My hope is that those doing this will stop. The King has the country's good at heart and it's rather stupid to insult him. If someone is unhappy with the political scene in Thailand, then maybe they should focus on where the rot really is. Leave the King alone.
Outrage over videos mocking Thai king - World - smh.com.au
Thailand today expressed outrage at the posting of two new videos mocking the country's revered king on the video-sharing website YouTube, pledging to maintain a ban on the site.
"This group of people has found another outlet, taking another action that is considered very offensive to the king," said communications ministry spokesman Vissanu Meeyoo.
"Thailand doesn't want to take this kind of action. We are just doing it temporarily," he said of the ban imposed on Tuesday.
The original video that prompted Thai authorities to block YouTube appeared to have been withdrawn by its creator, with a notice on the site saying it had been "removed by the user".
But two more clips, posted by users with different screen names from the original video creator, surfaced today. The site was accessed in Bangkok via a foreign server.
Like the first video, one of the new postings showed images of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's face covered with graffiti or juxtaposed with images of feet, considered deeply offensive in Thailand.
Another clip showed pictures of the king that had been digitally altered to make him resemble a monkey, and carried messages saying Thailand's leaders are "evil and hate free speech".
The second video used an expletive to denounce the king and the government.
"Officials will meet this afternoon with an association of internet users to discuss taking further action, after the parent company Google failed to give any cooperation," the communications ministry spokesman said.
"We need cooperation from internet users to monitor these groups," he added.
A spokeswoman for YouTube said before the new videos were posted that the company was "disappointed" with Thailand's ban of the site.
"We have asked the government to lift the block, and we look forward to the resumption of service to our Thai users," spokeswoman Julie Supan said.
The decision to block the entire YouTube site drew sharp criticism from media freedom groups, who said the ban highlighted a growing trend for the military government to censor political expressions on the internet.
Thailand's king, almost universally adored by Thais, is the world's longest-reigning monarch, and one of the few who is still protected by tough laws that prohibit any insult against the royal family.
The ban came a week after Thailand jailed a Swiss man for 10 years for insulting the king by vandalising his portraits during a drunken spree.
AFP
