INTERNET EMERGING AS A NEW STAGE FOR PUBLIC DEBATE

       But there are also worries whether these online discussions are degenerating into reckless rhetoric One of the by-products of the Internet is the proliferation of contributors expressing their diverse and lively political views on a number of news Websites and blogs. Thailand is no exception and the trend appears to be that an increasing number of people are participating in online political discussion and debate.
       The challenge now is how to harness this new "public sphere", to borrow the notion from German philosopher Jurgen Habermas, towards the goal of making it a force for democracy and mutual understanding.
       Online posting is not always constructive and questions remain as to how relevant it is to democracy and helping us understand one another as members of a society.
       Some are put off by the online ranting, character assassination unleashed by some participants. Others doubt if people can really learn and listen from one another as some tend to just post highly dogmatic and incendiary remarks online in an apparent attempt to reinforce their own belief or to just let off steam.
       The anonymous nature of many of the online contributors also poses doubt about the reliability of information and the trustworthiness of the remarks of these online participants.
       The reasons for someone choosing to remain anonymous may differ. Some may simply feel their profession or real-life identity may be in conflict with some of their political views. Others may simply enjoy their second or third alter ego online. It's fair to question, however, whether one can or should trust another person online who resorts to using funny or even sober aliases in order to ensure that you may never know his or her real identity.
       Some of these anonymous online contributors tend to become reckless and excessive in their choice of words, leading to unpleasant feelings and even defamation-related crimes such as those under lese majeste law. While people may and should debate on the merit of the lese majeste law, outright verbal attacks online, especially those that are unsubstantiated have led to a feeling that the online virtual debating community is degenerating into verbal abuse and uncompromising dogmatism, both from the political left and right. These reckless and vicious contributors end up dissuading others who may otherwise wish to engage in a more cool-headed and rational debate, dialogue and deliberation.
       On the other hand, the risk of having the ICT Ministry monitor some political views is a potential hazard for some of the contributors and a damning verdict on the state of Thai democracy.
       There's also the issue of digital-divide which restricts this new online public sphere to an arena for mostly the educated middle class and elite. Also, some of the online sites tend to be too specialised and parochial to claim to have a greater concern for society and serve as a public arena.
       Does online interaction also serve as a disincentive to people from meeting face-to-face to discuss and act together for a common political cause as some may have felt they have already spent much energy online? There is no easy answer and some would argue otherwise.
       Another caveat is the issue of how many people are really engaged in such online political debate. Are there just a handful of regular contributors and how many carefully and open-mindedly read other postings? Can the site and debate qualify as a public sphere if less than a dozen people, mostly using alias, participate? There's no clear answer.
       On the other hand, proponents and optimists say this is the most politically open public space to date, and not just for Thailand, as virtual reality knows no boundaries.
       Unlike the print media, anyone with an access to the Internet can just type their political view and conviction with minimum or no censorship - though some eventually ended up convicted for violating the lese majeste law.
       The arena is also technically open to all. The debating thread interactive and the discussion and debate can go on and on, in real time, and across the continents. People can learn from so many others of diverse background, age and gender, from people whom they may otherwise never meet in life and could deliberate, form a common judgement on particular issues if not eventually meet and act together off-line.
       The strength of online political debates and networking may also serve as a new force in countering what is otherwise an overwhelming state power and its control over most of the broadcast media, as well as corporations' pervasive influence over society, advocates say.
       In the end, whether one is optimistic or pessimistic, this new virtual sphere of political interaction is here to stay and as it proliferates and grows more thinking is needed on how to make it more public and conducive to the maturing of Thai politics and beyond.