Thailand: Prime Minister Cancels Twitter Account
Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has stopped tweeting after her Twitter account, @PouYingluck, was hacked a few days ago. The hacker was able to post the following messages using the Prime Minister’s account:
You can't protect even your Twitter account. How can you safeguard the country? Think about it my brothers and sisters.
This country is a business we run for our cronies and not for the Thai people. We serve our supporters and not our opponents.
Do the poor have a chance? We are exploiting the poor hoping for their votes to support us to plunder the country.
Is it time for our country to change for the better and not project an image to aid businesses, vested interests and relatives?
Education is most important to the country. But why is there a policy for free distribution of tablets instead of a curriculum or wage hike for teachers?
The hacker admitted that Yingluck didn’t post those tweets:
Please be informed that a hacker has accessed the account and none of the messages is being posted by PM Yingluck.
Twitter messages posted by the hacker. Translation by Saksith Saiyasombut
Yingluck is Thailand’s first female prime minister. She is the younger sister of former Prime Minister Thaksin who was ousted by a coup in 2006. Thaksin went into exile after he was convicted of plunder charges.
Saksith Saiyasombut believes the hacker has given some clues about his gender:
At this time nothing is known about the people behind these messages other than the fact that the last word in the last tweet is the politeness-particle ครับ (“khrap”), which exposes the hacker to be male.
Thai Intelligence News Study Center thinks the hacker is an ultra nationalist:
The twitter appears to be an “Ultra-Nationalist” based on the following message he (posted on) Twitter with the Yingluck account.
The hacker also attacked modern business and economics principles
The ultra-nationalist Thais, is a segment of the Thai population that rejects Globalization and progressive development, but prefer isolation and sufficiency oriented development.
Suthichai Yoon reports the initial reactions of netizens:
Wow! some real self-criticisms by the PM? Early soul-searching statements? A few of the remarks in the account were about how this government is mishandling the problems of the country.
Soon,the Twitter world was abuzz with questions: “Is the PM's Twitter account hacked?” or “Strange things are happening at the PM's Twitter account” and things along that line.
Within half an hour, the “PM's team” posted an urgent message, declaring that the prime minister's Twitter account has been hacked and that some of the messages posted this morning were fake
Here are some Twitter comments from Bangkok:
@kaybic: PM Yingluck in not herself today – her Twitter account has been hacked!
@TAN_Network: ICT Min Anudit says PM's Twitter account was hacked from inside Thailand but he refuses to disclose more info;warned ministers to beware
@sunaibkk: PM Yingluck's Twitter account was hacked and filled with critical comments on government policy.
@Hooba_kwan: Thai PM's twitter account was hacked. Shame on you,ICT.
@nutrahat: Not only the Thai PM's twitter accout is hacked, her brain was hacked too(by her bro) and that was a long long time ago, hooray for Thailand
@IbbyEve: Thai PM's twitter account been hacked hahaha sooo funny. Anyway, hacked or not, it's same same full of crap!
@sathornstreet: Got the answer…the Clone's tweeter account has been hacked! With a handful of staff @PouYingluck still can't manage her own twitter acct.
@juliechungfso: Press reports Yingluck's Twitter account hacked, following FinanceMin & MFA incidents this month. Time for everyone to review cyber security
@ppearxoxo: Im totally in love with the person who hacked yingluck's twitter!
@Pie_Eip: That bro who hacked Thai PM's twitter ac. I think he's cool ;)