Political blogging experts and social media activists in Thailand face frustration against their lack of liberty to express themselves at will. Thailand´s government uses two ways to censor and control the net. Firstly, by setting up an online roadblock –which already has stopped 32,500 pages- and secondly, through a government body that monitors the websites.

The increase of internet usage across the country has caused some concerns between political leaders. Thailand focuses their internet censorship energies on social issues, especially those related to online pornography, political separatists, and gambling. But their priorities are those cyber opinions that threaten the regime’s stability.

The Thailand government has invested millions of dollars for an internet gateway that will prevent any harsh comments on the country’s supreme monarch. The same system crosses out sites owned by terrorists. The Thailand Ministry of Information and Communication Technology works closely with the companies that provide internet in the country. If the companies do not block websites which have been asked to by the government body, these businesses could lose their licenses or have their networking area limited.

Local internet providers, fearing sanctions, follow the Thai internet censorship. In more than four years, the country’s communication ministry has blocked about 15,000 websites. Today, the number of websites blocked is unknown and the reasons remain hidden to the public. This year, the Thailand government has officially endorsed Twitter’s ‘country-by-country’ censorship policy. Twitter’s new policy allows for restrictions of ‘certain types of content’ for various ‘cultural reasons.’

By reading some scholarly articles and journals, I found that Thailand is one of the most engaged countries in the world to practice internet filtering. Thailand is also listed as “Not Free” by Freedom on the Net 2011 report by Freedom house which works on censorship and freedom on the internet (read report here). Moreover, Thailand is listed in Internet Enemies Under Surveillance by Reporters Without Borders as of March 2011 (read report here). By restricting the freedom to use the net, the Thai government is converting political, social and religious subjects into a taboo.

The future of global internet freedom looks dark in spite of the growth of Thai net users. Private companies respond with more innovation to cyber security instead of promoting news ways to implement a democracy,due to fear.

Future Thai generations will see their political and social knowledge being dwindled, in spite of the new ways that modern technologies offer citizens to build a democracy. Despite the Thai government’s wish to control Thai residents’ online activities, the internet is too vital in this new era, where foreign companies look at these kind of issues in order to decide whether to invest in a country or not.

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Every so often, the British media will run a story about how the government of the day is considering amending the laws governing the succession to the Throne. Nothing is ever done, however, and the story quickly fades from view. But David Cameron may be bucking the trend, for he has finally set in motion the ponderous process of changing the law.

At issue is the fact that the current law is perceived by many as discriminatory. Men take precedence over women. If William and Kate have a daughter, she can only inherit the Throne if her parents never have a son. Such gender discrimination is increasingly hard to justify, and there is widespread support for allowing women to succeed on equal terms.

Cameron also wants to end the prohibition against marrying Roman Catholics. The Act of Succession 1701 states that, if a person who is in the line of succession marries a Roman Catholic, they automatically forfeit their right to the Crown. On the surface, this looks like a straightforward issue of religious discrimination.

Critics have pointed out that the prohibition does not apply to a person who marries a Presbyterian, a Muslim, or even an atheist, and they see it as something of an anomaly that Roman Catholics are singled out in this manner. However, allowing a person who is married to a Roman Catholic to ascend the Throne could have unforeseen consequences because of the Roman Catholic Church’s rules regarding ‘mixed’ marriages.

Typically, if a Roman Catholic marries a non-Roman Catholic, the non-Roman Catholic person must agree to let any children be raised as Roman Catholics. This would be problematic because a Roman Catholic cannot ascend the Throne because of the monarch’s role as Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Although supporters of succesion-law reform argue that, because the monarch’s role in the Church is mostly ceremonial, there is no problem with a Roman Catholic becoming the titular Supreme Governor of the Church of England. The Church of England continues to oppose such a move. Since there is little political will to disestablish the Church of England, Cameron’s reforms can only go so far.

Because the British monarch is also the monarch of fifteen other countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, any change to the succession law will require the unanimous agreement of those other countries. Cameron has written to the Queen’s other Prime Ministers to obtain their support for the changes, and it is likely the matter will be discussed further at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth later this month.
Zoran Karapancev / Shutterstock.com

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A marvelous palace, following by astonishing gardens, columns, fountains, labyrinths, fire, water, trees, and classic music makes this night at Versailles Palace, a night taken out from a fairy tale.

The Château de Versailles (Versailles Palace) in Paris, France, serves as an iconic symbol of wealth, luxury and beauty. Going back to the time where Louis XIV in 1660’s showed the peak of achievement of the French Monarchy by being the monarch and owner of the palace and the Royal Garden.

The Palace contains an enormous extent of gardens that cover around 800 hectares. Where trees, paths and bushes create a new reality of exuberant beauty.

In 1979, The Palace and the gardens were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Until the 3^rd of September the Castle will be hosting a magnificent  night  that occurs every Saturday, known as “Les Grandes Eaux Nocturnes” or the Fountains Night Show.

As night falls, the Versailles Palace transforms into a fairy tale place where everything is possible, combining sights and sounds together transforming the majestic place into a dream. Throughout the night, visitors walk unstoppably through the interminable garden paths. Encountering new areas containing several fountains with different sceneries and lighting.

The water coming from the fountains exposes a magnificent show for the eyes, moving with the sound of music that resonates though the entire place. The fountains are adequate with astonishing installations exposing an incredible elegance impossible to surpass.

After enjoying the fountains shows the night does not end there, but all the visitors gather to the center of the Garden waiting for the amazing closure of the night with a firework display.

The music continues as fireworks begin to appear and explode as if they were playing with the rhythm of the music interpreted by the French baroque music interpreted Reinhard Goebel and his orchestra, the Musica Antiqua Köln.

The night finishes with the last firework and the peoples faces eradicate happiness and amazement.. The young and old know something is certain, which is that everyone enjoyed this amazing night.

There are only two Fountains Night Shows left until the shows are finished.

If you are in Paris, don’t hesitate in missing this amazing night.

The average price for an entry is around  20€.

• 18 years old and older: 22€

• 6-17 years old :18€

• 0-5 years old : Free

• Group: 18€

For further information please visit:

http://www.chateauversailles-spectacles.fr/home.php

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David Cameron’s government has announced sweeping changes to the way in which Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and her family are funded.

The main source of royal funding has historically been the Civil List, which originated in the 18^th century when George III handed the Crown Estate over to the government in exchange for an annual payment.  Nowadays, the Crown Estate is a property portfolio whose assets are worth an estimated £6.7 billion.  Although the amount of the Civil List is traditionally set at the beginning of each reign, the growth of inflation has meant that, during the present Queen’s reign, it has usually been adjusted every ten years.

Since 2001, the Civil List has been set at £7.9 million.  According to the monarchy’s website, 70 percent of that money goes toward staff salaries, while the remainder is used to defray the cost of official functions, such as royal garden parties and incoming state visits.

The monarchy also receives annual grants-in-aid from government departments.  For example, in 2009-10, the Department of Transport provided £3.9 million toward the cost of travel, while the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport provided £400,000 for communications and £15.4 million for the maintenance of historic royal palaces.  Additionally, the monarchy has supplemented these sources of income by drawing on a cash reserve that accumulated during a period of low inflation in the 1990s. In 2009-10, the reserve contributed £6.5 million, but it is expected to run out by 2012.

All this money is used for official purposes and should not be confused with the sovereign’s personal assets.  The Queen’s personal income is funded by the profits from the Duchy of Lancaster.

Last week, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, announced that, starting in 2013, the Civil List and grants-in-aid would be abolished in favor of one annual payment called the “Sovereign Support Grant.”  This payment would be equal to fifteen percent of the profits from the Crown Estate during the previous two years.  As Osborne put it in his speech to the House of Commons, “the monarch will do as well as the economy is doing.”

Under the proposed formula, the Queen would receive £34 million in 2013-14, which is comparable to the total amount spent in 2009-10.  Furthermore, the fifteen percent formula will be reviewed every seven years by the Royal Trustees (the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Keeper of the Privy Purse) in order to ensure that it becomes neither too large nor too small.

In addition to consolidating royal finances, Osborne also said that the National Audit Office will be able to audit the assets used by the Royal Household for official purposes.  Furthermore, the monarchy’s finances will be subject to unprecedented parliamentary scrutiny, as the sovereign grant accounts will be laid before Parliament each year and the Public Accounts Committee will be able to hold hearings on royal finances.

MPs of all parties were broadly supportive of the government’s proposals, and there was unanimous praise for the Queen’s long record of service throughout her almost 60 year reign. However, the opposition Labour party’s financial spokesman, Ed Balls, expressed concern that, if the Crown Estate’s profits were to rise dramatically, it could create a windfall for the royal family that would prove damaging to their popularity. In such a case, he suggested that it would be prudent to allow the Royal Trustees to adjust the formula downward instead of having to wait the full seven years.

waynehowes / Shutterstock.com

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