January 24, 2006
Thai Government provides SMS tip-off service on insurgents' plans
The Ministry of Interior has launched a new short message service (SMS) in Thailand's deep South for people to provide tip-offs to authorities on insurgents' plans, according to Interior Minister Air Chief Marshal Kongsak Wanthana. [via Thai News Agency MCOT]
"Mobile phone users in the country's three southernmost provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani would begin to provide tip-offs to the authorities through the Dharmrongdharm Centre's special helpline, 1567, free of charges from February 1".
Related stories on authorities appealing to citizens to turn into informants - not related to national security - which is understandable - but to polluting vehicles, anti-social behaviour (how can that not misfire?) or traffic offenses:
-- SMS campaign appeal for informants - to single out polluters - Jakartans now have a chance to complain by SMS about vehicles' emissions.
-- More Mobile Sousveillance - We've had some debate, both after the recent London attempted bombings and about a week before about the term "sousveillance", and whether it (or "coveillance" or perhaps "equiveillance") is appropriate for people keeping an eye on each other, particularly at the police's behest. (Mobhappy)
-- Pilot for police text alerts - Suffolk police are running the year-long pilot scheme, which uses the same technology employed by the Metropolitan Police to make appeals for information following the London bombings on July 7. Eventually people will be able to send picture messages or send in films of crimes.
-- Harlow council uses MMS to catch vandals - The town is encouraging people to take pictures of anti-social acts on their mobile phones and then text them to a special number along with details of where the vandalism has occurred.
-- Indonesia hotline to keep tabs on disease - Indonesia's health ministry launched a hotline to let the public report disease outbreaks and lodge complaints about health care using mobile phone text messages.
-- Snap a picture of a traffic offender - The Transport Ministry of Malaysia is inviting the public to help enforcement officers keep an eye on traffic offenders so that action could be taken against them. So the next time you see a traffic offence being committed, snap it on your handphone or camera and send it to the Hall of Shame section of a newly launched road safety website.
-- Framed! Photos taken by general public net errant motorists in Malaysia - Malaysian authorities have issued summonses to some 40 motorists whose alleged road offenses were exposed in an online Hall of Shame, a news report said Monday (Ausut 22, 2005).
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