By PEN International |
<p>PEN International issued a <a href="https://pen-international.org/news/thailand-government-expands-legal-system-against-critics-criminalising-peaceful-expression">statement</a> on Tuesday (20 April) raising concerns about the Thai authorities' use of the royal defamation law against critics of the monarchy and call for the repeal of Section 112 and for all charges against the protesters to be immediately dropped. </p>
By PEN International |
<p>PEN International issued a <a href="https://pen-international.org/news/thailand-government-crackdown-and-drop-all-charges-against-peaceful-demonstrators?fbclid=IwAR2iEhm0AUvb6j8cBmDnObm-mtsu57j0zMF8u1TSFd-dpYDhXXPx71J5Hg0">statement</a> on Thursday (29 October) raising concern over the ongoing crackdown against dissenting voices and called for the Thai authorities to drop all charges against peaceful demonstrators. </p>
By Wad Rawee |
<div>In January 2013, the Criminal Court convicted and sentenced a magazine editor to ten years in prison in Thailand. His crime was violation of the lèse majesté law by publishing and disseminating two articles. The court proved the guilt of the editor by asking witnesses to read the articles in question and interpret them for the court. Upon listening to the interpretation of these witnesses, the court concluded that the editor must have reached the same interpretation. Therefore, this indicated that the editor intended to defame the king by printing and disseminating the two articles.
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By PEN International |
<div>Finnish organizations promoting freedom of expression are disappointed in Thailand’s government’s decision to ban journalist Pravit Rojanaphruk from travelling to Finland. Rojanaphruk was invited to participate in UNESCOs Press Freedom Day conference in Helsinki during May 2–4 2016. Finnish PEN, Reporters Without Borders in Finland, Finnish Foundation for Media and Development Vikes and Union of Journalists in Finland are demanding Pravit Rojanaphruk to be allowed to participate in the conference.
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<p>An international writers’ association has demanded the unconditional release of youth activists imprisoned under the lèse majesté law for staging a play called the ‘Wolf Bride’.</p>
<p>Pen International, an international association promoting freedom of expression, will mark the 34th anniversary of <a href="http://www.pen-international.org/newsitems/pen-marks-the-34th-anniversary-of-the-annual-day-of-the-imprisoned-writer/">the Day of the Imprisoned Writer</a> this coming Sunday, 15 November 2015, by campaigning on behalf of writers worldwide who have suffered persecution.</p>
<div>On 23 February 2015 student activists Patiwat S., 23, and Pornthip M. (f), 26, were each sentenced to two and a half years in prison for violating Thailand’s “lèse-majesté” law. The charge of “lèse-majesté” criminalises alleged insult of the monarchy under Article 112 of the Criminal Code, and is commonly used to silence peaceful dissent. According to reports, there has been a considerable rise in arrests, trials and sentences relating to lèse majesté cases since the military coup of 22 May 2014. The case against Patiwat S.
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