November 7th, 2011
Anti-free speech legislation is used as a weapon in the ongoing political war between the Thaksin Shinawatra political machine and the Democrat Party. Voranai Vanijaka reports
October 26th, 2011
Rachel Greenspan reports from the Silicon Valley Human Rights Conference, where industry and activists met to discuss free expression online
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Tags: Tags: censorship, Egypt, Facebook, free expression, Google, Rightscon, Thailand, Tunisia,
August 8th, 2011
Norawase Yospiyasathien, a university graduate and blogger, was detained on Friday while police investigate allegations of lese majeste — offending the Thai monarchy. According to online newspaper Prachatai police are scrutinising his blog posts. The person who filed the charge was said to be a vice rector for students affairs at Kasetsart University, who reportedly said he was pressed to do so by the University Council in a bid to protect the school’s reputation. The student could be charged under both lese majeste law, which carries a maximum 15-year jail term, and the Computer Crimes Act, which has a punishment of up to five years in jail.Tags: Tags: censorship, free expression, lèse majesté, Norawase Yospiyasathien, prachatai, Thailand,
August 2nd, 2011
Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a Thai political activist and former editor-in-chief of the Voice of Taksin and Red Power partisan news magazines, was last week charged with two offences of lese majeste for two separate articles deemed critical of the royal family published in his now-defunct Voice of Taksin magazine. Lese majeste charges in Thailand carry up to 15-year jail terms and have been utilised for political purposes during the country’s protracted political conflict. If found guilty of both charges, Somyot, who has first arrested on 30April and held without bail in a Bangkok detention centre for 84 days (the maximum period allowed under Thai law), will face a possible 30 years in prison.Tags: Tags: censorship, journalist arrested, lèse majesté, Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, Thailand,
April 28th, 2011
The Thai government forced the closure of 13 radio stations on Tuesday (26 April) and issued them with court warrants for broadcasting a speech by an opposition leader in which the monarchy was criticised. In Thailand, Les majeste, or offence against the monarchy, carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. It is as yet unclear whether the stations will face such a charge. According to rights organisations most of the sanctioned stations are openly aligned with the opposition. Local reports have also claimed that police plan to raid additional radio stations.Tags: Tags: Les majeste, monarchy, press freedom, radio, Thailand,
March 16th, 2011
Thanthawut Taweewarodomkul, who operated an anti-government website, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison on charges of lese majeste and breaching the Computer Crime Act. He was arrested in April 2010, during the anti-government Red Shirt protests, on the charge that his website carried an article that insulted the king. His sentencing comes at a time when another website editor, Chiranuch Premchaiporn, faces a long prison sentence for not being quick enough to take down comments critical of the king that had been left on her website by a user.February 21st, 2011
The case of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, the webmaster on trial in Bangkok, has far-reaching implications for freedom of speech – not just in Thailand, but in the wider region too, argues Gayathry Venkiteswaran (more…)
Tags: Tags: Chiranuch Premchaiporn, Gayathry Venkiteswaran, Thailand,
February 15th, 2011
An appeals court has overturned an 18-year prison sentence handed out to activist Daranee Charnchoengsilapakul. The activist, better known as Da Torpedo, was charged with insulting the monarchy for speeches she made at anti-government rallies in 2008, and tried behind closed doors. She is still in prison pending an application for bail, and could still face a new trial.