Bangkok, Oct 19 (UNI) Thai authorities said on Monday that they have imposed curbs on the Telegram messaging app, which has been widely used by protesters during the ongoing anti-government protests.
The government's plan to block Telegram was reported by local media on Monday after a document marked "very confidential" was leaked and shared widely on social media. Telegram is a popular secure messaging app that has been used by activists to organise protests at short notice.
The document produced by Thailand's digital economy ministry, which has the power to censor the internet in Thailand - was sent to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission.
Police also threatened to shut four news outlets for violating a decree issued last week to end the rallies, says a BBC news report.
Pro-democracy activists who have been protesting for months have been gathering in defiance of an order banning protests and want Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha - a former army chief who seized power in a 2014 coup - to resign. They are also demanding curbs on the powers of the monarchy an institution long seen as sacred in Thailand.
Authorities have failed to curb the rallies since they issued an emergency order on Thursday, with protesters still gathering on a daily basis, largely peacefully, in Bangkok and other parts of the country.
Authorities have so far arrested at least 80 people since Tuesday. Those detained risk long sentences if they are found to have breached Thailand's strict lese majeste laws, which ban criticism of the monarchy. Anyone found breaking the law could be jailed for up to 15 years.
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