Lèse majesté in Thailand

Former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva pays respect to the portrait of late King Bhumibol Adulyadej (death 2016).

In Thailand, lèse majesté is criminalized by Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code. It is illegal to defame, insult, or threaten the king, queen, heir-apparent, or regent. The lèse-majesté law has been on the statute books since 1908. The punishment is three to fifteen years of imprisonment per count and has been described as the "world's harshest lèse majesté law"[1] and "possibly the strictest criminal-defamation law anywhere".[2] The social scientist Michael Connors has written that enforcement of Thailand's lèse majesté law "has been in the interest of the palace."[3]:134

There is no legal definition, however, of what actions constitute lèse majesté, and there is plenty of room for interpretation. The Supreme Court decided that the law also applies to any previous monarchs. Criticism of any privy council member also raised the question. Even "attempting" to commit lèse majesté, and making sarcastic comment about the King's pet have been prosecuted for lèse majesté.

Lèse-majesté complaints can be filed by any person against anyone else, and they must always be formally investigated.[4] Details of the charges are rarely made public. A section 112 defendant always meets with obstructions from the beginning to the end of a case, especially when asking for a provisional release.[5] There are months-long pretrial detentions, and those who are charged are routinely denied bail. The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention determined in August 2012 that the pretrial detention of an alleged lèse-majesté offender violated international human rights law.[6] The courts seem not to recognise the principle of granting the benefit of the doubt to defendants. Judges have said that accusers did not have to prove the factuality of the alleged lèse-majesté material, but only to claim it is defaming in any way. Pleading guilty is seen as a move to seek a royal pardon.

Coup makers, since the coup in 1976, have regularly cited a surge of alleged lèse-majesté as a prerequisite for overthrowing an elected government. The 2006 coup, when lèse-majesté was cited as one of the major reasons, marked a surge of the lèse-majesté cases.[7] After the 2014 Thai coup d'état, Thailand had the highest number of lèse-majesté prisoners in the nation's history.[7] The junta granted authority to army courts to prosecute lèse-majesté. In most cases, convictions result in harsh sentences. The longest recorded sentence was 60 years imprisonment (reduced to half because the defendant pleaded guilty).[8][9] Secret trials and harsh punishments have also been used.

Scope of the law

As lèse-majesté is listed as one of the offences relating to the security of the kingdom, according to section 7 of the Thai Criminal Code, even alleged offences committed outside the kingdom can be punished within Thailand.

Section 112 of Thai Criminal Code currently reads as follows:

"Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years."

While the Constitution adds:

"the King shall be enthroned in a position of revered worship and shall not be violated. No person shall expose the King to any sort of accusation or action."[2]

The penalty for lèse-majesté in Thailand was toughened from a maximum of seven years imprisonment during the premiership of royalist Tanin Kraivixien (1976–77). Also banned was criticism of any member of the royal family, royal development projects, the institution of royalty, the Chakri Dynasty, or any previous Thai king. These harsher provisions have been retained to the present day.[10]

In 2007, controversy arose over whether criticism of members of Bhumibol's privy council also constituted criticism of Bhumibol.[11] Police Special Branch Commander Lt Gen Theeradech Rodpho-thong refused to file charges of lèse-majesté against activists who launched a petition to oust Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda, declaring that the law only applied to members of the royal family.[12] Two days later, he was demoted by Police Commander Seripisut Temiyavet.[13] During the Songkran 2009 unrest, Thaksin Shinawatra accused the privy council president of masterminding the 2006 military coup. Royalists chose to interpret this as an attack on Bhumibol himself.

The Supreme Court of Thailand decided in 2013 that the law also applies to any previous monarchs.

In a Kafkaesque twist, even calls to reform lèse-majesté laws have themselves resulted in charges of lèse-majesté.[14] Political scientist Giles Ungpakorn noted that "the lèse-majesté laws are not really designed to protect the institution of the monarchy. In the past, the laws have been used to protect governments and to shield military coups from lawful criticism. This whole [royal] image is created to bolster a conservative elite well beyond the walls of the palace."[15] However, Conners argued that even some used it as a political weapon, but it has been in the interest of the palace.[16]:134

In 2013, a man was found guilty of "preparing and attempting" to commit an act of lèse-majesté. He had images and captions deemed to defame or threaten the royal family in his electronic device—which, his accusers said, potentially could have been connected to the Internet and been spread online. But the police seized the material before it was posted. He was found guilty, despite the law providing that mere preparation of the act is not a legal offence.[17]

In 2016, a singer and activist, in addition to his prison sentence for defaming the monarchy, was ordered to write a song promoting "national reconciliation" after completing his sentence.[18]

In 2013, a person filed lèse-majesté charges against his brother, showing how easily the lèse-majesté law can be misused and that the law has now become a potential weapon in family feuds. Often the police, courts, and prosecutors are afraid they will be accused of disloyalty to the monarch if they fail to prosecute allegations of lèse-majesté.[6]

Details of the charges are rarely made public for fear of compounding the offence by repeating the original words deemed to have been insulting.

Article 14 of the Computer Crimes Act BE 2550 (2007), which broadly bars the circulation through computer systems of information and material deemed detrimental to national security, has also been used to prosecute cases of lèse-majesté.[19]

In the case of Ampon Tangnoppakul, the Criminal Court found that:

"The prosecutor could not expressly prove that the defendant sent the messages as mentioned in the charge...but the grounds for his inability to introduce any eyewitnesses are the serious nature of the offence in question, to such an extent that a person intending to commit it would conduct the commission in absence of others...It needs to derive the guilt from the circumstantial evidence introduced by the prosecutor...And every circumstance evidence adduced by the prosecutor could firmly, proximately and reasonably indicate all circumstances giving rise to an absolute belief that during the periods of time aforementioned, the defendant sent the four messages as accused."[20]

As to why the court did not grant the benefit of the doubt to Ampon, Court of Justice spokesperson Sitthisak Wanachaikit replied:

"When the public prosecutor who institutes the proceedings can exercise his burden of proof to the extent of bringing to light the evil intent of the defendant...the defendant needs to be punished according to the gravity of the case."[21]

The courts sometimes use videoconferencing systems for court proceedings, so that defendants do not have to be physically present in the court. Judges have also said the accuser did not necessarily have to prove the information was factual "because if it is true, it is more defamatory, and if it isn't true, then it's super-defamatory."[22] Detainees are seen barefoot and shackled at the ankles when brought to court,[23] while two detainees have died in military custody. One hanged himself, and the other died of a blood infection, according to his autopsy.[24]

Pleading guilty to committing lèse-majesté is seen as a move to seek a royal pardon if a person is handed a lengthy prison term.[25] One commented that it was the king's generosity and sense of fair play that led him to grant pardons for lèse-majesté convictions.[26]

Acts punished

In 1976, a man was arrested on charges of lèse-majesté for using a royal village scout scarf to wipe a table.[16]:134 In 1988, a politician served four year imprisonment for suggesting that life would have been easier had he been born in the palace.[16]:134

Acts deemed insulting to Bhumibol's image are also considered as criminal offences under the doctrine of lèse-majesté in Thailand. This includes placing photographs of anybody on a website in such a way as to appear above photographs of the king.[27] In March 2007 Oliver Jufer, a Swiss man, was sentenced to 10 years in jail for daubing black paint on portraits of Bhumibol while drunk in Chiang Mai,[28][29] although he received a royal pardon the following month.[30]

Suwicha Thakor was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison, later commuted to 10, for posting a picture on an Internet web board that was deemed insulting to Bhumibol, thereby violating section 112 of the Criminal Code and violating the Computer Crime Act (CCA) of 2007. The CCA was passed by the military junta following the 2006 coup. Suwicha's conviction was the first time that it had been successfully used to prosecute lèse-majesté.[31][32] A nurse wearing black on Bhumibol Adulyadej's birthday was charged with lèse majesté.[33] In 2015, Prachatai published an infographic showing that bathroom graffiti, a hand gesture, a hearsay report of a taxi conversation, and not standing during the playing of the royal anthem, among other things, could be punished as acts of lèse-majesté.[34]

History

Michael Kelly Connors, a professor in social science from University of Nottingham, wrote that the king had dual position: an agent of political and economic interests and the soul of the nation of glaring disparity between social classes, and thus required controlled imagery. Lèse majesté was enforced actively since 1976. Lèse majesté changed from offense against the monarchy to offense against national security in 1957.[16]:133

The stage-managed role of the monarch, the compulsory respect shown to the institution, and the pressure of social conformity left many people with a taste of bitterness which few felt confident to express. Thai elites feared that Thai monarchy will be subjected to mockery once it was open to scrutiny, just like the British monarchy.[16]:134

2005–06 Thai political crisis

Lèse majesté cases filed in Thailand, 2007-2017[35]
YearNo. of case
200736
200855
2009104
201065
201137
201225
201357
201499
2015116
2016101
2017 (9 mo.)45

Premier Thaksin Shinawatra and royalist activist Sondhi Limthongkul both filed charges of lèse majesté against each other during the 2005–2006 political crisis. Thaksin's alleged lèse-majesté was one of the stated reasons for the Thai military's 2006 coup.[10][36][37][38]

During his birthday speech in 2005, King Bhumibol Adulyadej encouraged criticism of himself:

"Actually, I must also be criticised. I am not afraid of the criticism concerning what I do wrong, because then I know. If you say the king cannot be criticised, it means that the king is not human. [...] If the king can do no wrong, it is akin to looking down upon him, because the king is not being treated as a human being. But the king can do wrong....If someone offers criticisms suggesting that the king is wrong, then I would like to be informed of their opinion. If I am not, that could be problematic... If we hold that the king cannot be criticised or violated, then the king ends up in a difficult situation."[39]

Post-2006 coup

After the 2006 Thai coup d'état, dozens of radio stations have also been shut down due to alleged lèse majesté insults.[40]

Academics have been investigated, imprisoned, and forced into exile over accusations of lèse-majesté. In 2007, Boonsong Chaisingkananon of Silpakorn University was the subject of a police investigation for asking students in an exam to discuss whether the monarchy was necessary in principle for Thai society and if it could be reformed to be consistent with democracy.[41] Prominent historian Somsak Jeamteerasakul was arrested for proposing an eight-point plan on the reform of the monarchy. Somsak declared that he had never proposed to overthrow the monarchy and had never insulted Bhumibol personally.[42][43][44] Professor Giles Ji Ungpakorn went into exile after his book, A Coup for the Rich, questioned Bhumibol's role in the 2006 coup.[45]

Observers attribute the increasing number of lèse-majesté cases in recent years to King Bhumibol's public invitation of criticism in 2005, increased polarization following the 2006 military coup, and to speculation over his declining health.[46]

During the government of Yingluck Shinawatra, the number of arrests and convictions for lèse-majesté offences significantly declined.[6] However, she said she would not seek to reform the law.[47] There were 478 cases in 2010.[48]

Post-2014 coup

A banner in Bangkok informs that using social media to "like" or "share" a picture or article could land them in prison. The banner says this is "for the sake of the monarchy".

In May 2014, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the military junta, granted authority to a military tribunal to prosecute lèse-majesté in Thailand.[49] Military courts have routinely imposed harsher sentences than civilian courts would. In August 2015, the Bangkok Military Court sentenced Pongsak Sriboonpeng to 60 years in prison for his six Facebook postings (later reduced to 30 years when he pleaded guilty). It was Thailand's longest recorded sentence for lèse-majesté.[50][51] The courts were dubbed "kangaroo courts."[23]

Human rights groups say the lèse-majesté laws have been used as a political weapon to stifle free speech.[4] iLaw, a Thai non-profit organization seeking legislative change, released a 2014 annual report which details changes after the 2014 coup. The junta issued orders and invoked martial law to hold persons in custody for seven days without pressing any charges against them. Secret trials were used. The officials seized personal communication devices to search for incriminating evidence.[52]

In December 2014, parents of Srirasmi Suwadee, formerly a Thai princess, were sentenced for “insulting the royal family and lodging a malicious claim.”[53] In 2015, the Minister of Justice asked the French ambassador to help extradite Thais charged with lèse-majesté; however, the military government has never successfully extradited someone living abroad.[54] In November 2015, Glyn T. Davies, the US ambassador to Thailand, was investigated for a speech criticizing long prison sentences handed to those who found guilty of lèse-majesté. Critics accuse the junta of harnessing the deep reverence that Thais have for the king to boost their own power.[55] In 2016, Facebook blocked users in Thailand from accessing a page satirizing Thailand’s royal family, citing the lèse-majesté law. Around the same time, there was speculation that the junta was able to obtain private chat logs of Facebookers.[56] In May 2017, the military junta stated that merely viewing material considered lèse-majesté would be a violation of the law.[57]

Tenth Reign

In December 2016, Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa, a rights group member was accused of lèse majesté for sharing BBC Thai biography of Thailand's new king Vajiralongkorn. He was the only person to be arrested even though more than 2,600 people also shared the story.[58] As of January 2017, at least 68 persons have been charged with lèse majesté since the latest coup.[59]

As of November 2017 a total of 38 of these cases, 34.2 percent, are in the military court system.[60]

Notable cases

Date Person(s) Notes about person(s) Description of the crime and legal proceedings
1995 Lech Tomacz Kisielwicz French national of Polish descent Made an insulting remark about a Thai princess aboard a Thai Airways flight. He was jailed under lèse majesté for two weeks after his flight landed in Bangkok.[61]
May 2008 Jonathan Head BBC correspondent and FCCT vice-president He was accused of lèse majesté three times: 1) authoring articles that referred to alleged support for the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) by members of the royal family, 2) writing that Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn might find it difficult to "fill his father's shoes", and 3) allowing a picture of a politician to be placed above a picture of Bhumibol on a BBC web page.[62][63] He was not deported, but left Thailand at the end of his three-year BBC assignment.
Sep 2008 Harry Nicolaides[64] from Melbourne, Australia Wrote an offending passage in his self-published book Verisimilitude. The book, which sold a mere seven copies, mentioned the "romantic entanglements and intrigues" of royalty.[65] He was arrested upon arriving at Bangkok's international airport[66] and charged with lèse majesté. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to three years in jail[67] but then pardoned by the king after spending a month in jail, released, and deported.[68]
Apr 2009 Daranee "Da Torpedo" Chanchoengsilpakul UDD activist Initially sentenced to 18 years in prison (six years for each three comments she made) without suspension for "intending to insult" Bhumibol and Sirikit at a political protest.[69] She did not actually mention the monarchs in her speech (she said the "ruling class"), however, the court ruled that the prosecution "brought evidence that makes it possible to interpret that the defendant meant the King and Queen Sirikit."[70] In 2011 the appeals court voided the sentence given by the criminal court. A retrial sentenced her to 15 years, five years per each offence, in prison.[71] On 27 August 2016, Darunee was released after requesting a royal pardon and serving more than eight years in prison.[72]
Apr 2010 Wipas Raksakulthai Thai businessman A post to his Facebook account allegedly insulting Bhumibol.[73] The arrest was reportedly the first lèse majesté charge against a Thai Facebook user.[74] In response, Amnesty International named Wipas Thailand's first prisoner of conscience in nearly three decades.[75]
May 2011 Joe Gordon American freedom of expression activist, born in Thailand as Lerpong Wichaikhammat Posted a link on his blog to a banned book about the ailing king. Also was reportedly suspected of translating, from English into Thai, portions of The King Never Smiles, an unauthorized biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and posting them online, along with articles he wrote that allegedly defamed the royal family.[76][77]

"I want President Obama and Hillary Clinton to intervene on my behalf," he is quoted.[78] After being denied bail eight times, a shackled–and–handcuffed Gordon said in court on 10 October, "I'm not fighting in the case. I'm pleading guilty, sirs."[79] On 8 December 2011 a court in Thailand sentenced him to two and a half years in prison (halved from five years due to pleading guilty).[80] On 10 July 2012, Gordon received a pardon from the king and was released from jail.[81]

Mar 2012 Akachai Hongkangwan Selling VCDs containing a segment of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Foreign Correspondent series.[82] Australian foreign correspondent Eric Campbell and ABC's entire Bangkok bureau had been banned from entering Thailand after they aired an investigation of Bhumibol's role in the military's violent 2010 crackdown on protesters.
May 2012 "Uncle SMS" real name Ampon Tangnoppakul — Thai: อำพล ตั้งนพกุล — known familiarly as "Ah Kong" "อากง" He was accused of sending four short message service (SMS) messages from his cell phones. The messages were deemed offensive to the King and Queen of Thailand. He was denied bail on eight occasions[83] and died from liver cancer in a prison hospital at the age of 61 while serving a 20–year prison sentence.[84][85] Amnesty International named Ampon Tangnoppakul a prisoner of conscience[86] in 2011.
Jan 2013 Somyot Prueksakasemsuk Magazine editor and activist Sentenced to ten years in prison, convicted of publishing two articles under a pseudonym that made negative references to the crown in his now-defunct magazine Voice of Taksin.[87] Amnesty International has designated Somyot Prueksakasemsuk a prisoner of conscience.
Sep 2013 Yuthapoom Martnok He was accused of lèse majesté by his brother, and "has been jailed for a year in a Bangkok prison" while waiting for a court ruling, according to a Bangkok Post article.[88] He was acquitted and released one day after the article ran.[89]
Oct 2013 Sondhi Limthongkul Founder of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) Quoted remarks made by an opponent protesting the 2008 resumption of PAD protests.[90] The appeals court in so doing reversed a lower court acquittal (Thailand has no bar to double jeopardy) handed down on 26 September 2012. The lèse majesté had resulted from Sondhi's having quoted remarks made by Daranee Chanchoengsilpakul.[91] Sondhi's 2012 acquittal upheld prosecution for whatever words Sondhi had quoted, but for much less than "18 years in prison without suspension." Sondhi was sentenced to two years imprisonment, then released after posting 500,000 baht (US$15,935) in bail.
2014 Nithiwat Wannasiri Musician He is a member and lead singer of the punk rock group Faiyen which became known for writing and performing songs that mocked the lèse majesté law as well as corrupt officials and the elites.[92] Following the 2014 Thai coup d'état Wannasiri was accused of lèse majesté and subsequently charged under article 112.[93] He was forced into exile and continues to campaign against lèse majesté.[94]
Aug 2014 Jaran Ditapichai Academic, political activist and former human rights commissioner The three were accused of defaming the king because of their role in a political play performed during the 40th Anniversary of the 14 October 1973 student uprising in October 2013. Jaran Ditapichai was charged because he was the head organizer of the event where the play, "The Wolf Pride", was performed.[95][96][97]

Pornthip Munkong was charged because she performed in the play and Patiwat Saraiyaem was charged for staging the play. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) declared their detention arbitrary and against provisions which guarantee the fundamental right to liberty, the right to a fair trial, and the right to freedom of opinion and expression.[98] On 23 February 2015, Pornthip Munkong and Patiwat Saraiyaem received a sentencing of 2 years and 6 months each.[99] They were released from prison in August 2016.[100][101]

Jaran Ditapichai remains in exile in France where the government of France has granted him a political refugee status.[102]

Pornthip "Golf Prakai Fai" Munkong Activist
Patiwat Saraiyaem Khon Kaen University student
2014 Somsak Jeamteerasakul Academic Somsak Jeamteerasakul was a former history lecturer at Thammasat University known for his criticism of the Thai monarchy and the lèse majesté law. He was a critic of the 2014 military coup and was accused of being "a mentally ill academic [who] is intent on overthrowing the institution," by the leader of the junta Prayut Chan-o-cha.[103] He avoided arrest by going into hiding and later escaping to France where he was granted political asylum.[104] In April 2017 the Thai authorities declared it illegal to communicate or exchange information with Somsak Jeamteerasakul on the internet.[105]
Dec 2014 Nopporn Suppipat Thai Businessman Nopporn Suppipat is founder and former CEO of Wind Energy Holding and in 2014 was listed 31st on Forbes Asia’s ranking of Thailand’s 50 Richest with a net worth of US$800 million. [106] [107] After the May 2014 coup he was accused of lèse majesté during a corruption investigation into family members of Princess Srirasmi Suwadee.[108] Supippat fled to France and was granted political asylum.[109]
Dec 2015 Thanakorn Siripaiboon Thai factory worker He faces multiple charges including that of insulting the king's adopted dog Tongdaeng. He was detained on 8 December 2015 and kept in an undisclosed location prompting fears of his forced disappearance.[110] Thai military junta did not detail the precise insult made towards the animal. He faces up to 37 years in prison.[111] He was granted bail on 8 March 2016; the bail was set at half a million baht.
May 2016 Patnaree Chankij Mother of a prominent pro-democracy activist She was charged with lèse majesté for failing to criticize or take action on personal Facebook messages that were sent to her account by her son's friend Burin Intin.[112] According to a statement made by her lawyer, "[Police] Officers interpreted refusal to reprimand something is equal to agreeing with it".[113][114] On 8 May 2016 media said that Chankij was released on bail.[115]
Jun 2016 Thanat "Tom Dundee" Thanawatcharanon Singer Thanat Thanawatcharanon was arrested in 2014 for a speech he made at a Red Shirt rally in 2013. After being detained for two years without bail, he was sentenced on 1 June 2016 to 7.5 years in prison.[116][117][118] A second sentencing on 11 July 2016 by a military court over another speech given in 2013 added three years and four months to his sentence. The two lèse majesté convictions total 10 years and 10 months imprisonment.[119][120] Thanat Thanawatcharanon is currently imprisoned in Bangkok, where he is scheduled to remain until April 2027.[121]
Dec 2016 Jatupat Boonpattararaksa (Pai Dao Din) Thai student and activist Political activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa was arrested after sharing a profile of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, published by BBC Thai on this personal Facebook page.[122][123]
Apr 2017 Sulak Sivaraksa Academic Sulak was charged for his remark during an academic forum at Thammasat University in October 2014 doubting the existence of an elephant battle between King Naresuan of Ayutthaya and Crown Prince Mingyi Swa of Taungoo Burma in the 16th century.[124][125] In January 2018, it is revealed that military attorney decided not to sue him after he petitioned to the King, and he advised the government to drop the case.[126]
Jan 2018 Murhyatee Masoh Unemployed Thai-Malay Muslim from Yala Province Murhyatee, a blind woman, was found guilty of violating Article 112 of the constitution in two separate Facebook posts in October 2016. She used a voice-assisted application which reads text out loud. The woman, under arrest since November 2016, pleaded guilty. The source of the defamatory content which Murhyatee re-posted is unclear. "The court said they are sympathetic to her [because she's blind] but said the law is the law."[127]

Internet blocking measures

Image displayed from Thailand's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology when accessing prohibited content, such as The Daily Mail, from Thailand in 2014.

Of particular concern to Thailand relating to the Internet are (1) malicious comments made against the institution of the monarchy and the royal families, who are by law not in a position to defend themselves, (2) improper content and language aimed at inciting hatred and undermining national security for political or other reasons, and (3) pornographic content, in particular child pornography.

The government, through the Office of Prevention and Suppression of Information Technology Crimes, maintains a "war room" where about a dozen computer specialists monitor the content of the Internet for pages which disparage the monarchy or pose a threat to national security. A web crawler is used to search widely. When an offending image or language is found the office obtains a court order blocking the site. On 28 October 2008, The Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) announced plans to spend about 100–500 million baht to build a gateway to block websites with contents defaming the royal institution.[128]

In 2008, "more than 4,800 webpages ha[d] been blocked...because they contain[ed] content deemed insulting to Thailand's royal family".[129] As of December 2010, nearly 60,000 websites have been banned for alleged insults against Bhumibol. As of 2011, 70,000 pages had been blocked over a four-year period.[130]

On 4 April 2007, the Thai government blocked Thai access to YouTube as a result of a video clip which it deemed insulting to the king.[131][132] Various leaders of the military junta claimed that the clip was an attempt to undermine the monarchy, attack Thailand as a country, and threaten national security.[133]

The website of Same Sky Books, publishers of Same Sky magazine, was shut down by the military government after comments on its bulletin board questioned claims made by the Thai media that the entire country was in mourning over the death of Princess Galyani Vadhana.[134]

In December 2015, the court verdict against Chiranuch Premchaiporn, webmaster of the news website Prachatai, was upheld in the highest court: "an eight-month suspended jail sentence and a 20,000 baht fine".[135] Previously, she had been jailed without bail for nearly a year for not removing—in 2008[135]—an allegedly insulting comment from an article fast enough. Although the comments did not directly mention Bhumibol or members of his family, the court found that Chiranuch displayed insulting intent. Arrested in September 2010, she could face up to 50 years imprisonment if found guilty.[136][137][138]

Opinion

Support

A Thai official said that the lèse majesté law is similar to libel law for commoners. Some abuse their rights by spreading hate speeches or distorted information to incite hatred towards the monarchical institution. Those who were accused of lèse majesté had right to fair trial, due opportunity to contest the charges and assistance from lawyer, as well as the right to appeal.[139]

In May 2016, Justice Minister remarked on "concerns raised by United Nations Security Council member countries during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva" on 11 May 2016: "that foreign countries would not understand why Thailand needs the lèse majesté law because they are not "civilised" nations with cultural refinement like ours."[140]

A judge in a lèse majesté case, which a man was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison, said he would have given a longer sentence, but was advised on the shorter term by the court's deputy president.[141]

Oppose

The lèse majesté law is described as "draconian."[142] Amnesty International considers anyone jailed for insulting Bhumibol to be a political prisoner.[143]

Article 112 is typically deployed with politically expedient timing, rather than at the time of the supposed offense. Jakrapob Penkair, a former Minister to the Office of the Prime Minister, commented "It’s not about your action; it’s about the timing. They wait until the moment when you seem most vulnerable."[23]

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, David Kaye, commenting on the detention of a Thai national who posted a link to a Thai language BBC profile of Thailand's new king, said, "Public figures, including those exercising the highest political authority, may be subject to criticism, and the fact that some forms of expression are considered to be insulting to a public figure is not sufficient to justify restrictions or penalties." Kaye went on to say that such laws "have no place in a democratic country" and called for Thailand to repeal them. [144]

Satirical reaction

Not The Nation, an anonymous website[145] that satirizes a Thai newspaper, The Nation, satirized the media and public response paid to the case of Thai American Joe Gordon in contrast to that paid to the drug-related case of Australian Schapelle Corby and to the pardoning of Greek-Cypriot-Australian Harry Nicolaides.[146] NTN later satirized plea bargaining in the "Uncle SMS" case.[147] In December 2013, NTN circumvented the chilling effect of LMIT on discussion of succession with a discussion of the abdication of royal dog Thong Daeng.[148]

In July 2014, British comedian John Oliver described, at the time Crown Prince, Vajiralongkorn as a "buffoon" and showed the leaked video of Vajiralongkorn and his topless wife celebrating the birthday of the prince's poodle, Air Chief Marshal Foo Foo, in a satirical piece about monarchy in general on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.[149] The Thai military government described Oliver as "undermining the royal institution", to which Oliver responded by saying "It seems my Thailand vacation is going to have to be postponed very much indefinitely. If I can bring down your monarchy, you have—at best—a wobbly monarchy."[150]

Activists against the law

  • Mainueng Kor Kunatee (poet who was assassinated in 2014)[151]
  • Somsak Jeamteerasakul
  • Giles Ji Ungpakorn[152]
  • Pavin Chachavalpongpun[153], a former diplomat, an associate professor at the Kyoto University and a leader of a campaign to abolish Article 112 in Thai criminal code.
  • Worachet Pakeerut, as a member of the Nitirat group — an association of law lecturers who campaign for constitutional reform and a change of Thailand's lèse majesté law.
  • Sawatree Suksri, as a member of the Nitirat group — an association of law lecturers who campaign for constitutional reform and a change of Thailand's lèse majesté law.[154]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Cochrane, Liam (2017-01-11). "New Thai King requests constitutional changes to 'ensure his royal powers': Prime Minister". ABC News. ABC. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
  2. 1 2 "How powerful people use criminal-defamation laws to silence their critics". The Economist. 13 July 2017. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
  3. ↑
  4. 1 2 Thailand's lèse-majesté laws explained
  5. ↑ "รอบอาทิตย์แรก ธ.ค. 54: อากงSMS effect". iLaw. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 Human Rights Watch. World Report 2014: Thailand
  7. 1 2 2014 coup marks the highest number of lèse-majesté prisoners in Thai history. Prachatai.
  8. ↑ Record jail terms for royal insults
  9. ↑ Thai courts hand down record sentences for royal insults
  10. 1 2 Colum Murphy (September 2006). "A Tug of War for Thailand's Soul". Far Eastern Economic Review.
  11. ↑ "Authorities close in on Prem's foes". Bangkok Post. 5 April 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  12. ↑ "Row festers over website seeking to oust Prem". The Nation. 3 April 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  13. ↑ "Special Branch chief demoted in reshuffle". The Nation. 5 April 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  14. ↑ "Swiss man 'insulted' Thai king". Al Jazeera. 12 March 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  15. ↑ "Swiss man faces jail for lèse majesté". The Daily Telegraph. London. 13 March 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2007.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 Connors, Michael Kelly (2003). Democracy and National Identity in Thailand. RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 0-203-36163-6.
  17. ↑ New lèse-majesté precedents set by Thailand’s public prosecutors and Court. (iLaw).
  18. ↑ Singer Gets 7 Years for Lèse-Majesté, Must Write 'Reconciliation Song'. Khaosod English.
  19. ↑ Thailand: End Harsh Punishments for Lèse-Majesté Offenses. Human Right Watch.
  20. ↑ "คำพิพากษาคดีอากง (ฉบับเต็ม)". Courts of Justice of Thailand. 23 December 2011. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  21. ↑ สิทธิศักดิ์ วนะชกิจ (9 May 2012). "อากงปลงไม่ตก (2)" (PDF).
  22. ↑ Court defers lèse-majesté case, defence advised
  23. 1 2 3 The Draconian Legal Weapon Being Used to Silence Thai Dissent. Time.
  24. ↑ Second Thailand lese majeste detainee dies in military custody. BBC.
  25. ↑ Tom Dundee confesses to lèse-majesté. Bangkok Post.
  26. ↑ Royal pardon shows King's generosity and fairness. Bangkok Post.
  27. ↑ Reuters, BBC rejects Thai royal slur complaint, 2 July 2008
  28. ↑ "Swiss man jailed for Thai insult". BBC News. 29 March 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  29. ↑ BBC News, Sensitive heads of state, 29 March 2007
  30. ↑ "Thai king pardons man who defaced his portrait". The Guardian. 12 April 2007.
  31. ↑ Thai Netizen, First Verdict On CCA-LM Is Scheduled For The Accused Internet User On 3 April 2009, 27 March 2009
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  33. ↑ "3 lèse majesté complaints filed against women wearing black around King's birthday". Prachatai English. 2014-12-10. Retrieved 2014-12-11.
  34. ↑ What could land you in jail for lèse-majesté in Thailand
  35. ↑ "List of individuals charged with Article 112 of the Criminal Code (lèse majesté)". iLAW. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  36. ↑ Julian Gearing (3 December 1999). "A Protective Law: It's called lèse-majesté, and it is taken seriously". Asiaweek. 25 (48).
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  39. ↑ "Royal Birthday Address: 'King Can Do Wrong'". The Nation. 5 December 2005. Archived from the original on 25 December 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  40. ↑ Reporters Without Borders, Lèse-majesté charge used to crack down on opposition media, 2 May 2011
  41. ↑ กรณีบุญส่ง ชัยสิงห์กานานนท์, 30 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2554
  42. ↑ SEAPA Alert: Thai history professor faces lèse-majesté complaint, 10 May 2011
  43. ↑ Bangkok Post, Intellectuals join Somsak to defend stance, 24 April 2011
  44. ↑ Pattaya Today
  45. ↑ British professor flees Thailand after charge of insulting king, 9 February 2009
  46. ↑ Todd Pitman and Sinfah Tunsarawuth (27 March 2011). "Thailand arrests American for alleged king insult". Associated Press. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
  47. ↑ Achara Ashayagachat (11 May 2012). "Ampon team of lawyers say their best 'not good enough'". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  48. ↑ FT, High time to concede the Thai king can do wrong, 20 July 2011
  49. ↑ "All crimes involving alleged lèse-majesté, sedition subjected to Military Court: Thai Coup makers", 25 May 2014. Prachatai English. Accessed 11 September 2016.
  50. ↑ "Running Afoul of the Thai Monarchy". New York Times. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  51. ↑ "Thailand: UPR Submission 2015". Human Rights Watch. 2015-09-21. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  52. ↑ 2014 Situation Summary Report 2/5: Lèse-majesté cases: One step forward, three steps backward. iLaw.
  53. ↑ Parents of Thai ex-princess given jail term for lèse-majesté. BBC.
  54. ↑ Thai Minister Asks French Diplomat to Extradite Lèse-Majesté Suspects. Khaosod English.
  55. ↑ Thai Police Investigate U.S. Ambassador on Suspicion of Insulting King. The New York Times.
  56. ↑ Facebook Blocks Thailand From Page Satirizing Monarchy. Khaosod English.
  57. ↑ Amy Sawitta Lefevre, Aukkarapon Niyomyat (2017-05-22). "Thailand extends web controls from composers of illicit content to viewers". Reuters.
  58. ↑ Activist ‘Pai Dao Din’ Arrested For Lese Majeste. Khaosod English.
  59. ↑ Thailand: Activist Unjustly Jailed for ‘Insulting Monarchy’
  60. ↑ Wongwat, Metta (15 November 2017). "A Decade of Article 112 Cases". Prachatai English. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  61. ↑ Gearing, Julian (3 December 1999). "Thailand: A Protective Law". Asiaweek. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  62. ↑ Wall Street Journal, In Thailand, Insulting the King Can Mean 15 Years in Jail, 16 October 2008
  63. ↑ Committee to Protect Journalists, BBC reporter charged with insulting the king, 24 December 2008
  64. ↑ Australian man refused bail for insulting Thai King, ABC Online, 3 September 2008
  65. ↑ Schwartzkoff, Louise (23 Feb 2009). "Author denies it was a stunt". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  66. ↑ Australian arrested in Thailand for lese-majeste
  67. ↑ NEWS.BBC.co.uk, Writer jailed for Thai 'insult'
  68. ↑ NEWS.BBC.co.uk, Thailand frees Australian writer
  69. ↑ Bangkok Post, 18 years in jail for 'Da Torpedo', 28 August 2009
  70. ↑ Fa Dio Kan, "Official Judgement of Daranee Chanchoengsilapakul", July – September 2009 (Year 7, No. 3)
  71. ↑ "A Call to Remember: 6 years of Da Torpedo behind bars for lèse majesté". Prachatai English.
  72. ↑ "Three lese majeste prisoners freed". Bangkok Post.
  73. ↑ "Thai man arrested for Facebook post about monarchy". Agence France-Presse. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  74. ↑ "Govt cracks down on social networking forums". Bangkok Post. 3 July 2010. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  75. ↑ Pravit Rojanaphruk (14 May 2011). "Amnesty International names Thailand's first 'prisoner of conscience'". The Nation. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
  76. ↑ "Joe Gordon, Colorado Man Living In Thailand, Arrested For Allegedly Insulting Monarchy". Huffington Post. 27 May 2011.
  77. ↑ "Freedom Alert: American arrested in Thailand, accused of criticizing monarchy". Freedom House.
  78. ↑ Rachel Harvey (1 June 2011). "US man held for 'Thai monarchy insult' appeals to Obama". BBC News Asia-Pacific. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
  79. ↑ "Joe Gordon pleads guilty to lèse majesté charges". Asian Correspondent. AP. 10 October 2011. Hoping for a lenient sentence, a shackled U.S. citizen pleaded guilty Monday to charges of defaming Thailand's royal family, a grave crime in this Southeast Asian kingdom that is punishable by up to 15 years in jail.
  80. ↑ "Thailand jails U.S. man for insulting king". CBS News. Associated Press (AP). 2008-12-08. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  81. ↑ Bangkok Pundit (July 11, 2012). "Thai-American jailed on lèse majesté charges gets pardon". Asian Correspondent. Bristol, England: Hybrid News Limited. Associated Press. Retrieved July 11, 2012. A lawyer for an American imprisoned in Thailand for translating a banned book about the king says he has been granted a royal pardon, and the U.S. Embassy says he has been freed.
  82. ↑ "Thai police arrest man for selling monarchy video" (News & blogging). Asian Correspondent. Bristol, England: Hybrid News Limited. Associated Press. March 22, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2012. A Thai man faces up to 15 years in prison for selling video CDs containing an Australian TV news program about Thailand’s monarchy, his lawyer said....
  83. ↑ Kong Rithdee (May 12, 2012). "Funeral pyres lit in our dark night of shame". Bangkok Post. Archived from the original (Opinion) on January 17, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2011.
  84. ↑ Ah Kong's death reignites debate
  85. ↑ Lisa Gardner (May 8, 2012). "'Uncle SMS' Akong, jailed for lèse majeste, dies – A chronology". Asian Correspondent. Bristol, England: Hybrid News Limited. Retrieved May 8, 2012. A 61-year old Thai retiree and grandfather, whose twenty-year conviction under Thailand's lese-majeste law last year drew heavy criticism from civil rights groups, has been confirmed dead today.
  86. ↑ "Thai lese majeste prisoner dies". Radio Australia.
  87. ↑ "Thailand sentences editor to 10 years in jail for royal insult". Asian Correspondent. Bristol, England: Hybrid News Limited. Associated Press. January 23, 2013. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2013. A prominent Thai activist and magazine editor was sentenced to a decade in prison Wednesday for defaming Thailand's monarchy, a verdict rights groups condemned as the latest affront to freedom of expression in the Southeast Asian country.
  88. ↑ Lese majeste law makes family feud a battle royal
  89. ↑ Achara Ashayagachat (2013-09-13). "Man acquitted of lese majeste charges filed by his brother". Bangkok Post.
  90. ↑ "Thai royalist sentenced for repeating royal insult". Asian Correspondent. Bristol, England: Hybrid News Limited. Associated Press. October 1, 2013. Retrieved October 2, 2013. The founder of Thailand's royalist Yellow Shirt movement has been sentenced to two years imprisonment for defaming the monarchy by repeating offensive comments made by a political opponent.
  91. ↑ "Thailand: Media mogul Sondhi cleared of insulting monarchy". Asian Correspondent. Bristol, England: Hybrid News Limited. Associated Press. September 27, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2013. A Bangkok court has acquitted the founder of Thailand's Yellow Shirt political movement of insulting the monarchy by quoting remarks defaming the royal family.
  92. ↑ https://prachatai.com/english/node/3809
  93. ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-35099322
  94. ↑ http://www.alterasia.org/201510190602/liberte-opas-appel-de-lexile-politique-thailandais-nithiwat-wannasiri/
  95. ↑ Lese majeste pair denied bail by court - Drama troupe's play 'defames' monarchy
  96. ↑ Red-shirt leader charged with lèse majesté due to political play ‘The Wolf Bride’
  97. ↑ Human rights groups slam jailing of two Thai students for 'royal insult' in university play
  98. ↑ UN body demands immediate release of lèse-majesté detainee
  99. ↑ Thai pair jailed for insulting monarchy in student play
  100. ↑ Thai prisoners jailed for insulting monarchy freed after pardon
  101. ↑ Thai Student Actor Pornthip Munkong Has Been Released!
  102. ↑ "France grants refugee status to Thai political exiles". Prachatai English.
  103. ↑ http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/07/thailand-under-junta-201472171432889150.html
  104. ↑ https://prachatai.com/english/node/5213
  105. ↑ http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/1231680/online-contact-with-regime-critics-banned
  106. ↑ http://www.bangkokpost.com/print/443762/
  107. ↑ https://www.forbes.com/profile/nopporn-suppipat/
  108. ↑ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-2875610/Thailands-Wind-Energy-appoints-new-CEO-graft-scandal.html
  109. ↑ http://www.asiasentinel.com/econ-business/thailand-wind-cscandal-threatens-ipo/
  110. ↑ https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/12/11/thailand-junta-critic-feared-disappeared
  111. ↑ A Thai Man Faces Nearly 40 Years in Jail for Insulting the King's Dog. Time.
  112. ↑ https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/05/06/thailand-junta-arrests-activists-mother
  113. ↑ http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1462541768
  114. ↑ http://www.dagbladet.no/2016/05/20/nyheter/utenriks/majestetsfornermelse/thailand/bhumibol_adulyadej/44295863/
  115. ↑ http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/964021/ja-news-mother-granted-bail
  116. ↑ Thai singer Tom Dundee jailed for offending monarchy
  117. ↑ Tom Dundee: French-educated country singer-turned-lèse majesté prisoner
  118. ↑ Thailand jails country singer for seven years in royal insult case
  119. ↑ red shirt singer gets extra years in prison for lèse majesté
  120. ↑ Singer Gets 7 Years for Lese Majeste, Must Write 'Reconciliation Song'
  121. ↑ Free Tom Dundee
  122. ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-38196136
  123. ↑ http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2017/01/23/jatupat-singled-scare-others-supporters-say/
  124. ↑ Voice TV Editorial Board (2017-04-20). "Sǭnǭ chana songkhrām sǭp pākkham khadī sǭsǭsǭ thūk thahān klāohā min phra narēsūan" สน. ชนะสงครามสอบปากคำพยาน คดี สศษ. ถูกทหารกล่าวหาหมิ่นพระนเรศวร [Chana Songkhram Police examines witnesses for the case in which Sulak Sivaraksa has been accused by the military of defaming King Naresuan]. Voice TV (in Thai). Bangkok: Voice TV. Retrieved 2017-04-20.
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  126. ↑ "ส.ศิวรักษ์เผยได้ทำฎีกาทูลเกล้าฯ ก่อนอัยการศาลทหารสั่งไม่ฟ้องคดี ม.112 ปมพูดพาดพิงพระนเรศวร" [S. Sivaraksa Said He Petitioned [the King] Before Military Attorney Decided Not Sue Article 112 for Speaking About Naresuan]. Prachatai (in Thai). 24 January 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  127. ↑ Rojanaphruk, Pravit (5 January 2018). "Blind Woman to Serve 1.5 Years in Prison for Defaming Monarchy". Khaosod English. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  128. ↑ "Thailand firewall to block 'offensive' websites". Bangkok Post. 28 October 2008. Retrieved 2 November 2008.
  129. ↑ "Media freedom threats worry internet community". Bangkok Post. 5 February 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  130. ↑ Fuller, Thomas (2 October 2011). "A High-Tech War Against Slights to a Centuries-Old Monarchy". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 October 2011.
  131. ↑ "Thai YouTube Ban Persists Over King Clip". AP via CBS. 5 April 2007. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
  132. ↑ "More Thai king videos on YouTube". BBC. 5 April 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2007.
  133. ↑ "Inconvenient truths of censorship". The Nation. 16 April 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2007.
  134. ↑ AP, Thailand Shuts Down Political Web Site
  135. 1 2 http://www.chiangraitimes.com/court-upholds-lese-majeste-conviction-of-newspaper-editor-chiranuch-premchaiporn.html
  136. ↑ Police lèse-majesté "experts" in Prachatai trial, 2 September 2011
  137. ↑ Thai webmaster facing 50 years for lèse-majesté postings, 5 February 2011
  138. ↑ Is Thailand Regressing on Lèse-Majesté?, 12 September 2011
  139. ↑ "THE USE OF THE LÈSE-MAJESTÉ LAW IN THAILAND". Royal Thai Embassy Singapore. Government of Thailand. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  140. ↑ "Address UN rights worries" (Editorial). Bangkok Post. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2018. (Subscription required (help)).
  141. ↑ Singer Tom Dundee gets 7 years, 6 months for lese majeste. Bangkok Post.
  142. ↑ Thailand lese majeste: 'More arrests' due over Crown Prince plot
  143. ↑ Bangkok Post, All eyes on Article 112, 18 September 2011
  144. ↑ "UN slams Thailand for first royal slur charge under new king". South China Morning Post. Agence France-Presse. 2017-02-07. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  145. ↑ Anonymous (28 September 2011). "About". Not the Nation. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2012. Not The Nation is for entertainment purposes only. Redistribution of Not The Nation content with attribution is permitted. Some photos and images used on Not The Nation are taken from the Internet. If one of them is yours, we apologize and are grateful. The author(s) of Not The Nation choose(s) to remain anonymous.
  146. ↑ Gordon, RealJoeGordon (August 19, 2011). "EMBASSY STATEMENT ON U.S. CITIZEN JOE GORDON". https://www.facebook.com/REALJOEGORDON. Archived from the original on January 7, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2018.

    EMBASSY STATEMENT ON U.S. CITIZEN JOE GORDON

    The United States is disappointed by the prosecutor’s decision to file lese majeste charges against U.S. citizen Joe Gordon. We have discussed Mr. Gordon’s case extensively with Thai authorities, stressing at every possible opportunity his rights as an American citizen. We urge the Thai authorities to ensure freedom of expression is respected and that Mr. Gordon, a U.S. citizen, receives fair treatment.

     External link in |newspaper= (help)
  147. ↑ Anonymous (3 December 2011). "Prosecutor Offers 'Uncle SMS' Reduced Sentence In Exchange For Acting More Evil". Not The Nation. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013. ...Under the proposed agreement, Ampon's sentence will be reduced from 20 to only 5 years if he agrees to act more evil between now and his incarceration.
  148. ↑ Anonymous (3 December 2013). "Thongdaeng Abdicates To Foo Foo". Not The Nation. Archived from the original on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 2014-01-06. In a shocking event that may forever alter the social and cultural landscape of the Kingdom of Thailand, His Majesty the King's royal dog Thongdaeng has abdicated his position as the nation's ruling pet of state to Foo Foo, Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn's longstanding dog-in-waiting.
  149. ↑ "Thailand's Military Government Thinks John Oliver Is a Threat to Its Monarchy". Vice. July 25, 2014.
  150. ↑ "Thai junta unamused by comedian John Oliver's royal jibes". The Guardian. 30 July 2014.
  151. ↑ Kong Rithdee (2014-04-26). "Poet's death casts chill on our society". Bangkok Post.
  152. ↑ Andrew Walker (2011-08-07). "Ji Ungpakorn on lese majeste". New Mandala.
  153. ↑ "A Thai Academic in Peril for Speaking Out". Asia Sentinel. 2012-06-13.
  154. ↑ "Nitirat academic Sawatree released from military camp". Prachatai English. 2014-06-09.

Further reading

  • "Lese-majeste explained: How Thailand forbids insult of its royalty". BBC. 2017-10-06. Retrieved 2017-10-13.

Literature

  • David Streckfuss (2011), Truth on Trial in Thailand: Defamation, Treason and Lèse-majesté, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-41425-8
  • Sinfah Tunsarawuth (September 2012), "Royal Chill", Index on Censorship, 41: 103–107, doi:10.1177/0306422012456809
  • "Jail, bail, Facebook feature in busy day of lese majeste prosecutions". Bangkok Post. 2014-11-18. Retrieved 2014-11-18.
  • Editorial board (2014-05-03). "True spirit of free press". Bangkok Post.
  • Somyot Pruksakasemsuk (2014-04-29). "Battling lese majeste law from a jail cell". Bangkok Post.
  • "'Trash' doc urges harsh medicine - Slammed for his lese majeste stance, Dr Rienthong is still bent on weeding out wrongdoers". Bangkok Post. 2014-04-26.
  • (2014-04-22). "Monk accuses red DJs of lese majeste". Bangkok Post.
  • Kong Rithdee (2014-04-19). "Free speech tied in lese majeste knot". Bangkok Post.
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