lese majeste | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education

Archives

Thai man gets 3 years for selling VCDs insulting monarchy

By AP News Thu, Mar 28, 2013 12:32PM UTC 0 Comment

BANGKOK (AP) — A Thai man has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison for selling video CDs of an Australian TV news segment deemed offensive to Thailand’s royal family. The court Thursday convicted Akachai Hongkangwan under lese majeste laws prohibiting defamation of the royal family. The VCDs contained a segment on...

Read Full Story ›

After the Thai TV monarchy debate, controversy is growing

By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Fri, Mar 22, 2013 11:00AM UTC 0 Comment

Thai historian and academic Somsak (left) and veteran social activist Sulak (middle) during the making of the ThaiPBS TV show.

A Thai TV program discussing the role of the monarchy has sparked growing controversy, with reactionary voices sparking a police investigation. The public broadcaster ThaiPBS aired a week-long special of its interview and discussion program ”Tob Jote Prathet Thai” (“ตอบโจทย์ประเทศไทย”, roughly translated to “Answering Thailand’s Issues”) about the royal institution. The series culminated in a two-episode debate...

Read Full Story ›

No country for bold stances: Thai TV station cancels royalty debate

By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Mon, Mar 18, 2013 11:00AM UTC 0 Comment

For the second time this year, a television program was forced off the air in Thailand due to the perceived politically controversial content. However, this episode is much more than just a cancelled show – it was a test on how much it was possible to have a debate on the most sensitive and serious...

Read Full Story ›

Analysis: Thailand’s lese majeste law erodes the judiciary

By Asia Sentinel Thu, Feb 07, 2013 10:07AM UTC 0 Comment

Those ‘protecting’ the monarchy, are undermining the legal system, reports Asia Sentinel’s Kevin Hewison Thailand’s repeated use of its draconian lese majeste and computer crimes laws to “protect” its monarchy is also causing serious damage to its judicial system. Since late December, Thai courts have sentenced three more people to jail terms under Article 112...

Read Full Story ›

Debate rages over Thailand’s lèse majesté law

By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Mon, Feb 04, 2013 10:30AM UTC 0 Comment

Students from Thammasat and Chulalongkorn University show a banner during a football match between the two universities on February 2, 2013. The students are calling for the release of veteran labor activist Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, who has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for lèse majesté in January 2013. (Picture via Twitter/@Anuthee)

After the verdict against veteran labor activist Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, discussions about lèse majesté have been reignited on many levels and also in many forms. Somyot was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison, 10 of them for publishing articles (which he didn’t write himself) in a magazine that were deemed insulting to the monarchy – after being previously...

Read Full Story ›