{"id":5314,"date":"2021-01-04T09:31:33","date_gmt":"2021-01-04T09:31:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/humanrightsdefenders.blog\/?p=18954"},"modified":"2021-01-04T09:31:33","modified_gmt":"2021-01-04T09:31:33","slug":"new-year-new-charges-against-thai-protesters-the-lese-majesty-law-in-thailand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2021\/01\/04\/new-year-new-charges-against-thai-protesters-the-lese-majesty-law-in-thailand\/","title":{"rendered":"New Year, New Charges against Thai Protesters \u2013 the Lese-majesty law in Thailand"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Thai authorities on 1 January 2021 made their 38th arrest of a pro-democracy activist in recent weeks under the country\u2019s tough l\u00e8se majest\u00e9 law as authorities crack down on the country\u2019s unprecedented protest movement. That law, Section 112 of the Thai criminal code, forbids defamation of the king and provides for three to 15 years\u2019 imprisonment for violations.The law had been dormant since King Maha Vajiralongkorn succeeded his father, King \u00a0Bhumibol Adulyadej, who died in 2016. The Thai government, though, is now using it to try to stamp out continuing protests calling for the government to resign, a new constitution and reform of the monarchy<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Thailand\u2019s authorities must stop targeting pro-democracy protesters with draconian legal action and instead enter into dialogue, according to the UN\u2019s special rapporteur for freedom of assembly, who warned the country risks sliding into violence. Cl\u00e9ment Voule<\/strong><\/span> said he had written to the Thai government to express alarm at the use of the fierce lese-majesty law against dozens of protesters, including students as young as 16.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cIt is legitimate for people to start discussing where their country is going and what kind of future they want<\/em>,\u201d Voule said of the protests. \u201cStopping people from raising their legitimate concerns is not acceptable.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

So far, 37 people face charges of insulting the monarchy for alleged offences ranging from wearing traditional dress deemed to be a parody of the royals to giving speeches arguing that the power and wealth of the king should be curbed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Anti-government<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Anti-government protesters flash a three-finger salute \u2013 a gesture used adopted by protesters from the Hunger Games films \u2013 as they gather in support of people detained under the lese-majesty law at a police station in Bangkok. Photograph: Narong Sangnak\/EPA<\/h6>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Prominent protest leaders face an unusually high number of charges. This includes the student activists Parit Chiwarak<\/span>, also known as Penguin, (12 charges) and Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul <\/span>(six charges) and the human rights lawyer Anon Nampa<\/span> (eight charges), who have given speeches calling for the power of the royals to be curbed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"The<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The pro-democracy protest fundraiser Inthira Charoenpura speaks from a stage outside Bang Khen police station in Bangkok. Photograph: Gemunu Amarasinghe\/AP<\/h6>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Protesters – who have faced various other charges over recent months, including sedition \u2013 declined to participate in a government reconciliation panel in November, rejecting it as an attempt to buy time. The recent cases come after months of demonstrations in which protesters have made unusually frank and public calls for reform to the monarchy.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Benja Apan<\/span>, 21, one of 13 people facing charges over a demonstration outside the German embassy in Bangkok, said legal action was unlikely to deter protesters from coming out in the new year. \u201cI actually think it will bring more people out, because it is not fair,<\/em>\u201d she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The human rights group Amnesty International <\/strong>has launched a campaign calling on PM Prayut Chan-o-cha to drop charges pressed on a number of activists for their role in the pro-democracy movement and to repeal, or at least amend, Thailand\u2019s draconian l\u00e8se majest\u00e9 law. According to the campaign, at least 220 people, including minors, face criminal charges for relating to their actions in the pro-democracy movement. Activists are calling on government and monarchy reform, raising issues considered taboo and unprecedented in Thai society. Thailand must amend or repeal the repressive laws it is using to suppress peaceful assembly and the expression of critical and dissenting opinions.<\/em><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Amnesty International is calling on people to take action and send a letter to the prime minister, calling on the Thai government to change their approach when handing the ongoing protests to protect human rights. Sample letter<\/a> by AI’s campaign calls on Prayut to:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n