Comments on: Lèse majesté and Harry Nicolaides

By: Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:54:59 +0000

Well, my question was kind of answered with Harry’s release and some of the reporting around that. I’ll take this up on the Harry is free thread.

By: Ralph Kramden

Ralph Kramden — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 22:47:54 +0000

Anyone have updates on what the brave Australian government has been doing on the Nicolaides case? I thought Rudd was interested in human rights? Okay, they have been busy with bushfire tragedies, but Stephen Smith is speaking publicly on the Rohinga issue. I googled his name and Thailand and there is nothing about Nicolaides since January from the Australian foreign minister. Maybe they have the Amnesty International response: working behind closed doors at the highest levels?

By: another thai

another thai — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 23:16:21 +0000

Dear Khun Joy and Steve, thanks for your concerned (Steve) we should keep each other inform about the case, i want the best for my country,even though i no longer live there any more, i have found the land of the freedom , and i am really appreciate what the west country has giving me ,educated me,pointed me to the right direction and it did open my eyes to world that 30years ago i wouldn’t know it really exist.

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:41:30 +0000

I am reading the few comments by Thai nationals here.
And the ones who are making thoughtful comments are giving a pleasant feeling that there is hope in Thailand for progression. I am sure that any thinking Thai person would feel the same as you.Please continue to be courageous and brave as you are the future of Thailand. But be careful there are those powerful people who would wish to do you harm.

To those who are not using their own minds and resorting to knee jerk reactions ,Please open your minds or your creed will o the way of the Dodo.

The way of the future is universal harmony and brotherhood ..NOT a 1930’s style Adolf Hitler Germany. Please learn the lessons of the past. Every revolution in the history of man was based to unfair rules by Government.

By: Joy

Joy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 09:40:25 +0000

Another Thai,
I wouldn’t say I can discuss this sort of stuff openly with friends. In fact we have to be very discreet abt this and at first when u approach them, we need to be very careful coz we can never be too sure if they won’t get offended or reject our ideas right away.Some of my friends simply don’t want to discuss this and they will show clear sign from the beginning. Like u, I do not want to abolish the institution all anything like that. All I want is simply transaparency, accountability and the right to criticize ‘them’ constructively.

By: another thai

another thai — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:51:05 +0000

Joy ‘ I am glad that you have friends to discuss this openly,sadly in my case people around me seem to be the opposite, they can’t see that this law isn’t right and it is against human right (mind you what is it the human right for people in Thailand they won’t know would they? ) still like you said ” there is hope “

By: Joy

Joy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:54:31 +0000

Dear Another Thai, I mostly agree with u but believe it or not (and this is good news) there are not just ‘a few of us’, there are more.At first, I felt the same way as u, but later on I discover that there are also many Thais who share our line of thoughts (both inside Thailand and abroad).. I even find some among my close friends!! ( we never discussed this ’sensitive’ issue before until very recently). I believe there is hope that voice of dissent like us will strengthen and become more empowered day by day (although now those conservatives and right-wingers still dominate Thai political life).

By: jud

jud — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:13:38 +0000

We don’t like to second-guess or read between the lines. It is f-a-c-t that Amnesty International has been uncomfortably silent on Thailand’s lese majeste hysteria. However, when we use the word “political”, we must take care to define what we mean. AI is a huge bureaucracy and slow to act. To assume that AI Thailand is not putting forward this issue to the international human rights group because they have a hidden agenda for PAD is simply not fair. Lese majeste law is being used indiscriminately in Thailand across all political boundaries.]

http://facthai.wordpress.com/2009/02/17/no-amnesty-for-lese-majeste-giles-ji-ungphakorn/

By: another thai

another thai — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:48:11 +0000

Joy , believe it or not ,i have no interests what so ever about the king and politics in Thailand but Harry Nicolaides grabbed me the attention to search more about our very own country,and it shocked me to bits but it seemed only a few of us here and our voice s won’t be heard no doubt. I can’t even talk openly about this lese majeste with my own family let alone through the whole country,how sad that Thailand has become, in my opinion Thai people afraid to change and belive that they are happy as the way it is.

By: Joy

Joy — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:52:07 +0000

To Socratis: very glad to hear such a sensible view from a Thai like u. I’m Thai too and I couldn’t agree more with yr view regarding LM law. Thanks!I wish there were more and more intelligent and open-minded Thais like u and ‘another Thai’.