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Information Systems for National Security in Thailand: Ethical Issues and Policy Implications

Information Systems for National Security in Thailand: Ethical Issues and Policy Implications. Krisana Kitiyadisai Department of Public Administration Faculty of Political Science Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Thailand krisana.k@chula.ac.th. US National Security Response to 9/11.

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Information Systems for National Security in Thailand: Ethical Issues and Policy Implications

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  1. Information Systems for National Security in Thailand: Ethical Issues and Policy Implications Krisana Kitiyadisai Department of Public Administration Faculty of Political Science Chulalongkorn University Bangkok, Thailand krisana.k@chula.ac.th K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  2. US National Security Response to 9/11 • Department of Homeland Security -- combat terrorism ‘Security: to include all efforts to deter, detect, prevent and impede terrorist attack; mitigate casulties, damages and disruption; reduce alarms; rapidly respond, repair and recover’ • Counterintelligent Field Activity  data mining • TALON/CORNERSTONE database -- intercepts emails, anti-war protesters, activist websites, police database, etc. K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  3. Intelligence Databases • August 2007, TALON/CORNERSTONE terminated • FBI  GUARDIAN database • Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) in 2003 -- by May 07, watch list of 750,000 records • In May 2004, General Accounting Office reports: -- 122 federal data-mining projects -- NSA eavesdropping activity -- over 50 databases K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  4. Failures in Intelligent Community • Government had no centralised intelligence DB • No sharing of intelligence among agencies • Lack of cooperation between FBI & CIA • Failures in colllection, analysis, assessment, dissemination and follow-up actions. (Hijackers were on the CIA’s watch list) • Bureaucracy and turf wars • CIA being highly politicised • Limitation of data mining high false positives K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  5. Criticisms on Surveillance Databases • Public outcry  National Security Authority (NSA) secret records of phone calls --Intrusion on privacy and liberty • Watch list  mostly inaccurate and full of misidentifications. • Passengers screening system travel delay, pervasive search, detention, distress, financial costs, lost privacy and liberty, deportation. • Mission creeps: data used for other purposes K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  6. Thai National Security Policy 2007-2011 • Maintain the stability of internal security --political conflicts and upheavals • Preventing new form of threats --terrorism, international terrorism --transnational crimes, espionage K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  7. Government Databases • Ministry of Interior Population database - Police databases of criminal records, - Immigration, visa application records - Border Patrol Police databases - Special crime squad, economic crime • Ministry of Labour  legal and illegal foreign labour, immigrants, refugees • Intelligence databases for national security K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  8. Intelligence Community • National Security Council • National Intelligence Agency • Armed Forces Security Center • Ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Commerce, and Finance • Royal Thai Police • Directorate of Intelligence (Army), Naval Intelligence Dept, Air Forces Intelligence • Bank of Thailand • Office of Narcotics Control Board K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  9. National Security Council: NSC • National security policy • Advisor to the PM and Cabinet • Coordinator –intelligence community • Monitoring, assessing performance • Develop policies on transnational crime • Develop strategy for crisis management and national preparedness K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  10. Intelligence Community Failures • Insurgency and violent attacks in the southern provinces of Thailand increased • January 2004: military unit in Narativat robbed of 400 weapons, 4 soldiers killed • By February 2007: 2,088 people killed 3,920 injured • 10 bomb attacks in Bangkok on New Year’s Eve 2006 (3 killed, 43 injured) K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  11. Intelligence Community Problems • NIA failed to act on intelligence of possible attacks (PM pointed out in Parliament) • Fail to detect a new generation of insurgents • Blacklist of suspected militants unreliable • Turf wars among agencies, rivalry • Mishandling of problems in the South • Intelligence reports often misused to justify previous decisions. K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  12. Information Systems for National Security • The NSC information systems and network administrative purposes • Both manual and computer based systems • No online sharing among agencies • Lack budget and skilled personnel • No overall strategy for integrating intelligence information systems • Structural and bureaucratic impediments K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  13. Computer Crime Act • Enacted 16 June 2007 • Section 14  most controversial “Enters information into a computer in such a way that it will cause damages to the security of the country or public order.” “Enters information which is an offense of national security or an offense related to terrorism into the computer.” K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  14. Internal Security Bill • Set up Internal Security Operations Command to handle ‘new form of threat’ • Modeled on US Homeland Security • First draft was heavily attacked for the violation of privacy rights and liberty enshrined in the Constitution • Section 17 gives authority the power to take control of electronic instruments for the protection against danger to citizens’ lives, bodies and properties. K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  15. Ethical Issues and debate • Tradeoffs between ‘security’ and ‘privacy’  narrow concept of security • Violation of personal privacy leads to diminishing liberty and against democratic values (democratic deficit) • Creating a surveillance state; Big Brother • Challenge to ‘fear mongering’ terrorist attacks quite rare K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  16. Policy Implications • Question the whole paradigm of solving military security problems with intelligence databases and data mining. • Buddhism: the Four Noble Truths: the Middle Path • Apply Spiritual Computing/ happy technology -- start/ stop -willing to open up, watch the fear -- renunciation (letting go, relax) - prejudices -- purification/ clarification (insights, space) -- transformation/action (happy action) K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  17. Four Noble Truths • Dukkha : there is suffering • Samudaya : the origin of suffering • Nirohha : the cessation of suffering -- giving up, letting go, renouncing, freeing oneself, detaching from • Magga : the path leading to the cessation of suffering the noble eightfold path (right understanding, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration) K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

  18. Idealistic Buddhist security computing • Data gathering and retention minimum - with loving kindness, compassion • Analysis of data correct with integrity - the five precepts • Use of data respect human rights - the middle way, Noble Eightfold Path • Intelligence agencies relationship harmonious - the Noble Eightfold Path • Intelligence databases enable right understanding of the situation or problem areas - Buddhist teachings K. Kitiyadisai, APCAP 2007, 2-4 Nov. Bangkok

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