Thailand Politics

Thailand’s Junta Accused of Using “Lese Majeste Law” Like Spanish Inquisition

A Thai national flag flutters in the wind behind a statue of King Rama VII in front of the parliament building in Bangkok

BANGKOK -Northern Thailand Red-Shirt leader and veteran political activist Jaran Ditapichai , has been charged with lèse majesté article 112 in connection with the play ‘The Wolf Bride’. This is one of four charges filed against him since the 2014 Military coup in Thailand.

Jaran, who is now in self exile in Europe, has been accused of defaming the King because he was the head organizer of the 40th Anniversary of the 14 October 1973 student uprising, where ‘The Wolf Bride’ was performed in October 2013, according to a source.

Jaran Ditapichai in Paris France since 2014

Members of a theatre group say the ruling junta has mired the kingdom in a witch-hunt like the Spanish Inquisition as it ramps up prosecutions under the country’s notorious lese majeste laws.

Two Thammasat University students are already in custody for roles in a performance of The Wolf Bride – a satire set in a fictional kingdom, which sparked a cascade of complaints for allegedly slandering Thailand’s royal family.

Police are hunting at least six others for violating “112”, the feared article of the Thai criminal code which carries up to 15 years in jail for each count of insulting, threatening or defaming the king, queen, heir or regent.

Of those on the wanted list have fled Thailand, joining dozens of academics, activists and political opponents of the coup in self-exile amid a surge in “112” cases since royalist generals seized power in May2014.

“There’s a fog over the kingdom,” a member of the activist “Prakai Fai” (Sparking Fire) theatre group at the centre of the controversy told AFP from outside of Thailand, requesting anonymity.

“But we have to accept that Thailand still has laws that block critical opinions, laws that shut people’s mouths.”

Student’s Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and Porntip Mankong, 26,

The Wolf Bride was performed in October 2013, several months before the coup, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of a student uprising at Bangkok’s liberal Thammasat University.

Student’s Patiwat Saraiyaem, 23, and Porntip Mankong, 26, face jail after pleading guilty to a breach of article 112 for their roles, as an actor and co-producer respectively.

They have been in custody since their arrest in August.

The case is just one of many driven through by a junta which says it must champion the monarchy, while simultaneously reshaping Thailand’s political landscape.

But the military has led Thai society down a dark path similar to the Spanish Inquisition, according to the Prakai Fai member, deliberately blurring the lines between political dissent and perceived attacks on the monarchy.

“Anyone can report on anyone else, Thailand’s article 112 is being used as a tool to get rid of opposition.”

Taking their cues from the junta, groups of royalist volunteers are scouring social media for potential violations – joining the ranks of state-trained “cyber-scouts” who patrol the Internet.

The self-appointed Rubbish Collectors’ Organisation and the Royal Monarch Alert Protection Network, which complained to police about The Wolf Bride, both have hotlines to report possible breaches of the law.

In this atmosphere of surveillance, lese majeste charges and convictions are rising.

The Paris-based International Federation of Human Rights said 18 new arrests have been made since the coup, echoing Amnesty International who describe the number of new charges as “unprecedented”.

Those figures came before the arrest of several senior police officers, including relatives of former Princess Srirasmi, in a corruption probe.

Many of them have been charged with royal defamation while Srirasmi has been stripped of her title, a royal name she acquired through her marriage to the Crown Prince.

Recent 112 convictions include a taxi driver jailed for two and a half years after his passenger recorded their conversation on a mobile phone, while a complaint has been levelled at a prominent historian for a speech on a Thai king who ruled more than 400 years ago.

“We can expect more and more cases,” says David Streckfuss, a Thailand-based analyst, who has written widely on lese majeste.

“The most disturbing thing is it has spurred on citizens to make complaints,” he said, adding the kingdom was now an “informer state”.

The army says it was forced to seize power to end protests against the elected government of Yingluck Shinawatra the sister of billionaire tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra. The Shinawatra clan have won every election since 2001.

The lese majeste law, one of the most draconian of its kind anywhere, prevents that uncertainty fanning out into open criticism of the monarchy.

But it also smothers debate on the validity and application of the legislation.

Even the details of cases are difficult to report, obscuring much of the legal process from the public, while judges — and now military courts — have discretion over convictions and sentencing.

Domestic and foreign media, including AFP, routinely self-censor all reporting linked to the Thai monarchy to avoid falling foul of the law.

Police say many scenes in The Wolf Bride appeared to be defamatory.

“But we cannot tell you what they were,” national police spokesman Prawut Thavornsiri said.

Red Shirt intellectual, Jaran Ditapichai, who commissioned Prakai Fai for the Thammasat University commemorations, concedes he is unsurprised to have also been accused of violations of 112.

Speaking from self exile in France, where he has been granted political asylum, he said such legal moves aim to denigrate political opponents of the junta and send a clear message to the Thai public.

“When you are charged with 112 you can never go back to Thailand,” he said. – AFP

Thailand Politics

Thai Prime Minister’s Popularity Declines as Move Forward Party dominates

(CTN News) – Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin continues to make local and international visits to try to solve problems and promote Thailand, but he has failed to impress most voters, according to a Nida poll. The poll also revealed the declining popularity of Pheu Thai Party leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra and the rise of the Move Forward Party.

According to a poll released on Sunday, only 12.85% of people supported the prime minister, down from 17.75% in the previous survey. The daughter of convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin, currently on parole, saw her popularity drop from 6% to 4.85%.

The National Institute of Development Administration conducts a quarterly survey of the public’s preferred political leaders. The last survey was released at the end of March.

According to the survey, supporters of the prime minister described Mr Srettha as a resolute decision-maker determined to address their problems. Ms Paetongtarn was complimented for her vision, leadership, knowledge, and grasp of the country’s difficulties.

This weekend, the prime minister will be in the northeast region listening to citizens’ concerns. The journey occurred only a few days after he had visited northern provinces earlier in the week.

Despite criticism, he has reduced his abroad trips, citing the need to showcase Thailand to investors and traders.

Pita Limjaroenrat, the chief advisor of the Move Forward Party, remained the top candidate for prime minister with 45.50% of the vote, up slightly from 42.75% in the previous quarter’s poll.

Pirapan Salirathavibhaga was the huge winner. The leader of the United Thai National Party saw his popularity nearly quadruple from 3.55% to 6.85%.

The sampled voters stated they appreciated Mr Pita’s political beliefs and thought he had broad knowledge. They praised Mr Pirapan’s credibility, claiming he was clean and honest.

Two other probable prime minister candidates were Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan of the Thai Sang Thai Party and Anutin Chanvirakul, leader of Bhumjaithai. However, they were less popular than others.

About 20% of voters still did not believe any candidate was qualified to lead the country, which is the same percentage as in the last survey.

Move Forward Party was the most popular party with 49.20%, up slightly from three months ago, while Pheu Thai fell around five percentage points to 16.85% from 22.10%.

The poll, issued on Sunday, surveyed 2,000 ineligible voters between June 14 and June 18.

Thailand Politics

Move Forward Party MP Jirat Thongsuwan Appeals Suspended Jail Sentence for Defamation

(CTN News) – Jirat Thongsuwan, a Move Forward Party MP, says he would appeal his one-year suspended jail sentence for defaming a former senior defense ministry official concerning the state’s procurement of bogus bomb detectors.

The Criminal Court also fined Mr Jirat 100,000 baht for falsely accusing ACM Tharet Punsri, a former Air Force chief-of-staff who later became the ministry’s deputy permanent secretary, of being the chairman and shareholder of a company that supplied the military with the infamous GT200 bomb detectors.

The Chachoengsao MP claimed a July 20, 2022, no-confidence vote against cabinet ministers in Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government. ACM Tharet was not a cabinet member.

Jirat Thongsuwan also identified ACM Tharet as a key figure in the 2006 coup headed by then-army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, which overthrew Thaksin Shinawatra.

ACM Tharet told the court that Jirat Thongsuwan’s charges were false and harmed his reputation. He denied involvement with the bomb detection company and said he was not the company’s senior chairman or shareholder.

In addition to the suspended jail term and fine, the court ordered Jirat Thongsuwan to pay $ 500,000 baht in damages to ACM Tharet and publish an apology in three newspapers for five days.

Jirat Thongsuwan later announced on his X account that he had challenged the verdict with the hashtag “An injustice is infuriating”.

The MP has also been accused of dodging required military conscription. He admitted to the accusation on May 8.

A British business promoted the GT200 as a “remote substance detector” and sold it in several countries. Between 2004 and 2009, fourteen Thai government organizations, most of which were military, were projected to spend 1.4 billion baht on the units.

Concerns about the GT200 and related gadgets arose after the National Science and Technology Development Agency discovered they lacked electronic components.

The devices were later revealed to be “divining rods”.

Thailand Politics

Thaksin Shinawatra Files 100 Million Baht Defamation Lawsuit Against Warong Dechgitvigrom

(CTN News) – Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister, has launched a defamation action against Warong Dechgitvigrom, the head of the Thai Pakdee Party, accusing him of paying a bribe to be released on bail in a lese majeste case.

Thaksin’s attorney, Winyat Chartmontree, filed a lawsuit against Warong, seeking 100 million baht in damages.

Warong, a long-time Thaksin Shinawatra critic, gave a public statement and posted on social media, saying that 2 billion baht was paid to judicial officials in exchange for release on bail in the lese majeste case.

Thaksin Shinawatra Granted Release on 500,000 Baht Bond

Thaksin was granted release on a 500,000 baht bond last week and told not to leave the country without court authorization after pleading innocent to charges of defaming King Rama IX in a 2015 interview with South Korean media.

Winyat stated that, while Warong did not identify Thaksin Shinawatra by name in his speech or post, he did include a hashtag with Thaksin’s name as well as the date Thaksin must appear in court, allowing readers to connect Thaksin to the allegations.

Winyat further stated that he was investigating the fact that Warong mentioned the specific aircraft and automobiles utilized by Thaksin Shinawatra to violate the Personal Data Protection Act.

“I have requested Mr Warong to provide proof as to where he received the data. “If it turns out that it came from state officials, there will be legal consequences,” he warned.

The Criminal Court has scheduled the case’s preliminary hearing for September 30.