Thai Man Jailed for Insulting Monarchy in Facebook Posts
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| irrawaddy.org |
The nation's strict lèse-majesté law, which
translates literally as 'injured majesty', makes any insult of the king, queen,
heir, or regent an offence punishable by up to 15 years per count. Convictions
under the law have surged since royalist generals toppled the elected
government last May.
The Thai government and the media take the measures very
seriously. Even when they report on these offences, media outlets must be
careful not to repeat them, as this could be seen as illegal. Now
that the country is ruled under martial law, others like Sriboonpeng found
guilty of insulting the monarchy cannot appeal their sentences.
In March, Tiensutham Suttijitseranee was jailed for 25 years
for posting defamatory pictures on Facebook in a closed-door sentencing –
effectively a life sentence for the 58-year-old man. Tiensutham’s sentence was
also halved because he pleaded guilty, his lawyer Sasinan Thamnithinan told
Reuters. Reports suggest that the lèse-majesté law has also been
used to justify censorship and online snooping. YouTube was blocked by the Thai
government in 2007 for hosting a video it deemed insulting to revered king
Bhumibol Adulyadej. The site was banned after Google declined requests to
remove the 44-second film showing graffiti over the king’s face. In 2014, the
law justified mass surveillance ‘specifically targeting those producing and
reading lèse-majesté content.’
 |
| businessinsider.com |
International rights groups have lambasted the ‘preposterous’
defamation rules and called for an end to lèse-majesté law. Critics
of the law say that it is being used in a targeted fashion against political
enemies of the royalist elite. The UN has urged the Thai government to amend
the law to bring it in line with international human rights standards, but so
far they have shown no signs of budging. ‘Until the law is amended, such laws
should not be used arbitrarily to curb debate on critical issues of public
interest, even when it involves criticism of heads of state or government,’ UN
rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told a news briefing in Geneva on
Tuesday.
Aaron Waterhouse
Aaron Waterhouse
Aaron is a recent English graduate from Durham University who is now working as a content writer intern. An enthusiastic traveller, he hopes to become a journalist and report from around the world. Follow him @AaronAtSMF
Thai Man Jailed for Insulting Monarchy in Facebook Posts
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Tuesday, August 11, 2015
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Reviewed by Unknown
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Tuesday, August 11, 2015
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