Thai Protests Trigger Web Crackdown

Dozens injured as troops move to quell Bangkok protests

(NEWSER) - Dozens of people were injured today as the Thai military moved to crush protests causing chaos in Bangkok. Soldiers opened fire at demonstrators who had taken control of a major junction and set fire to a bus they had commandeered. Most aimed over the protesters' heads but some fired live rounds directly into the crowd, a BBC correspondent at the scene reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Anti-government protesters ignored Thailand’s state of emergency by the thousands today while former PM Thaksin Shinawatra called on them “to come out in revolution,” the New York Times reports. In defiance of a ban on gatherings of more than five people in Bangkok, demonstrators rallied outside the current prime minister’s home, attacked his car, and erected barricades in case of military intervention. More»

Gov't bans gatherings of more than 5 in capital

(AP) - Thailand's embattled government, humiliated by demonstrators who shut down a 16-nation Asian summit, declared a state of emergency in the capital today and ordered armored vehicles into the streets to stem a tide of protest across the country. Bands of anti-government protesters roamed Bangkok as the decree was announced. They smashed a car, commandeered public buses, and beat up motorists who hurled insults at them. More»

Dissidents fear losing free-speech tool

(NEWSER) - Twitter's controversial decision to allow censorship of tweets on a country-by-country basis has won praise from two of the countries with the busiest censors. In Thailand—ranked 153rd in the world for press freedom because of its strict laws against offending the monarchy—the country's information minister called the move a "welcome development," adding that the government has already received "good co-operation" from Google and Facebook. Thais can be jailed just for clicking "like" on a page deemed offensive to the monarchy, the Guardian notes. More»

Yingluck Shinawatra 'can't even protect her Twitter account'

(AP) - A mocking hacker took over the Twitter account of Thailand's recently elected prime minister today, questioning her ability to defend the country if she cannot even secure her own tweets. The unknown hacker ended a series of at least eight postings on the account of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra with a taunt: "If she can't even protect her own Twitter account, how can she protect the country? Think about it." More»