State Repression in Cyberspace

The Case of Thailand

Bibliographic Data

ID6041224
AuthorsAim Sinpeng (0000-0002-4917-6758, corresponding author)
Year2013
Volume5
Issue3
Pages421-440
Publication date2013-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAsian Politics & Policy (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1943-0787 • E-ISSN: 1943-0779
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/aspp.12036
OpenAlexW1958614262
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited22

Does the Internet facilitate democratization or democratic entrenchment? The body of literature on the Internet and democracy points to scholarly divergence on this issue. This article seeks to contribute to this debate by analyzing Thailand's Internet regime as a crucial test case in the larger debate over the Internet and democracy. First, it argues that the extent to which the Internet 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 Internet 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

Affect (linguistics · Coercion (linguistics · Cyberspace · Democracy · Democratization · Divergence (linguistics · Law and economics · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Psychological repression · Sociology · State (computer science · The Internet · China's Socioeconomic Reforms and Governance · Cybersecurity and Cyber Warfare Studies · Law · Social Media and Politics

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