In Thailand, the government has recently blocked Internet users from accessing Justin.tv. Thai web surfers trying to access the live streaming site are currently being redirected to a government website that says the site has been suspended temporarily because of an emergency situation. The “emergency situation” is a recent intensification of anti-government protests on the web and the government is hoping to quell them through censorship.
Although protests in Thailand have been going on for over a year they have intensified in the last few weeks. The protesters, known as the Red Shirt Movement, have been using sites like Justin.tv to spread the word about their opposition efforts and draw support to their cause. Just as Iranian protesters used Twitter to spread the word about what was going on during last year’s election and Burmese protesters used social media during their 2007 uprising in Burma, the Red Shirt Movement have found a great means for communication through social media. However, Thailand’s government is not making it easy for them.
