YouTube clip offends Thais
Thursday, 5 April 2007 16:43
'Paddidda,' the anonymous creator of a 44-second video clip mocking Thailand's revered king, removed it from YouTube after growing controversy.
The page hosting the offending clip now reads: 'This video has been removed by the user', though it also contains a single-frame screenshot of the video.
Today's move does not end the controversy between the popular video website and the Thai government.
Communications Minister Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom said Thailand would continue to block YouTube because two other images deemed offensive remained.
'We have told them how deeply offended Thais were by the clip, but (YouTube) said there was much worse ridicule of President Bush on the site and they kept that there,' Sitthichai said.
'I don't think they really care how we feel. Thailand is only a tiny market for them.'
The video showed grainy pictures of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, with crude graphics superimposed on his face.
Most Thais consider the king to be semi-divine and just last week, a Swiss man received a ten-year sentence for defacing posters of the king with spray paint.
When reports of the clip emerged in Thailand, the number of views rocketed by 50,000 in less than 24 hours, according to YouTube's own data.
While it generated a lively debate about freedom of expression, most of the reaction was shock and outrage and the clip's creator, who is based in the US, received a flood of abuse.
