Thailand ramps up use of royal insult law, further stoking dissent among activists

Authorites have doubled down on the use of Section 112 or the lèse-majesté law, including on opposition politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit

But to activists rallying for constitutional and monarchy reform, the law no longer holds the sway it once did and analysts say it could fuel more protests

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Pro-democracy demonstrators give a three-finger salute while marching against the backdrop of a portrait of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in Bangkok. Photo: Reuters

Published: 9:00am, 21 Jan 2021Updated: 9:53pm, 21 Jan 2021

A day after a court in Thailand handed a record four-decade jail sentence to a former government official for insulting the monarchy, one of the kingdom’s ministries said it had filed a criminal complaint against banned opposition politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit under the royal defamation law.

The ministry of digital economy and society’s move against Thanathorn, a charismatic billionaire popular with the country’s social-media-savvy youth, shows the extent of the government’s intention to clamp down on the political unrest that has roiled Thailand for months.

Student activists have rallied on the streets, calling for reforms to the constitution and monarchy as well as accusing King Maha Vajiralongkorn of meddling in politics – in open defiance of Section 112 of the Thai criminal code, which punishes criticism of the royal family with up to 15 years in prison.

At least 54 people – including Thais below the age of 18 – were charged under the Thai lèse-majesté law between November last year and January 19.

On Tuesday, the former government official, Anchan – a woman in her 60s, whose last name was withheld to protect her relatives – was given 87 years in jail for 29 violations of Section 112 involving sharing posts on YouTube and Facebook, with each offence punished by a three-year prison term. Her sentence was halved as she had previously acknowledged her violations.

According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights Centre, the punishment was the most severe since a Bangkok office worker by the name of Wichai was in 2017 sentenced to 70 years in jail for 10 Facebook posts deemed to have contravened the royal defamation law.

Police officers stand guard during a January 16 demonstration demanding the release of those arrested following the anti-government and monarchy-reform protests in Bangkok. Photo: Reuters

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