Thai Police: We'll Get You For Online Social Media Criticism 86
wired_parrot (768394) writes 'After a leading protester of the recent military coup in Thailand made several critical posts in Facebook criticizing the military takeover, Thailand's Technology Crime Suppression Division tracked his location through his IP address and promptly arrested him.. The arrested was meant to send a message to Thailand's online community. Said the police: "I want to tell any offenders on social media that police will come get you."'
FB gave the ip address, thank you! (Score:1)
FB gave the ip address, thank you!
Re:FB gave the ip address, thank you! (Score:4, Informative)
I think he was tricked to visiting some site, more likely - and wasn't really trying to hide the ip. or it's a plant pr job.
Anyhow, a while ago, the junta blocked Facebook for the whole country for a while apparently because they had no idea how the internet works and had ordered some "Facebook pages" to be blocked(and later their pr making some comment about wanting to make better filtering for their main internet connection, I can only guess that they want the same kind of MITM capability that nsa is running, I have zero faith in them actually accomplishing that as it's anyones guess if even the friggin isp's in Thai know where their traffic is routed out of the country and how. You can buy residential fiber in many areas in Thailand but you might just as well buy cable due to their fucked up routing).
At least they got scandily clad women in military style clothers singing songs in Bangkok.
Running VPN's to outside Thailand is pretty common too - and if you're wondering why they aren't blocking Twitter, Facebook and Line(it's a whatsup clone that everyone uses) the reason is two pronged: it would get them too much flack and frankly the leader of the Junta doesn't care too much since he's pretty.. how to say.. old ways guy, stuck in old media - but on the other hand if he would block them then his political career would be over due to the uproar(he has a political career now and was about to get age based forced retirement from military later this year).
The reason why the coup hasn't had much effect in about anything except 10-20% drop in tourism is quite simple: the Thais had not been getting anything done in the last year anyways due to unwillingness of police and military to get involved in politics the proper way - they didn't secure the voting, they didn't arrest people who had insurrection charges and were openly plotting overthrowing of the elected government through unconstitutional means(and were charged even - and the cops knew exactly where they were and when).
sue they just went form a paralyzed government(which might have not been doing anything even without extra interference because hey, they're Thais) to a overburdened military ran government with a leader with aspirations to run for next PM himself, he better because technically he needs amnesty after this debacle, but like always he might not even bother with that since if the old Elite ways are kept he wont get charged even if he drives drunk over a cop - and status like that is what the old thais are afraid of losing and that's why they backed the demonstrators with loads of raw cash (when they claim they love the King, what they really love is acting like being royalty in medieval times).
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At least they got scandily clad women in military style clothers singing songs in Bangkok.
This is why I like modern Buddhist cultures [like Thailand and Tibet]; they refuse to stereotype themselves and become clichés. :p
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and become clichÃf©s
That should've read "cliches" (so much for the apparently-exotic punctuation...).
Accented caracters (Score:2)
use HTML entities [wikipedia.org] like "é" :
"cliché" give "cliché"
Slashdot failure (Score:2)
Why should we have to resort to such shenanigans when anyone with an appropriate keyboard or a 'nix-style Compose Key configured (I recommend Win Compose if you're not running a 'nix) can enter the characters in a cross-program compatible manner far more easily? This is a clear failure on the part of the Slashdot code, which has been operating an overly-aggressive unicode blacklist on comments for far too long.
Salshdot is US based (Score:2)
Why should we have to resort to such shenanigans
Because Slashdot is US based and is english speaking, and nearly all the discussions here can there for fit within basic ASCII char-set. (Except a few loan-words which are acceptable without accented chars anyway).
The fact that you and I come from other regions and speak other languages won't change the fact that Slashdot doesn't give a fuck about non-english language and their scripts. Support for UTF-8 is not a vital necessity on /.
On the other hand, motivated people like me have found a compatible way ar
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Actually, if I recall correctly the Slashdot codebase is UTF-8 compliant, but they had some abuses quite some time back and blacklisted the vast majority of the unicode code pages as a result, most of which aren't actually vulnerable to abuse.
Meanwhile, I'm actually an English-speaking American who uses a compose key to easily include exponents, subscripts, extended mathematical symbols, etc. when typing. And Slashdot is one of the few places I can't even include a proper degree-symbol in my comment.
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Probably half the /. readership has edited HTML source in vi or emacs depending on religion.
Does using nano for text editing then mean I am an athiest then?
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The reason why the coup hasn't had much effect in about anything except 10-20% drop in tourism is quite simple:
Because they have a coup every few years so they have practice in making it run smoothly?
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The reason why the coup hasn't had much effect in about anything except 10-20% drop in tourism is quite simple:
Because they have a coup every few years so they have practice in making it run smoothly?
Spoken like a person who has never been to Thailand.
Thai's dont run anything smoothly. You cant even get prompt service in restaurants, things happen in their own time there.
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"tracked his location through his IP address" (Score:1)
They must've had a GUI interface made in Visual Basic.
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... and all of those thing you say ... which don't apply to anything other than silly movies ... will fix posting publicly on social media HOW exactly?
You've seen the Matrix or Sneakers one to many times.
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... and all of those thing you say ... which don't apply to anything other than silly movies
I think it is you who has been watching too many movies, as you seem to think that the police have infinite resources and powers. There are many things to do that will greatly decrease the chances of them catching you, especially for a government such as Thailand's.
Only if the person is ignorant does he get caught this easily.
will fix posting publicly on social media HOW exactly?
That depends on the information you give away.
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Then you really don't know anything about how automated finding someone based on an online profile is. The software has been written, the automation done. It takes VERY LITTLE resources for the system to put it all together. All but the most dedicated and vigilant people will leave enough of a trace that they can be easily tracked down.
That depends on the information you give away.
In order to actually talk to a website, you leave enough information behind to be found, especially with Tor infiltration.
You simply aren't as clever as you think you are,
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In order to actually talk to a website, you leave enough information behind to be found, especially with Tor infiltration.
You simply aren't as clever as you think you are, even if you don't realize how easy it is to figure out who you are.
Which is why it is vital that we not magnanimously accept its warrant-less use against us by our governors.
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This will only catch idiots. Smart people (the ones who are more dangerous) will be driven even more underground, using encrypted chats, sneakernets, and ways to mask IP like VPNs.
Preaching to the choir.
If you want to be politically effective you need to have significant visibility -- presence and recognition --- above-ground.
You need to take chances.
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This will only catch idiots. Smart people (the ones who are more dangerous) will be driven even more underground, using encrypted chats, sneakernets, and ways to mask IP like VPNs. Bit if what they want is to "make an example", it might work.
They're not trying to "make an example" they're trying to get the violence and conflict to stop. There were grenade attacks, etc., that were becoming much too "normal" a feature of political protests.
Furthermore, the Thai constitution is easy to change, and is only a few years old. There is no traditional Constitution for the people to fall back on. There is no tradition or history of democracy. Like early Americans, they care a lot more about civil rights than "democracy." They share similar negative views
Not surprising. (Score:3)
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The Bell Curve (Score:2)
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Say something about a protected race in the US and see how the "law" behaves
Nothing happens, because SCOTUS has ruled [wikipedia.org] it to be protected by the First Amendment many years ago.
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Nonsense, Thailand has those laws only because the King is so popular the "populist" politicians refuse to remove them, and so do the elitists, even though the King has stated in clear and simple language that he believes people should be allowed to criticize him, or anyone, openly.
It could only happen in a place where the average person on the street is offended by insults to the King.
Few places in the world have a monarchy with a good enough history for that to be the case. Notice how through all the chan
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Nonsense, Thailand has those laws only because the King is so popular the "populist" politicians refuse to remove them, and so do the elitists, even though the King has stated in clear and simple language that he believes people should be allowed to criticize him, or anyone, openly.
This, The King of Thailand has as much real political power as the Queen of England. He's openly requested the removal of the Leste Majesty laws in Thailand but the politicians have refused because they're such a useful cudgel to use against their political enemies. Political corruption is rife in Thailand, but the monarch can do nothing about it. Also, the king grants royal pardons to people convicted of Leste Majesty. Kind of ironic, he cant get rid of the law but can pardon anyone convicted of it.
Suppression Division (Score:2)
I wish other things came so clearly marked.
Like the woman who will break your things when she leaves or the guy on the street who really doesn't need a light for his cigarette.
so much for the song (Score:2)
"One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster... just don't tweet about it OR ELSE"
Doesn't have the same ring to it.
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For values of "or else" that mean you'll be temporarily detained and then released unharmed.
it was bound to happen (Score:1)
This will become the norm everywhere, soon enough. Learn to keep silent, not to make waves, not to stand out. Hold your peace. Those will be invaluable survival skills in the Brave New World to come. And by the way, what is to be gained by criticizing those in power? They're not going away. Might as well learn how to ingratiating yourself to them, for instance informing on subversive individuals. It could lead to better social standing and a better share of what scarce wealth will remain. Yes, this is what
Re:it was bound to happen (Score:5, Informative)
But was it really forbidden to critizise the ruling class in A Brave New World? Wasn't it just that no-one did, because constant fun-and-sport-and-sexytimes made every-one both content and shallow as puddles. (Except the protagonist.) I think you want 1984.
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It was implied that alphas did from time to time and got sent off to various islands.
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1984 is to Brave New World like the Beatles are to the Monkees. Brave New World always struck me as a little too "earnest", for want of a better word. If you're going to say something, say it. Don't create a symbol/metaphor for something. That's lame. I like the honesty of commercials from the 50's and 60's where they show you the product and describe it, rather than current ads which show you a lifestyle the advertisers think you'd like and associate that with the product (hence jet planes zooming a
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Brave New World always struck me as more probable than 1984.
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They are the Thai people, not the Thailanders. The country is also just "Thai" in the Thai language. Thailand is just to make it easier on foreigners.
I encourage you to spend more time learning about them than you do trying to incite conflict. ;) You may find out that there is no Thai gulag, they're not being held for months, and that they have a broad concept of "civil liberties" that doesn't include any "right" to get blown up by grenade attacks for protesting, and it does not include a "right" for newly
Mrs Peel, we're needed (Score:2)
use some 3 letter program that rhymes with a avenger (and know how to use it).
I can't think of a 3-letter program that rhymes with Steed or Peel [wikipedia.org].
When a service becomes an idependent institution. (Score:4, Insightful)
I often find people don't seem to understand when talking about countries like Pakistan or Egypt that the military, police and intelligence services aren't just bureaucracies within the government. They are institutions that have a life of their own, a life that is parallel to the civilian government. And when push comes to shove, the nominal subservience of the security services to civilian authority goes out the window.
And here in the US, people are already crossing the line from respecting and honoring the men and women who serve this country in uniform to revering the military as an institution, and that we should never do.
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Serious (not tinfoil) comment: you have three such entities in the US (on a scale that their equivalents in the UK do not come close to matching).
The FBI, the CIA and the NSA are all independent institutions with a life of their own.
The FBI has _repeatedly_ demonstrated that independence (under Hoover and after), and little regard for the constitution.
The CIA has a budget which you as citizens do not get to fully inspect, dark revenue streams that have seen it alleged to be involved in drug and arms dealing
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I would add that if push comes to shove in the USA and the army steps in (and it would; that's what armies do), your biggest worry is which of the NSA or CIA will take control, and whether the FBI will launch an insurgency.
Wait... you mean they aren't *already* in control?
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There is a whole lot you're wrong about there. The FBI is only independent recently, and not entirely. Made so to reduce abuse from being used politically. The CIA is not independent at all. The NSA is independent but has no law enforcement or governing structures or rights; all they can do is collect information and give it to other parts of the government, and they're substantially restricted in what they can share.
Your claim that the CIA "has been implicated in the killing of a presidential candidate" is
Back here in America (Score:1)
I'm old enough to remember the time before Obama, when you could speak out against the government and not have to worry about getting targeted by goons from the IRS.
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I'm old enough to remember the time before Obama, when you could speak out against the government and not have to worry about getting targeted by goons from the IRS.
Gee, when was that? Poor widdle teabaggers had to fill out a few extra forms. Opponents of george w. bush were herded into "free speech zones", pepper sprayed and busted for having the gall to oppose the War on Terra.
You'd think this tactic would backfire (Score:3)
Telling people that you'll come arrest them when they speak out against you is admitting that you're not acting in the best interest of the people. Hence people will be less likely to support you in the long run than if you just allow and *gasp* maybe even listen to criticism.
These people act more like playground bullies than adults governing a nation. It's pretty sad and despicable. Imagine if they just came out and said "You may say whatever you like about us; tell us how you really feel. No harm will ever befall you for stating your opinion." The good will that would generate would be FAR more effective than arresting those who disagree with you!
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Totally agree, it is not about "freedom of speech" it is about various minority political parties taking a "time out" because of grenade attacks and other absurdities. Everybody knows "freedom of speech" will resume after the "time out."
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More like:
Only Cowards Censor. Fuck the Thai police and King for being cowards.
"The arrested"? (Score:2)
The arrested was meant to send a message to Thailand's online community.
Come on, /. editors. Seriously?
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Yes, we're in hock up to our necks because Greasy Spics and Scary Mooselimbs. It has nothing to do with people baying for MOAR WAR! without being willing to pay the taxes to support it. We had a budget surplus before george w. bush got in.
If you're suggesting a final solution to the Greasy Spic/Scary Mooselimb/whatever problem, then just come out and say so.
Outrage to the king (Score:2)
Guns in the hands of the common citizens (Score:2)
will solve this problem. There is a reason brutal monarchies never exists in a society where its citizens are armed.
Thailand will be a great business opportunity to Smith & Wesson.
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There is a reason brutal monarchies never exists in a society where its citizens are armed.
I suppose it's technically true, since e.g. Iraq under Saddam, while a quite brutal dictatorship, and with no shortage of arms in the hands of the citizens, was not a monarchy.
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will solve this problem. There is a reason brutal monarchies never exists in a society where its citizens are armed.
Thailand will be a great business opportunity to Smith & Wesson.
LoL.
Go look up where Thailand is for fatal shootings per capita.
Then go look at how corrupt the political system in Thailand is.
Then realise how wrong you are.