The Thai translation of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party, an award-winning editorial series published by The Epoch Times, was banned in Thailand by the Royal Thai Police on Oct. 8—although whether the government intends to enforce the ban is not clear.
The order, issued by the Royal Thai Police Printing Office of the Special Branch, describes the printing of the Nine Commentaries as using Thailand as a base to attack the Chinese regime, and says it "may affect the good relationship between Thailand and China." The office banned the sale or distribution of the Nine Commentaries using Article 9 of the Printing Act of 1941.
According to the Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT) Web site, the Thai newspaper Matichon published the order to ban the book in its Oct. 10 issue. Under Thai law, a book is considered officially banned once the order is printed in a government gazette or any daily newspaper.
When The Epoch Times called the Special Branch to enquire why its publication was banned, printing officer Suttipong Changariyawong said: "This is related to the national security; I am not in the position to answer this."
Mr. Changariyawong said the decision to ban the book was made by a committee of six individuals from the Royal Thai Police.
Thailand is the first country aside from the Peoples Republic of China to prohibit the sale or distribution of the Nine Commentaries.
However, since the ban of the Nine Commentaries in October, sources in Thailand says the book is still sold in bookstores and is selling well, and so the ban appears so far only to be on paper.
First Anti-Communist Book Banned
The Nine Commentaries is a series of essays that analyses the nature of and the crimes committed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), including the use of mass violence during political campaigns such as the Cultural Revolution or the ongoing persecution of the Falun Gong spiritual movement
CJ Hinke, the international coordinator of FACT told The Epoch Times that the Nine Commentaries was the second book in a span of two weeks to be banned using the same article of the Printing Act of 1941.
"It's curious, this is the first anti-communist book that was banned," said Mr Hinke.
Of the more than 1,200 books that were banned in Thailand before 2000, Mr Hinke said a large number were sympathetic to communism.
Nittaya Samakoses, Bangkok resident and copyright holder of the Nine Commentaries in Thailand, said she was surprised to learn about the ban and feels this is a test for Thailand's democracy.
"I feel very sad that this has happened because Thai people will not be able to know the truth about the Chinese Communist Party," Mrs Samakoses said via translation.
"This book reveals the true history of the Communist Party that has never been made known before—everything in this book is a fact, not fiction," she said.
Censorship is Common
Mr Hinke said FACT was created to petition the government over the issue of internet censorship. He and his organization quickly realized that censorship is far more pervasive in Thai society than most people are aware of. He cites numerous books and films, as well as self-censorship.
"In our view, self censorship is even more disturbing than government censorship because it involves people being intimidated and threatened into censoring themselves," says Mr Hinke.
Thai officials have been known to monitor and block material for fear of risking their careers if the material is found to be unsuitable by state authorities senior to them. This has led to even more heightened levels of blocked content across all media.
Mrs. Samakoses, however, feels the decision to ban the Nine Commentaries was not due to the dynamics inside Thai government. She feels the decision was directly influenced by Chinese officials.
"I believe this is due to the influence of the Chinese regime that has forced the Thai government to do this… only the CCP could feel threatened by this book," she said.
"Thai people should have the freedom and right to access information, which is something the people of China do not have," she says.
Mrs. Samakoses is currently appealing the ban with the Ministry of Interior. "I hope that the Thai government will make the right decision. If Thailand is to become a true democratic country, it must respect basic freedoms and human rights as well," says Mrs Samakoses.
Since 2004, the Nine Commentaries has been published in over 30 languages and distributed in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.
The book has received a national award in the "Online" category from the Asian American Journalists Association in 2005 in the United States.
Stephen Gregory, spokesperson for The Epoch Times, commented, "The ban in Thailand occurs within the context of widespread efforts by the Chinese regime to suppress the spread of this book. The Nine Commentaries is transforming how the Chinese people understand China and its future—to date, as a result of the publication of this book, over 27 million Chinese have renounced all ties with the CCP. We hope the Thai government will reconsider its actions."
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