Where insulting royalty will put you in jail

February 21st, 2013

An editor was last month sentenced to 11 years in prison, for “defaming” the country’s king. Geoffrey Cain reports on how Thailand’s lèse majesté laws have chilled free speech

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Chiranuch Premchaiporn avoids jail term in Thai lèse majesté case

May 30th, 2012

Chiranuch Premchaiporn, director of the news and current affairs website Prachatai, was today convicted by the Bangkok Criminal court and sentenced to a fine and a suspended eight month prison term

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Thailand: Webmaster Chiranuch Premchaiporn sentenced in lèse majesté case

May 30th, 2012

A Thai webmaster has been found guilty of not removing posts deemed insulting to the country’s monarchy quickly enough. The court showed leniency to Chiranuch Premchaiporn, who faced up to 20 years in prison under the country’s computer crime laws. She was fined 20,000 baht ($625),  and given an eight month suspended sentence. Chiranuch was prosecuted after comments posted on her website Prachatai news breached Thailand’s lèse majesté laws. The judge said the verdict followed one particular post that was left on Parachatai for 20 days. Judge Kampol Rungrat said Chiranuch “did not perform her duty in a timely manner”.

Thailand: “Uncle SMS” dies during 20-year jail term for insulting monarchy

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.  

Thailand: Webmaster’s lese majeste verdict delayed

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.

Swaziland: Social media lese majeste law planned

March 26th, 2012

Swaziland’s justice minister has told the country’s senate that the government is finalising a law that would make it illegal to criticise the King Mswati III on social media networks. “We will be tough on those who write bad things about the king on Twitter and Facebook,” Mgwagwa Gamedze said. Internet penetration is low in Swaziland, Africa’s last absolute monarchy, but social networks have been used to organise public demonstrations, including a student protest last Monday against funding cuts. Last week Swazi senator Thuli Msane claimed online activism was spiralling out of control and disrespecting Mswati III.

Thailand: Student faces prison for speaking out

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.”

Thailand: Webmaster’s lèse majesté trial resumes

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.