Chalerm vows lese majeste net crackdown

Chalerm vows lese majeste net crackdown

Yingluck orders check if UDD intimidated press

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung has promised to crack down on websites with lese majeste content and to look into alleged intimidation of the press by red shirts.

Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung offers Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra some advice while she chairs a meeting to explain the government’s policies to senior state officials at Government House yesterday. CHANAT KATANYU

Mr Chalerm, who oversees the Royal Thai Police Office, said taking action against websites containing content that insults the monarchy would be one of his top priorities.
He made the statement yesterday after Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called a cabinet meeting to apportion tasks among members of her cabinet.

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Mr Chalerm said he would tell the police force to set up a war room to deal with websites with lese majeste content straight away.
"Such websites will not be tolerated by this government. I will take action as quickly as possible," Mr Chalerm said.
Mr Chalerm also said Prime Minister Yingluck had told him to follow up on a case involving alleged intimidation of the press by red shirts.
A group of journalists on the parliament beat on Thursday said in an open letter to Ms Yingluck that they were concerned about an email hate campaign being circulated among red shirts who claimed to be supporters of the Pheu Thai Party.
The emails expressed disappointment over news coverage of Ms Yingluck and singled out a Channel 7 female reporter.
The e-mails included a photo of the woman and her name, with the remarks "Remember her face", and "Take care of her when you see her".
Mr Chalerm said he would look into the matter.
He dismissed accusations that the government was behind the email hate campaign.
Mr Chalerm said he had asked Kwanchai Praipana, a red shirt leader in Udon Thani, to ensure his red shirt supporters behaved themselves.
Mr Kwanchai has promised to keep the red shirts in Udon Thani under control, Mr Chalerm said.
Udon Thani is one of the main strongholds of the red shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD).
Mr Kwanchai yesterday expressed disapproval of the use of force by red shirts who allegedly assaulted two men who were laying a wreath outside parliament in protest against House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranon.
They were upset after he supposedly failed to show neutrality in the House this week.
He said this could further hurt the red shirts' image which has already been cast in a negative light.
Mr Kwanchai said any ill-judged moves by red shirts would do more harm than good to the government, although he believed that most red shirts have supported efforts to restore national reconciliation.
Mr Kwanchai also said Tida Tavornseth, UDD chairwoman, was no longer in a position to control the red shirts.
Most red shirt supporters would only listen to Jatuporn Prompan and Natthawut Saikua _ the red shirt leaders who have now become Pheu Thai MPs.