Thailand to sue Google for insulting monarchy

May 8, 2007, 13:07 GMT

Bangkok - Thailand's Information and Communications Technology Ministry said Tuesday it will go ahead with a criminal lawsuit against Google Inc for running video clips on its popular website YouTube.com deemed offensive to the monarchy.

ICT Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom said he will proceed on Friday with the case against Google at Thailand's criminal court after the Internet giant rejected appeals to remove controversial video clips deemed insulting to King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Thailand's revered monarch who this year celebrates his 80th birthday.

Sitthichai added that the ministry is studying the case to determine if the lawsuit can be filed in an international court, reported the state-run Thai News Agency (TNA).

Thailand has strict lese majeste laws that make it a criminal offence to mock the royal family.

YouTube has reportedly asked the Thai government 'by e-mail' to send the controversial clips deemed insulting the King as evidence so it will remove them as requested by Thailand.

Sitthichai said the request showed that YouTube was 'playing a game'.

Sitthichai has argued that Google had bowed to China's requests to block certain topics deemed politically sensitive, such as all references to democracy, so he saw no reason why it could not act similarly over Thailand's sensitivities over its revered monarch.

The ministry has blocked local access to YouTube since April 4, shortly after the first offensive clip appeared on the popular website which relies on contributions from the public at large.

Increasing government censorship of websites was cited as one of the reasons Thailand was downgraded earlier this month to 127th place out of 195 countries on the Freedom House ranking of press freedom.

Last year Thailand ranked 107th in the same listing.