DSI takes action over Jigme photograph
Wednesday, June 28,2006
THIMPHU: The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) announced yesterday that it will take legal action against anyone distributing the controversial photograph of Crown Prince Dasho Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck of Bhutan and a mysterious woman over the internet.
At a seminar on internet crimes yesterday, Pol Col Yanpol Yangyuen, the director of DSI’s information and technology crime division, said that the picture was first posted on the popular website www.pantip.com.Since then, it has been published in many daily newspapers. DSI is now investigating the source of the image which, it believes, has been digitally altered.The DSI officer also expressed disapproval over the distribution of the picture, saying that it was inappropriate as the Bhutanese love and respect their royal family as much as Thais do theirs.“I would like to urge the public, especially people who are intending to redistribute the photo, to be considerate of the feelings of the Bhutanese people. If they persist in distributing the image, DSI has the right to press charges against them, without having to wait to be contacted by the Bhutanese government,” he said.He admitted that internet crimes are among the division’s most pressing worries. Fake pictures and rumors are always being posted on the worldwide web, but some internet surfers are unable to differentiate between the real and the fake, and it is hard to identify the senders. Moreover, Thai law is slower than technology and the bill on internet crime suppression has yet to be passed by the House. He conceded that, even if DSI can track down the computers used to distribute the image, taking legal action against the perpetrators is difficult.Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon urged the media to understand the delicacy of the issue before publishing the photograph, as it might affect the harmonious relations between Thailand and Bhutan.
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