泰国计划设立一个打击在社交媒体和互联网上传播虚假新闻的中心。政府官员说，他们预计该中心将在下个月开放。
Thai rights groups and opposition parties are concerned. They fear that officials may use the new center to target and silence government critics.
泰国维权组织和反对党对此表示担忧。他们担心有关官员可能会利用这个新的中心来针对和压制批评政府的人士。
In elections this past March, voters returned to power the military leaders who seized power in 2014. After the vote, Thailand's armed forces arrested hundreds of people for critizing the military and protesting the ouster of the civilian government. Some of the criticism appeared on website or social media.
在今年3月举行的选举中，选民们让2014年夺权的军方领导人再次掌权。在这次选举之后，泰国武装部队逮捕了数百人，因为他们批评军方并抗议罢免民选政府。其中一些批评出现在了网站和社交媒体上。
Thailand's Digital Economy and Society Minister announced plans for the center two months ago. The country is among several Southeast Asian nations taking steps against online fake news.
泰国数字经济和社会部两个月前宣布了设立该中心的计划。该国是采取措施打击网络虚假新闻的几个东南亚国家之一。
The state-operated National News Bureau of Thailand later reported that the center would open by November 1. Its job is to examine fake news stories found online and react to any untruthful reports that could endanger peace and security.
国营的泰国国家新闻局后来报道说，该中心将于11月1日开放。它的职责是检查网上发现的虚假新闻报道，并对可能危害和平与安全的任何不实报道作出反应。
The center will have its own website and work with the messaging software application Line. The news bureau said the center would deal mainly with issues like natural disasters, the economy and finance, health products and government policy.
该中心将拥有自己的网站，并与消息传递应用程序Line展开合作。泰国国家新闻局表示，该中心将主要处理自然灾害、经济和金融、保健产品和政府政策等问题。
However, opposition parties and rights groups say the history of the military rulers and the government that has replaced them provide reason to worry.
然而，反对党和维权组织表示，军方统治者的过往历史以及取代民选政府让他们有理由担心。
Sunai Phasuk is a researcher working in Thailand for the rights group Human Rights Watch. She told VOA "there are serious concerns that the...fake news center of the government will be yet another tool for censorship."
苏奈·帕苏克是泰国人权观察组织的一位研究人员。她对美国之音表示：“人们非常担心政府的反虚假新闻中心将会成为又一个审查工具。”
People working for Thailand's digital economy and society minister told VOA that no one was available to comment for this story.
泰国数字经济和社会部的工作人员对美国之音表示，该部没人对此事发表评论。
Government critics are worried that the center will have the power to arrest people or take legal action against them.
政府批评者担心该中心将有权逮捕人们或者是对他们采取法律行动。
The digital economy minister "has made it clear that the center will...[be] authorized to prosecute people with various laws," Sunai said.
苏奈表示，泰国数字经济和社会部“已经明确表示，该中心将被授权以各种法律起诉人们。”
Arthit Suriyawongkul is a co-founder of the Thai Netizen Network, which speaks up for freedom of speech online. He is also worried about the planned center.
泰国网民网络的联合创始人Arthit Suriyawongkul为网络言论自由辩护。他也担心这个计划设立的中心。
Arthit said that Thai officials have too often called critical opinion "fake news."
他表示，泰国官员经常将批评意见称为“虚假新闻。”
He added, "We found that the effort...is actually targeted [at] those [who are] anti-government."
他还说：“我们发现，这项措施实际上是针对那些反对政府的人士。”
Thailand is not alone.
泰国并非孤例。
Lasse Schuldt is with the law department at Thailand's Thammasat University. He said that Southeast Asia has become a test ground for laws against "fake news."
莱塞·舒尔特就职于泰国法政大学法律系。他说，东南亚已经成为打击“虚假新闻”法律的实验场。
Malaysia and Singapore have gotten the most attention for recent legislation that bans "fake news." But Schuldt noted that other countries in the area have their own laws governing fake news.
马来西亚和新加坡最近立法禁止“虚假新闻”博得了最大的关注。但是舒尔特指出，该地区其它国家也有各自治理虚假新闻的法律。
In Thailand, the Computer Crimes Act makes it a crime to share false information online. Vietnam and Indonesia have similar ‘fake news" centers.
泰国的《计算机犯罪法》将在网上传播虚假信息定为犯罪。越南和印尼也有类似的“反虚假新闻”中心。
I'm Jonathan Evans.
我是乔纳森·埃文斯。(51VOA.COM原创翻译，禁止转载，违者必究！)