FACT Information Request Letter to MICT

[ภาษาไทย/Thai: คำถาม 20 ต่อกระทรวงไอซีที]

The Information Request that FACT submitted to MICT 9 Feb 2007

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9th February 2007Information RequestMinistry of Information and Communication Technology
ATTN: Dr. Sitthichai Pokaiudom
Minister of Information and Communication Technology

Dear Minister:

1) Specifically, what are the relevant Thai laws, regulations, directions, administrative orders, court decisions, and/or expert legal interpretations which empower MICT or any other Thai government agencies block or to “request” the blocking of websites in Thailand?

2) If MICT cites reasons of “national security” for web-blocking, please provide the common names, URLs and IP addresses for each website so deemed as well as the specific legal reasons for this designation and complete dates of blocking.

3) What criteria does MICT use in determining the reasons for blocking each website?

4) Who exactly determines such criteria? Please provide full contact details.

5) Please provide MICT’s precise and practical definitions for the legal terms “improper”, “obscene”, “illegal”.

6 ) Who, exactly, at MICT determines which websites should be blocked? Please provide full contact details.

7) Is this decision at MICT to block a website made by individuals or is each decision referred to a committee for further review, consideration and determination? Please provide the names and positions for all those individuals acting on such bodies.

8 ) Which distinct person at MICT has oversight over these individuals and committee and finally approves this list of websites to be blocked? Please provide full contact details.

9 ) And, of course, who is the single individual within MICT who takes final responsibility for Internet censorship? Please provide full contact details.

10) Which procedures does MICT use for locating a website Uniform Record Locator and/or Intrernet Protocol address for blocking?

11) By which technical means does MICT redirect a Thai Internet user to CyberClean/CyberInspector or various error messages, including but not limited to:

a) “Access Denied (policy_denied)”;

b) “Network Error (tcp_error) communication error”;

c) “Network Error (tcp_error) Operation timed out”;

d) “Network error (dns_server_failure)”;

e) [Browser] “can’t find the server”;

f) [Browser] “can’t open the page-bad server response”;

g) [Browser] “can’t open the page-server stopped responding”.

12) Please identify the individuals, job titles and full contact details in each Thai Internet Service Provider of which MICT requests web-blocking.

13) Please identify the nature, procedures, individuals, job titles and full contact details of MICT’s cooperation with the Royal Thai Police, Communications of Thailand and any other government agency cooperating in the blocking of websites.

14) Please identify the Thai and international police, regulatory and government agencies with MICT cooperates in the blocking of websites, the individuals, positions and full contact details and the form and extent of such cooperation.

15) Please provide us a copy of MICT’s complete current blocklist.

16) Please provide us with a complete current copy of any lists in the possession of MICT or any person employed by MICT of websites blocked by any means by any other government agency, including, but not limited to:

a) The Royal Thai Police

b) The Communications Authority of Thailand

17) Please separately identify any website blocking of Internet fora, stating specific reasons for such censorship of public discussions.

18) Further to query 15) above, please provide the complete dates of any web-blocking effected or requested by MICT of:

a) 19sep.org

b) midnightuniv.org

c) prachatai.com

19) Please provide a complete copy of any requests made by any Thai government agency, including MICT, of Google or any other search engine to cooperate in web-blocking by any means.

20) Should these means in query 19) above include blocking websites by keyword search, what exactly are those keywords and which specific person at MICT determines those keywords? Please provide full contact details.

Failure or refusal to provide the above information or delay greater than thirty (30) days by MICT, as required by law, shall be considered in clear violation of the Official Information Act 2540.

Thank you in advance for your full and prompt reply to the questions above.

Yours sincerely,
Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT)

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