Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said today that the Government is ready to fight Facebook in the courts, as he dismissed the social media giant’s accusation that he used dictatorial power to block access to an anti-Monarchy webpage.
He said that this coin has two sides, with one side being the Thai law, which everyone in the country must follow, adding that his Government has never interfered in the domestic affairs of other countries.
“No need for me to name names or to choose whether they will sue us. They are from the same group, called ‘Royalist Marketplace’, with Somsak (Jeamteerasakul) and Pavin (Chachavalpongpun) being the driving force,” the Prime Minister alleged.
He maintained that the action against the Royalist Marketplace webpage is in accordance with the Thai law and a court order.
Facebook is preparing a lawsuit against the Thai Government for demanding that it to block access to the Royalist Marketplace private group, which is critical of the Thai Monarchy.
The group was founded by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a fierce critic of the Monarchy, who has lived in exile in Japan since 2014.
Although the Facebook office in Thailand has complied with the Thai administration’s demand, the company said in a statement that it will take unspecified legal action against the Thai Government.
Prime Minister Prayut said that these anti-Monarchy critics are not accountable for damage rendered to Thailand by their actions.
“I have never used dictatorial power because I no longer have that power,” said the Prime Minister, as he insisted that the Government has sought the Court’s permission to block access to the page.
