<p>Lèse majesté charges have been filed by a Prachatai reader and information from the police reveals that he has filed lèse majesté charges against at least 15 people based on comments on three articles on Prachatai.</p>
<p>Nitirat, a group of law academics at Thammasat University, has announced two activities to be held in January next year to campaign for amendments to Article 112 and the nullification of the 2006 coup’s legal effects, as has been proposed to the public by the group.</p>
By Marwaan Macan-Markar, Inter Press Service |
<p>BANGKOK, Dec 24, 2011 (IPS) - The ‘Land of Smiles’ attracts some 14 million tourists annually to its tranquil beaches and glistening temples. But to many Thais, their country is becoming one of grimaces, thanks to its draconian lese-majeste (LM) law.</p>
<p>Meechai Ruchuphan, a veteran legal expert who has served several governments and juntas in various capacities in the last three decades, has given his views on the lèse majesté law in his answer to a question posted at his <a href="http://www.meechaithailand.com/index1.html">website</a> by one of his readers.</p>
<p>Pol Gen Vasit Dejkunjorn, former palace police chief and former Deputy Police Chief, has published an article in Matichon in response to recent comments by the US Ambassador and the United Nations Office of Human Rights on Thailand’s lèse majesté law.</p>
<p>On 19 Dec, Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, editor of Voice of Taksin magazine and red-shirt leader, was brought to the provincial court in Phetchabun in lower northern Thailand for the hearing of the second prosecution witness, a former employee of his magazine. The court room was packed with an audience from Bangkok and local areas.</p>
By Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation |
<p><em>Truth panel seeks separate custody centre for political detainees</em></p>
<p>Human rights and political activists welcomed the government's decision to set up a separate jail to detain political prisoners, though one person voiced doubts as to whether those detained over lese-majeste charges should be included or not. This idea comes as part of recommendations from the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT).</p>
<p>On 15 Dec, the Criminal Court sentenced Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul to 15 years in prison, after the Constitutional Court had ruled that its secret trial of the case was not unconstitutional.</p>
By Elizabeth Fitzgerald |
<p>On 14 December 2011, Sittisak Wanachakit, Justice Court spokesperson, made an extensive comment, published on <a href="http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/home/detail/politics/analysis/20111214/424435/news.html">กรุงเทพธุรกิจ</a>, on the case of Ah Kong, the 61-year-old man recently sentenced to twenty years in prison under Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code (the lesè majesté law: “<em>Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to fifteen years</em>”) and the 2007 Computer Crimes</p>
By Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation |
<p>One of the reasons why so many people are passionate about the lese-majeste law is that they regard His Majesty the King as the "father" of all Thais.</p>
<p>Deputy Prime Minister Pol Capt Chalerm Yubamrung is set to begin his crackdown on websites offensive to the monarchy, and has sought a budget of 400 million baht to buy new equipment to block foreign websites.</p>
<p>On 10 Dec, about 100 activists gathered at the Victory Monument to join a ‘Fearlessness Walk’ to protest against the lèse majesté law.</p>