enigma Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 "...we cannot control the publishers or prohibit them from printing this and that because, according to the Constitution, the press has freedom to publish. So all we can do is take the problematic books off the shelves..." In other words, you have the right to print and publish anything you like, but that doesn't mean you have the right to actually distribute it. http://www.manager.co.th/IHT/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9480000170377 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Central Scrutinizer Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 enigma, Thanks for the link. Interesting and very disturbing article. Charge the authors with 'obscenity'!!!!!! WTF? Pissed off because they mention traffic jams and ladyboys in the book? This tarnishes Thailand's image? This country is insane at times. They have prostitution everywhere in your face, or hidden, and that's not a problem as long as no one (especially a foreigner) writes about it? TIT I guess, but whose book will be next? Very few books written by farang on Bangkok do not mention these very same things. Will they all be pulled off the shelves as well? Cent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 13, 2005 Report Share Posted December 13, 2005 Does the fact that the authors are Israelis enter in to it? Trying to please the Muslims maybe??? (Just a random thought ...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 14, 2005 Report Share Posted December 14, 2005 Does the fact that the authors are Israelis enter in to it? Trying to please the Muslims maybe??? (Just a random thought ...) I suspect not. When TRT was first elected, there was an interesting article that dissected the party and divided it into three groups: (a) large local business interests who endorsed economic nationalism and protectionism because they were damaged by 1997 financial crisis and felt threatened by international competition and wanted to protect their local monopolies; ( social activists and former communists opposed to globalization and free markets generally (national socialists); and © cultural conservatives who felt threatened by the influence of western culture. The current Minister of Culture appears to falls into category ©. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chilli13 Posted December 14, 2005 Report Share Posted December 14, 2005 It makes sense then LOL. Thanks gadfly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
packy Posted December 14, 2005 Report Share Posted December 14, 2005 Can you imagine how empty the book shelves in libraries and newsstands would be in the US, Britain and other countries would be if "Censorship" prohibited such items? a FREE PRESS will bring to light problems, then when it is no longer true or factual that will be in future publications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 14, 2005 Report Share Posted December 14, 2005 What the hell is a Minister of Culture? Sounds like something out of Orwell. p.s. Or the biology lab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous_Dog Posted December 14, 2005 Report Share Posted December 14, 2005 Puying Nongnoi is the Perm Sec to the Minister of Culture, very very nice and smart lady. She was the previios Perm Sec at ICT ministry. Ministers have some but as in the TV show "yes Minister" not a lot of control over ministries. The Perm Sec has the real power, they decide how things get done, and Government job to work well with them to achieve it. That said the Culture miniistry is now looking at regulating internet cafes for content and all sorts of similar projects, interesting DOG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted December 14, 2005 Report Share Posted December 14, 2005 Wouldn't it be nice if they did something useful ... say trying to prevent greedy landowners from destroying traditional Thai buildings and replacing them with more gawdawful skyscrapers??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous_Dog Posted December 15, 2005 Report Share Posted December 15, 2005 Would be indeed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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