Google's video service offers help to Thailand

Bangkok, Apr 8: A globally popular Internet video sharing service has offered to help Thai authorities block local access to offensive clips on its site that have outraged the nation's cultural sensitivities and violated the strict lese majeste law.

However, YouTube, owned by Internet search engine company Google, has rejected Thai authorities' request to pull down the videos that are disrespectful to the country's revered monarch.

A YouTube spokeswoman was quoted as saying that the company was ready to ''educate'' Thai authorities in making individual videos inaccessible locally instead of blocking the entire site.

Access to YouTube has been blocked in Thailand since the first video clip appeared a few days ago.

''While we will not take down videos that do not violate our policies and will not assist in implementing censorship, we have offered to educate the Thai ministry about YouTube and how it works. It's up to the country's government to decide whether to block specific videos, but we would rather that than have it block the entire site,'' YouTube spokeswoman Julie Supan said.

Thailand's Information and Communications Technology Ministry said it would consider the technical possibility of restricting access to individual videos on YouTube without blocking the entire Web site.

While some international media rights groups have criticised the blocking of the Web site, people in Thailand have hit out at the use of YouTube to offend Thai sensitivities.

The controversy comes as the military regime in the country has moved to close down Internet sites that are accused of disrupting national harmony and undermining the government.

The deputy leader of Thailand's oldest and former main opposition Democrat Party Alongkorn Pollabutr urged the government to seek Google's help to track down and punish the person who had posted the offensive clips on YouTube.

Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej is the world's longest ruling monarch and held in high respect and affection by Thais.

The 60th anniversary celebration of his ascension to the throne in June last year was attended by monarchs and members of royal families from around the world and saw a mass outpouring of popular affection for the king.

Under Thailand's lese majeste laws, insulting the monarch and members of the royal family is a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

A Swiss man was given a seven-year prison term last month for vandalising the king's portraits in a drunken state last year.

UNI