[Nettime-nl] Military censorship in Thailand: educational web site closed down

[Tjebbe van Tijen via Chello <t.tijen@chello.nl>]

I did receive this mail from a friend in Thailand ...
It is an introduction to a request for support
for security reason I have left out the name of the first addressee

=======

Hello,

 This mail is sent by Bcc. As you know, there was coup d'etat in 
Thailand on Sept.19. Despite the attempt by the military council to 
portrait it as a friendly coup, they are imposing censorship in various 
fields. Recently they closed the important on-line education site, 
Midnight University <www.midnightuniv.org>. This on-line education has 
been created for those people who cannot afford to go to higher 
education to be informed and empowered. It is one of the most 
enlightening media in Thailand, and I contribute to them, too, for free 
and copyleft, as I support their object. In fact this is the second 
time they are closed down by the authority: the first time because by 
the Thaksin government, and this time because they are critical towards 
the coup and the military council. The closure of their site seriously 
obstructs educational process of millions of people who depend on them, 
blocking the free flow of information and exchange of people's ideas, 
and is a total setback of democratic process of the country, just like 
the coup d'etat is. I would appreciate if you help their petition 
campaign by adding your name and circulate their message to your 
friends. Thank you very much for your constant help for the democratic 
path of South East Asia.

-----

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: somkiat tangnamo <  midnightuniv@gmail.com>

Dear ----

The Midnight University Website, the foremost free and critical 
educational and
public intellectual website in Thailand with over freely accessible 
1,500
 scholarly articles, a lively webboard with ongoing thought-provoking 
debates,
which receives well over 2.5 visits per month from viewers around the 
world,
has already been shut down by the Thai Information & Communications 
Ministry
last night, acting under the order of the self-styled military Council 
of
Democratic Reform. This is not only a hugh loss to academic and 
intellectual
freedom in Thai society, but also a closure of a free forum for the 
contention
of ideas to find a peaceful alternative to violent conflict in Thailand.

We are gathering signatures for a campaign to pressure for the 
reversion of this
unjustifiable violation of the Thai people's right to information and 
free
expression by the Thai authorities. So, please consider adding your and 
your
firiends' names to the end of this message and e-mail it back to me so 
that we
could save what little is left of precious freedom and wisdom in Thai 
society
in these dark and difficult times.

Sincerely,

Somkiat Tangnamo

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