The latest and most controversial speech of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra about democracy in Mongolia last week has led to an impact beyond her expectation.
At the seventh Ministerial Conference on International Democracies, Yingluck denounced the 2006 coup and attacked independent organisations in Thailand. Her speech was admired by her supporters while being attacked by her opponents and critics.
Some of the criticism has led to a lawsuit. The prime minister last week had her lawyers file a defamation suit against Thai Rath cartoonist Chai Rachawat, alleging he compared her to a prostitute in a Facebook post.
Chai, whose real name is Somchai Katanyutanan, posted pictures of Yingluck with a caption: "Please understand that prostitutes are not bad women. Prostitutes only sell their body, but a bad woman has been wandering around trying to sell the country." However, Chai did not mention whom he meant on the post.
The suit charged Chai on three counts - insulting an official during an operation, defaming another person via publicity, and violating the Computer-Related Crime Act, which prohibits posting defamatory comments against others on the Internet.
Yingluck has every right to sue those she thinks have defamed her - but this is the first time a Thai prime minister has sued a person for a post on social media. In fact, such a social-media defamation action is rarely seen at all in Thailand.
And it was not the first time Yingluck has been attacked on social media.
She was bombarded by users via Twitter and Facebook when she explained the necessity for the government's Bt2-trillion borrowing bill, and for the delivery of fresh vegetables to the House of Representatives in March.
Twitter and Facebook have been filled with amusing messages and illustrations. They even dubbed Yingluck "Madam Fresh Veg".
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard caused a social-media stir in February. Her move to leave her luxury accommodation in the Sydney suburb of Kirribilli and spend a week in the west of the metropolis, trying to win over voters in Labor's heartland in New South Wales, sparked a wave of controversy on social media. The term Rooty Hill started to trend on Twitter.
US President Barack Obama last month took a swipe at news coverage on the Internet and social media during the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
"The problem is, is that the media landscape is changing so rapidly … I remember when BuzzFeed was just something I did in college around 2am," the president joked.
Some thought Obama made those remarks as a joke, but others, such as the National Broadcasting Company's Chuck Todd, thought it was a sign Obama hated the rise of Internet and social media.
Obama "hates this part of the media. He really thinks that this sort of buzzification, this isn't just about BuzzFeed or Politico … he thinks that this sort of coverage of political media has hurt the political discourse," Todd said on NBC's "Meet the Press".
For country leaders these days, one can neither ignore nor get involved with social media and cannot escape from being investigated or criticised on it.
Some country leaders may feel grateful for social media, which can play a part in helping them win general elections, as it can be a powerful tool in their campaigning.
On the contrary, some may hate social media as they cannot control them in the same way they do mainstream media.
An attempt to control social media is happening in Thailand. After Chai's Facebook post, Information and Communication Technology Minister Anudith Nakornthap threatened to remove posts and shut down those websites deemed to defame the prime minister, or take legal action against them.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/05/07/social-media-is-becoming-a-great-leveller/
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