Thailand to continue blocking YouTube until some video clips are removed

Thailand to continue blocking YouTube until some video clips are removed

	Published : Mon, 09 Apr 2007 06:40 By : Agencies Print this Story

BANGKOK (XFN-ASIA) - The government 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 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.

'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.'

'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.

Although the original clip has been removed by the user who created it, similar videos have started appearing.

Sitthichai 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.

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.

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