Wikileaks was the talk of Thailand’s online community yesterday after a MICT source admitted that the government had “temporarily suspended access” to the site using the CRES emergency powers.

From an AFP article:

The order came from the government unit set up to oversee the response to political unrest that rocked the nation’s capital earlier this year, said a spokeswoman at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

“Access to this website has been temporarily suspended under the 2005 emergency decree,” she said.

The blocking of Wikileaks has been openly acknowledged in Thailand’s online community since 28 June this year when high profile Thailand-based Twitter user Richard Barrow posted a screenshot of a CRES blocking page on Twitter. Yet it has taken the media close to two months to catch-up announce this as ‘news’.

Throughout the blocking, though as the AP article states “some users…reported that they were still able to access WikiLeaks within the kingdom”, the lack of comment or response from Wikileaks was curious (ignoring the fact that yesterday it did tweet a link to this Bangkok Post article announcing the blocking.)

Considering it is an organisation that boldly proclaims “we open governments”, it had been remarkably quiet about being closed off itself by the government of a country which is ripe for Wikileaks’ line of investigative, thorn-in-their-side work.

Could it be that Wikileaks was unaware of the block?

No. Not only did Barrow include the organisation on his tweet (with an @ message) but Wikileaks tweeted the image and message out while it was also posted to the organisation’s Facebook wall too. Unquestionably it knew, but why did it not make a fuss and keep quiet despite being silenced by a government?

Had it been blocked in many other countries it would have made a big deal out of it, highlighting that a government would go to such lengths to cover information up.

But Thailand seemed to exempt from this, and was allowed to block sites. Was Wikileaks okay about being blocked?

Perhaps it had been consulted given it had violated Thailand’s infamous lese majeste law?

With many questions on my mind I contacted Wikileaks directly to get clarification and see if it would be prepared to answer a few questions to find out if the organisation knew why it was blocked and what it was doing to remedy the situation. After all, as I’ve already mentioned, Thailand is surely a prime candidate for the organisation’s work opening governments and extracting information where none is forthcoming.

I got a quick response but sadly not what I was looking for…it seems Wikileaks was too busy go set the record straight in Thailand and fight to make the Thai government more accountable.

 

I should point out that I wasn’t looking for a one-on-one exclusive interview with founder Julian Assange, as this response suggests, but rather I sought an official response from the organisation. As a former PR professional I know this is possible, answers could be drafted by a rep with Julian or another senior rep spending a short period of time checking them over to approve them – done.

It is a shame it didn’t take the opportunity to clarify the situation in Thailand because it raises a number of questions about the organisation itself.

Doesn’t value the little guy? Perhaps if I had the reach of the Associated Press or New York Times it might have be different. I hope not as Wikileaks, once a little guy, shouldn’t forget where it came from and shouldn’t focus on the big fish at the expense of the less significant ones, like me.

Okay with blocking in Thailand? I’m not just moaning about Wikileaks’ lack of response but it is a little troubling that an organisation set up to monitor and expose wrongdoing can knowingly allow itself to be blocked in a country – which could use its services – with no word or attempt to fight it.

Under resourced? It seems likely that with all the ongoing issues over the US and Afghanistan documentation, which has made Assange a recognisable face, have left the organisation strapped for time and resources. But if it really wants to change the world and make a difference, it would do well to remember that their are other countries besides the US, and the west, who could use its services just as much.

So Joseph, Julian and anyone else over at Wikileaks…drop me an email back and lets get a few answers to my questions and make it clear where you stand on Thailand and how you can help a country that is in desperate need of transparency and a little expert help from the outside.

*UPDATE*

How is this for timing…Wikileaks has countered its censorship in Thailand by launching Thaileaks, a dedicated site for Thailand – now that is commitment for you.

From the site:

This is sensitive material, all quoted from Wikileaks. Please note - This is not about disrespecting the Thai State or the Royal family. It is about making a statement for the freedom of information.

No offense, this is about the internets! 
If you are a censorship regime, expect us!

It remains to be seen how long it will be until this new site is subject to blockage in Thailand. Thai website Prachatai is one example of site that has been forced to generate new URLs to avoid constant blocking from Thai censors, let’s hope Thaileaks is left to be.

See this post for more.