Thailand's Press Club Faces Police Probe Over Lese Majeste

Pravit Rojanaphruk The Nation (Thailand) Publication Date: 02-07-2009

For the first time in its five-decade history, the whole board of the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) has been accused of committing lese majeste, a crime with a maximum jail sentence of 15 years. Laksana Kornsilpa, 57, a translator and a critic of ousted and convicted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra filed a lese majeste complaint against the 13-member board at Lumpini police station on Tuesday night. Laksana was quoted on ASTV Manager website as claiming the board's decision to sell DVD copies of Jakrapob Penkair's controversial speech at the club back in 2007 constituted an act of lese majeste. She alleged that the whole board "may be acting in an organised fashion and the goal may be to undermine the credibility of the high institution of Thailand". ASTV Manager daily also quoted Laksana as saying some major local newspapers may also part of a movement to undermine the monarchy. FCCT president Marwaan Macan-Markar said the board members have decided not to give separate interviews. It issued a statement saying: "The FCCT will cooperate with such an inquiry [by the police]." The board, includes three British nationals including the BBC's Bangkok correspondent Jonathan Head, three American nationals, including two working for Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal, an Australian national and a Thai news reader for Channel 3, Karuna Buakamsri. Social critic and lese majeste case defendant Sulak Sivaraksa, reacting to the news, told The Nation yesterday that "the problem of [abusing] lese majeste law is now utterly messy". "The fact that leading world intellectuals like Noam Chomsky and others have petitioned to [PM] Abhisit [Vejjajiva to reform the law] is a testimony to it. If we let it goes on like this it will get even messier. It's time for the government to do something." A source within the FCCT, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he was "surprised" at the latest allegation, which came after two years of the speech being made, adding that "it places Thailand in a very poor light". DVDs were set up largely for club members who missed interesting talks and sales are restricted solely for FCCT members. Few copies of the Jakrapob talk are understood to have been sold because a manuscript of his talk circulated in Bangkok shortly after he was charged, and the video can be downloaded free from some websites. In the comments' section on ASTV Manager's website, most posters expressed support for Laksana and praised her for the move. One said: "Put them in jail for 99 years." Another asked the site to post a picture of Jonathan Head so the person could attack him if he or she ran into him.

Concern at Secret Thailand Trial

By Jonathan Head
BBC News, Bangkok

The human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the secret trial in Thailand of a woman charged with insulting the royal family.

The woman was arrested a year ago after giving a speech in Bangkok in which she attacked the monarchy.

The start of her trial was delayed this week when her lawyer appealed against the decision to hold a closed trial.

Critics say strict laws against insulting the monarchy are being used to stifle discussion of its future.

Thailand concedes that the lese-majeste laws are imperfect, but says they protect the monarchy.

'Popular revolution'

People in Thailand who have listened to the speech say they have never heard anything like it.

Daranee Charncherngsilpakul took to the stage at a protest in central Bangkok in June last year and sharply criticised the monarchy.

“ The Thai government will have a very difficult time explaining why the trial of someone charged with making an insulting remark could compromise Thailand's national security ”
Sam Zarifi Amnesty International

She even made personal attacks on the country's revered King Bhumipol Adulyadej, warning him that the monarchy would be overthrown by a popular revolution.

Going by the nickname Dar Torpedo, she was already well known as an outspoken supporter of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

But the blunt language she used to criticise the King in a public arena, just a short distance from the palace, has shocked even those Thais who do not consider themselves ardent royalists.

'Risk of injustice'

Given the severe penalties for insulting the monarchy in Thailand, no-one was surprised when Ms Daranee was arrested shortly afterwards.

Her trial, however, which started this week, has alarmed human rights groups.

The presiding judge ordered hearings to be held in secret, citing national security concerns.

Her lawyer is appealing, on the grounds that Thailand's constitution guarantees defendants the right to a public trial.

Sam Zarifi from Amnesty International has warned that "when a judge closes the doors on a trial it significantly raises the risk of injustice taking place.

"The Thai government will have a very difficult time explaining why the trial of someone charged with making an insulting remark could compromise Thailand's national security," he said.

Ms Daranee faces between nine and 45 years in prison if she is convicted.

Until recently the lese majeste law was rarely invoked in Thailand - but the number of cases has risen sharply during the political turmoil of the past three years.

A colleague of Daranee Charncherngsilpakul was jailed for six years last November.

Earlier this year a 34-year-old engineer was jailed for 10 years for posting a video deemed insulting to the monarchy on the website YouTube.

Neither trial was mentioned in the mainstream Thai media.

Republican sympathisers

In January this year an Australian man, Harry Nicolaides, was also jailed for three years over a novel he wrote four years ago in which he referred briefly to the scandalous private life of a Thai crown prince. He was later pardoned.

Police say they are now preparing to arrest several more anti-government activists on the same charge.

The pro-Thaksin red shirt movement is known to have a number of republican sympathisers and former communists in its ranks.

Mr Thaksin himself has been accused by his critics of harbouring plans to abolish the monarchy, accusations he has strongly denied.

The government has acknowledged that the lese majeste law has flaws - but says it is necessary to protect the monarchy.

Critics of the law argue that it is being used to stifle discussion of the monarchy's future, at a time of heightened public anxiety over the succession, because of the King's age and frail health.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/8120433.stm

Published: 2009/06/26 09:12:15 GMT