[Tlc] FW: Situation in the Kingdom of Thailand

[Michael Montesano]

________________________________

From: Patarapong Intarakumnerd [mailto:patarapong at nstda.or.th] 
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2008 11:22 AM

From
http://www.sameskybooks.org/board/index.php?s=f6c2318907196f595c16680b0e
6be0d9&showtopic=7032

Situation in Kingdom of Thailand

1. ICT to 'hack & crack' foreign websites offensive to Thai supreme
institution

The Information and Communications Technology Ministry is to 'hack and
crack' foreign 
websites deemed offensive to Thailand's revered institutions.
http://facthai.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/ic...hack-and-crack/
<http://facthai.wordpress.com/2008/03/18/ict-to-hack-and-crack/> 

2. The man who refused to stand up for royal antheme faces charges

Chotisak Onsoong, a social activist and a co-founder of the Anti 19 Sep
Coup Network, 
has just been charged with lese majeste because he had refused to stand
up for the 
royal antheme in a cinema. News about the incident can be read here (ENG
language): http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/22...al_30049860.php
<http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/09/22/national/national_30049860.p
hp> 

Of course, no other newspapers reported about that event.

Now, many months later, the police has charged Chotisak with lese
majeste, and he might 
have to show up in court in order to defend himself if the Supreme
Police Committee had 
decided to have him sued. Mr. Songkran Pongboonchan, Chotisak's lawyer,
said he would 
seek help from the Councils of Lawyers and other human rights
organizations, if possible, 
because this matter definitely had a lot to do with personal belief and
individual rights. Read
the story here (THAI language):
http://www.prachatai.com/05web/th/home/11780

Basically, there is no laws that obviously threatens to press charge on
people who refused to 
stand up for national or royal anthem. However, lese majeste can always
come in handy.

What would happen if Chotisak goes on courts and loses his case? Lese
majeste laws can 
sentence people up to 15 years in jail. Recently, there was a foreigner
who had been convicted 
of lese majeste and subject to 10 years sentence for defacing the king's
picture while he was 
drunk--although he was pardoned by the king later, as a "save face
policy". Read the story here 
(ENG language): http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6505237.stm

Additionally, a BBC correspondent in Thailand has just been charged with
lese majeste yesterday 
(April 8th). Mr. Jonathan Head has joined a seminar on Thai politics
called "Coup, Capital, Crown" 
in December last year when he reportedly "insulted the supreme
institution by his words". Read the 
story here (THAI language): 
http://matichon.co.th/matichon/matichon_de...sect;ionid=0101
<http://matichon.co.th/matichon/matichon_detail.php?s_tag=01p0145090451&
day=2008-04-09&sect;ionid=0101>  
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