Cyber vigilante group threatens at least 62 individuals with lese majeste, leaking personal information of over 466 individuals via Google Map

Since early June 2021, the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) has been receiving complaints from a number internet users that members of the Center of Legal Assistance for Victims of Cyberbullying Facebook Page have sent them via private message their personal information and threatened to report them for violating Section 112. The situation has intensified, and more people have been subjected to such harassment toward the end of month.

Until 28 June 2021, TLHR has identified at least 62 individuals who have been subject to such harassment.

The various forms of harassment: using Facebook avatar to send personal information and threaten to report case and distributing such information via Google maps

As to the forms of harassment, Facebook users using “avatar”, without identifying themselves, concealing their names and faces and using various cartoon icons as their profile pictures and without being “friend” of the person, they have sent private message to another Facebook user who is their “target”.

Such facebook users with avatars are found to have opened multiple accounts including Boreys Mornhs (the vigilante group Admin), A Minnion – the Center, Aniss AnissYay Tua Rai yyySomthawin Theerak, lamaomsin Naja, Gonna MayanShisuka NanomiJin FricksItt Itt NoMee Nam Wa Tua RaiNom Prio Raon RaonMa Noi Chom Puan, Moo Wan, Mor ManasDiable MalLook Moo Sam TuaChao Ying Yim Wan, etc.

The Facebook users with such avatars have sent a private message attached with a PDF file containing personal information of the recipient who is their “target” and screen capture of the recipient’s social posts or their shared posts concerning the monarchy. In the private message, they have also sent public information from the search they have conducted on the person including phone numbers, address or workplace. Their names have been input info apps to verify authenticity and their photos or a copy of their Facebook posts. Sometimes, they have also sent encryption key for each file.

In the message, the facebook users with such avatars also write a message such as “the Center has passed you a message”, “You will not face just one legal case”, “Free food in prison if you are not so picky”

An example of message and attached filed sent by senders using Facebook avatar

In addition, if it happens that the recipient has yet to read such Private Message from the Facebook avatars, they will proceed to comment in the recipient’s page to alert them about the PM in their “inbox”. In the comment, they will post screen capture of the message they have sent as well. Some individuals have also received such documents via email.

From our review, the posts allegedly claim to be offensive to the monarchy are derived from comments made in Somsak Jeamteerasakul’s Facebook page, or when people share or comment in the Khon Thai UK Facebook page, or texts of comments posted in the “Royalist Marketplace” Facebook group. Sometimes, the photo capture is about the post the recipient share from political pages.

Meanwhile, the document files the “Facebook avatar” has sent to the recipient have lately included a page concerning “process to report to the police by the Minion Army”. It basically contains advice for people who want to report the case against another person. The text may include;

“1. Make three copies of the evidence /ID card/. If the address matches the one in ID card, no need to use house registration (the house number is important since when the police interviews us, they would ask where the crime took place (just say that [I came across the offence] while playing Facebook at home,….., I have thus stumbled to this post which was a public post,..…… and therefore kept a copy of it to report the case to the police

***** Before reporting the case to the police, please peruse the documents well like when you do while taking examination. We need to understand the context well to help smoothen our interview.

2. Notify the police in advance that we are about to report the case and file the documents with the officials (if possible, keep the files in a usb thumbdrive) or send to the officials via LINE application.

3.After filing the documents, ask the officials if they will interview you today or later. / If they plan to interview you later, make sure to bring back home a daily record written by the police and containing detail of the case.

4. After giving your evidence to the police, they will issue you a notice of case acknowledgement and it may take the officials 6-9 months to investigate depending the process. After that, the suspect will receive a summons and required to report themselves to the precinct where we reported the case.

Thank you very much, the Minion Army   

Detail of the document file, and an example of personal information of a Facebook user which has been compiled. (translation below)

Source of complaint: Social post from KTUK – คนไทยยูเค
Original URL:
Having posted or shared a port concerning the monarchy which has led to further exchange on the post from KTUK. A number of social media users, persons using the profile or name have shared photos or posted a comment deemed offensive to the monarchy.

We have, therefore, identified corroborating evidence to prove the insult committed by the following user;

Name: As follows
URL: Facebook Profile
Real name (English):                      Last name (English):
Real name (Thai):               Last name (Thai):
Birthday: Information Not Available     ID card no.: Information Not Available
Phone:
ID Line: Information Not Available
ID Line call: Information Not Available
Prompt Pay Account: Information Not Available
Email Address: Information Not Available
Address:
Workplace or school: –

Previously, it has been reported that the Page members have reported the cases in at least two occasions to the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) against the individuals accused of expressing their opinions about the monarchy in June. In all, they have reported the cases against over 41 Facebook users on 1 June 2021 and another 90 individuals on 10 June 2021. The group has previously reported lese majeste cases against several core members of the Ratsadon Group.

In addition, since 27 June 2021, the Center Facebook page has published a Google Map with links called “the 112 map”. The map has been made since 23 June 2021.

In the map, the locations of targeted individuals in various provinces are pinned, with 466 pins (as of 28 June 2021 at 2pm). At each pin, the person’s photos are posted and stamped with the word “112”. It may include emblems of their educational institutions or workplaces. This will enable people to see personal information of the targeted persons.

From our examination, the individuals who reported to have received the document files and matched those whose personal information is pinned in the google map published by the group. Presumably, members of the vigilante group have already sent the files and texted a number of the targeted Facebook users, probably more than the number of reports TLHR has received.

At 4pm, we have found all posts by the group and the “112 map” with pins on Google Maps are made inaccessible.

The Facebook post of the group on 27 June 2021 (no longer accessible)
(translation below)

 Center of Legal Assistance for Victims of Cyberbullying 

Those manipulating people continue to do so
But the Minion Army stop fighting each other
We are threshing Pizza flour for thousand serves ready to send to TCSD
Our folk are updating information around the clock
You can see what kind of jobs they are doing, where they work or study
What do they sell online (to help promote their products), it is accessible via this link

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1ya3SaaWACROZJN1QldfEdFEM3zdoV_Cg&ll=12.57151633178006%2C102.06874859375003&z=6

#LetItEndWithOurPrison

Observations/tips when receiving private messages threatening to report for Section 112

If you receive private message from an unknown person along with the screen capture of your posts, or personal information as well as the threat to take legal action against yourself, the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) has these observations and tips to offer;

1. Section 112 of the Penal Code and an offense of the Computer Crime Act is the crime against the public. Non-injured individuals are allowed to report such case to the authorities. This is a major problem of both laws.

2. Nevertheless, if it appears that the individual has done more than just reporting the case, i.e. by publicizing personal information of the other person and causing damage, or threatening the other person, the injured person shall be entitled to hold the individual criminally liable on relevant offences including annoying or bullying the other person,  or  causing  the  other  person  to  be  ashamed  or  troubled pursuant to Section 397 the Penal Code or may file suit for damages for the infringement.

3. Review your previous posts and see if there is any comment made therein which may constitutes an insult or defamation against the other person or not. If not sure, please consult legal counsels or block access to the posts.

4. If your personal information has been disseminated without consent, you may notify the platforms, be it Facebook, or Twitter, or Google map of such incidence or may “report” the posts for allegedly violating one’s right to privacy.

5. Even after the case has been reported to the authorities along with corroborated evidence, it still takes the officials some time to verify the information and establish if such posts or sharing of posts or comments have been made as alleged and if content of such posts is in violation of the law or not.

6. The authorities also have to examine the relevant service providers, the devices used for making such posts and the person who has made the post. If they are satisfied with the evidence, they may summon the alleged person to answer to the charges.

7. When receiving summons, search warrants, or when evidence is seized or when one is put under arrest, please read tips when being held in custody, put under arrest or when receiving summons.

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