One year after the Thai king’s taboo was broken, 103 people were jailed for insulting the royal family Reuters

Authors: Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat

Bangkok (Reuters)-Human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa has been in prison for several months since he delivered an unprecedented, taboo-breaking speech calling for discussion of the role of Thailand’s powerful king. , Accused of defamation of the monarchy.

He is one of 103 people from an anti-government protest led by Thai youths. He is now accused of insulting or threatening King Maha Vajiralongkorn or his immediate family members. This crime is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Hundreds of people face other criminal charges.

Anon, 36, said he has no regrets and vowed that the prosecution will not crush the anti-government movement that has been re-established in recent weeks.

“I think it’s worth it. Now society can move forward and people can talk about the monarchy,” Anon said in an interview with Reuters while waiting for the trial. He denied any wrongdoing.

Traditionally, the king has been portrayed as blameless in conservative Thai culture, and any criticism of the monarch-some people consider him a demigod-is both taboo and illegal.

However, Anon stated that in the process of promoting democratic reforms and the removal of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, it is necessary to speak publicly about the monarchy. Prayuth Chan-ocha said He came to power for the first time in a coup in 2014 and has long associated himself with his loyalty to the king.

Government spokesman Anucha Bulapacasri defended a criminal case against protesters on Monday.

“Sometimes the protests are not peaceful… When violence occurs, the police must keep the peace,” Anucha said.

The Royal Palace has indicated that it will not respond to questions about the protests. Prayut’s office stated that he retained his power in the 2019 free and fair elections.

Last year, when Anon gave a speech late at night during the Harry Potter-themed protests on August 3, the anti-government movement was already brewing.

In the months that followed, thousands of people flooded the streets and sometimes clashed with the police.

Familiar legal strategy

Since last year, 695 protesters have been charged with crimes such as sedition and sedition. According to the Thai Human Rights Lawyers Association, 103 of them were charged with offending the monarch.

Analyst Titipol Phakdeewanich said that for decades, Thailand’s military royalist institutions have used royal insults to silence critics.

Titipol, director of the Department of Political Science at Ubon Ratchathani University, said: “The government is using its old legal tactics, which partly effectively creates fear and prevents more people from talking publicly about the monarchy.”

“But some people don’t care,” he said.

Anon is an adviser to the youth movement. He faced 12 separate lese majeste cases and was imprisoned for 113 days before being released on bail in June.

Police deputy spokesperson Kissana Phathanacharoen denied that the case against the protesters was politically motivated.

Earlier this year, the protests slowed down after the main leaders were sentenced to prison and the severe COVID-19 outbreak forced many people to jail.

But in recent weeks, demonstrations have heated up again.

This time, it’s not just young protesters.

In late June, some former allies of the government took to the streets and demanded Prayut’s resignation because he had dealt with the worst COVID-19 outbreak to date.

Anon said the youth movement will continue to fight.

“If this is a football match, we are still far from the final whistle,” Anon said.