Iran: after the revolution

Friday, January 30th, 2009

The celebrated photographer and Pulitzer prize-winner Kaveh Golestan was one of the great defenders of free speech in Iran. He reflects in this essay, first published in 1994, on the fallout of the revolution
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Radio Kalima attacked

Friday, January 30th, 2009

Iran: after the revolution

Friday, January 30th, 2009

When Ayatollah Khomeini arrived in Tehran on 1 February 1979, a brief period of freedom for Iranians came to an end. Yassamine Mather
looks at the development of the Islamic Republic’s suppression of dissent
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The 2012 Olympic: Big Brother comes to town?

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

London’s 2012 Olympic Games have already been entangled in one censorship controversy. But measures that will be in force during the game themselves pose a far greater threat to free expression, says Aileen McColgan
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ElBaradei boycotts BBC

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

Medvedev to revise treason bill

Thursday, January 29th, 2009

Al Khaiwani sentenced by appeal court, despite presidential pardon

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

Stop the use of lèse majesté in Thailand. Defend freedom of speech

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

We, the undersigned, oppose the use of lese majeste in Thailand in order to prevent freedom of speech and academic freedom. We demand that the government cease all proceedings in lese majeste cases.

The 19th September 2006 military coup in Thailand claimed ‘royal legitimacy’ in order to hide the authoritarian intentions of the military junta. Lese Majeste charges have not been used to protect ‘Thai Democracy under a Constitutional Monarchy’ as claimed. The charges are used against people who criticised the coup and disagree with the present destruction of democracy. They are used to create a climate of fear and censorship.

One obvious case is that of Associate Professor Giles Ji Ungpakorn, from the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University. He is facing Lese Majeste charges for writing a book ‘A Coup for the Rich’, which criticised the 2006 military coup. (Read the book at http://wdpress.blog.co.uk/). Others who have been accused of lèse majesté are former government minister Jakrapop Penkae, who asked a question at the Foreign Correspondent’s Club in Bangkok, about exactly what kind of Monarchy we have in Thailand. There is also the case of Chotisak Oonsung, a young student who failed to stand for the King’s anthem in the cinema. Apart from this there are the cases of Da Topedo and Boonyeun Prasertying. In addition to those who opposed the coup, the BBC correspondent Jonathan Head, an Australian writer names Harry Nicolaides, social critic Sulak Sivaraksa are also facing charges. The latest person to be thrown into jail and refused bail is Suwicha Takor, who is charged with lèse majesté for surfing the internet. The Thai Minister of Justice has called for a blanket ban on reporting these cases in the Thai media. The mainstream Thai media are obliging. Thus we are seeing a medieval style witch hunt taking place in Thailand with ‘secret’ trials in the courts. The Justice Ministry is also refusing to publish figures of lèse majesté cases.

We call for the abolition of les majeste laws in Thailand and the defence of freedom and democracy.

Leave your name and location in the comments below and they will be forwarded to Giles Ji Ungpakorn and his campaign. Thank you. Alternatively, forward your details to enquiriesindexoncensorshiporg