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State Repression in Cyberspace: The Case of T hailand
Author(s) -
Sinpeng Aim
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
asian politics and policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.193
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1943-0787
pISSN - 1943-0779
DOI - 10.1111/aspp.12036
Subject(s) - cyberspace , democratization , coercion (linguistics) , democracy , state (computer science) , divergence (linguistics) , political science , politics , law and economics , political economy , psychological repression , affect (linguistics) , sociology , law , the internet , linguistics , philosophy , algorithm , world wide web , computer science , gene expression , biochemistry , chemistry , communication , gene
Does the I nternet facilitate democratization or democratic entrenchment? The body of literature on the I nternet and democracy points to scholarly divergence on this issue. This article seeks to contribute to this debate by analyzing T hailand's I nternet regime as a crucial test case in the larger debate over the I nternet and democracy. First, it argues that the extent to which the I nternet can be a force for democracy is contingent upon the state coercive capacity in cyberspace. State coercion online—measured in terms of regulatory, institutional, infrastructural, and ideational dimensions—can thwart the democratic potential the I nternet may bring. Second, using a rationalist analytical framework, this article argues that the Thai state will continue to employ repression online as long as the benefits outweigh the costs for political elites. As such, any improvement in the country's overall democratic qualities may not affect the degree of state digital coercion.