webmaster into custody accusing her of violating the Computer Act.
Mr Abhisit said he acknowledged the case concerned a violation of the Computer Act and the CSD arrest was down to a duty to enforce the law.
“However, if they feel there was an error in law enforcement they can make a complaint to me, I will take care of it,” he said.
Mr Abhisit said he believed the international community would understand the move.
He said a website closure would be a last measure for the government.
However, webmasters need to be vigilant and not allow the posting of any information that breaks laws.
Democrat party spokesman Buranat Samutruk said the webmaster allowed visitors to post “inappropriate” messages which were considered to violate the Computer Act.
“Officials must take legal action against those who post inappropriate messages as they are considered harmful to national security and cause social division,” he said.
About 10 CSD officers led by Pol Col Satit Tachayapop, deputy CSD commander, went to the prachatai.com office on Friday with a search warrant and detained Cheeranuch Premchaiphorn, the webmaster.
The CSD accused her of violating Article 15 of the Computer Act as well as disseminating lese majeste content on the website from Oct 15 to Nov 3 last year.
The police interrogated her and copied all files from her personal computer. Chantana Banpasirichote, a political lecturer from Chulalongkorn University, used her position to guarantee Ms Cheeranuch’s bail. The website was still operating yesterday.
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