THAILAND: Sittichai says Google blinks

Minister says Google promised to remove all anti-monarchy clips from YouTube's video library

Bangkok Post
Thursday, May 10, 2007

The ICT minister said on Thursday that the search giant has promised to remove all anti-monarchy videos from the YouTube.com website, and has decided not to press charges against the US company.

Information and Communications Technology Minister Sitthichai Pokaiyaudom said he had received an official letter from a Google vice president saying that the US company did not want to promote hostile feelings over the video clips.

Google's vice president Kent Walker wrote to Mr Sitthichai on Wednesday, officially informing the government that Google will remove the controversial Internet video clips from YouTube.

The minister said that Google's vice president Kent Walker said in the letter that the company slogan is, "Don't do evil," and he did not want Google to become a source of hostile feeling regarding the King's video clips.

The Google executive that it would take time to find all the video clips uploaded to YouTube, but said the clips could be removed.

As of 6:30 on Thursday evening Thailand time, no videos appeared to have been taken down. Volunteers who have been tracking the videos for the Bangkok Post said all the main videos defaming His Majesty were still quickly found and ready for viewing on YouTube.com

The original video defaming the King was taken down within three days of its appearance last month, and the uploader was banned from the site. Since then, after Mr Sitthichai made a huge fuss and tried to ban Thais from accessing YouTube.com, around 20 anti-monarchy videos have been added. Many attacked Mr Sitthichai by name.

It was not immediately clear why volunteer monitors could find 11 clips within seconds, while YouTube technicians would need more time.

In any case, Mr Sitthichai also was cautious. He applauded the company's letter as a good sign.

He said he had called off plans by the ministry to file a criminal lawsuit agianst Google at the Bangkok Criminal Court on Friday. "We have called that off," he said.

But Mr Sitthichai said it would be up to the National Police Office to decide whether to drop a pending charge of lese majeste against Google, also scheduled to be given to the court on Friday.

Earlier the ICT planned to charge that YouTube, the video sharing website owned by Google, had hosted video clips offensive to the King. The minister described them as "very harsh to the feelings of Thai people and Thai culture," although he allowed as to how "foreigners would never understand."

Date Posted: 5/10/2007