Posts Tagged ‘Thailand’
May 8th, 2012
A
Thai man in his 60s who became known as “Uncle SMS” after he was convicted of defaming Thailand’s royal family in text messages
has died while serving his 20-year prison term. Amphon Tangnoppakul, whose cause of death was unknown, was arrested in August 2010 and accused of sending four text messages to a government official that were deemed offensive to the queen. He denied sending them, claiming he did not know how to do so. He was
convicted of defaming the Thai monarchy last November.
April 30th, 2012
A verdict in the trial of a webmaster accused of failing to quickly remove online comments deemed insulting to Thailand’s royalty has been
postponed. Judge Nittaya Yaemsri said more time was needed to process documents in the case of
Chiranuch Premchaiporn, editor of news website
Prachatai, with a new court date set for 30 May. Premchaiporn faces up to 20 years in jail for comments posted on the site by users. She is being tried under Thailand’s computer-crime laws, which address hacking and other online offences, but also prohibit the circulation of material deemed detrimental to national security, including defaming the monarchy.
March 5th, 2012
A 20 year old student
faces 15 years in prison for “having opinions” after she posted a message on Facebook in
Thailand. Police began investigating Kanthoop under Thailand’s strict
lèse majesté laws in 2010 after she posted criticisms of the Thai monarchy on her Facebook wall, and allegedly distorted versions of the post were forwarded to authorities by email. If charged, Kanthoop, a student at Bangkok’s Thammasat University, could be the youngest offender of lese-majeste. The student, who has been spat at, publicly denigrated and threatened by police said: “I am guilty only of freedom of thought.”
February 21st, 2012
Ten prominent human rights defenders are
standing trial in
Thailand for leading a peaceful protest. Starting today, the activists will be put on trial for a demonstration against the attempt by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) to pass undemocratic laws in December 2007. Protesters called for the military appointed NLA to stop passing controversial laws affecting human rights, civil liberties, social justice and privatisation. The ten were charged on 30 December 2010 after being summoned by police.
February 20th, 2012
The trial of the web master of a
Thai news website
resumed last week after a long interruption.Chiranuch Premchaiporn, web master of Prachatai news website, faces a possible 20 year prison sentence for not removing certain user comments from her website quickly enough. The resumed case, which was delayed from October 2011 due to the severe flooding in Bangkok, heard five defence witnesses give evidence to the court on 14, 15 and 16 February. Chiranuch has said she was pleased that the defence witnesses were finally able to give their evidence.
December 12th, 2011
The United Nations have joined human rights groups in
calling for reform of
Thailand’s notoriously harsh Lèse Majesté laws. The calls urging the Thai authorities to reform the harsh laws relating to insulting the monarchy follow the recent imprisonment of 61-year old grandfather
Ampon Tangnoppakul.Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights suggested that: “Guidelines should be issued to the police and public prosecutors to stop arresting and charging individuals under these vaguely worded laws.” Around 100 supporters of Tangnoppakulalso made a rare public protest outside the Criminal Court in Bangkok against the laws.
December 8th, 2011
A blogger has been jailed for
two and a half years after posting excerpts of a biography online deemed offensive to the
Thai monarchy. Joe Gordon, a Colorado resident who was born in Thailand, translated excerpts of a locally banned biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and posted them on his US blog. Gordon pleaded guilty to disseminating information that insulted the monarchy.
In November, government minister’s warned that Thailand’s notoriously tough lese-majeste law could even affect “liking” a page on Facebook.
November 25th, 2011
A
Thai Government minister
has warned that Facebook users who ‘like’ or ‘share’ pages which denigrate the monarchy could face prosecution.
The warning from information technology minister, Anudith Nakornthap,
follows the sentencing of a 61 year old man to 20 years in prison for sending text messages deemed insulting to the country’s queen. Ampon Tangnoppakul was accused of sending four text messages deemed insulting to the monarchy in May 2010. The laws against
lèse-majesté (insulting a monarch) in Thailand are the most severe in the world – even repeating the details of an alleged offence is illegal.
