Hackers attack Thai court websites to protest sentences

BANGKOK — Hackers protesting Thailand's justice system have attacked official websites in the Southeast Asian nation for the second time this year, replacing or disabling the home pages of many sites affiliated with the court system.

A posting on a Facebook account associated with the loosely organized hacker group Anonymous said Wednesday's attacks were a protest against death sentences given on Dec. 24 to two Myanmar men convicted of murdering two young British tourists. Critics say the men were scapegoats and unfairly convicted.

The Facebook posting said almost 300 Thai sites had been hacked. A random check showed some not working, some defaced and some operating. About a dozen police-affiliated sites were similarly struck on Jan. 5.