With Harry Nicolaides still languishing in a Bangkok prison, Sulak Sivaraksa arrested, and speculation that dozens of websites are in the firing line, lèse majesté is, once again, on many minds.
Bangkok Pundit argues that, at least in the case of Harry Nicolaides, the best approach is to keep quiet, and hope that a guilty plea will see a quick pardon, and safe journey home. Thai Crisis bets that he will be pardoned on 5 December. Let’s hope so. Good luck to Harry, his family, and his lawyers.
While a restrained silence may be appropriate in some cases, we feel that the international media, blogosphere and academic community has a role to play in focussing critical attention on the anachronistic lèse majesté law. Regardless of the political or legal circumstances of particular accusations (whether it is Chotisak, Jufer, Head, Da Torpedo, Jakrapob, Sulak or Nicolaides) there is a role for international commentary that highlights the ongoing travesties of justice, and gross political opportunism, that the lèse majesté law enables.
What can be done? Symbolic statements of concern can serve useful purposes but they can also be readily dismissed as meaningless gestures. Are there more sustained and meaningful options? What are your suggested responses to the growing ambition of lèse majesté accusers? How should international commentators respond to the arrests in Thailand? And how should they respond if Thai authorities attempt to block, or even punish, fair comment originating from other parts of the world?
We welcome your comments.
3 responses so far ↓
1 jonfernquest // Nov 11, 2008 at 3:53 pm
“What can be done? …Are there more sustained and meaningful options? What are your suggested responses to the growing ambition of lèse majesté accusers?”
Be a good academic and stay focused. Why conflate everything together into one indiscernible mass? Pro-Thaksin, anti-monarchy, anti-lese majeste, pro-electoral democracy (strictly interpreted), anti-PAD, pro-PPP, pro-”poor oppressed down-trodden rural proletariat,.”….etc, the world is not as black and white as this blog makes it out to be, less partisan, be less selective as far as news items selected, be less polarized in coverage, this would be a peacemaking conflict resolving step…BTW are you sure Nicolaides is still in jail, someone sent me a threatening email with his name on it, of course on the internet, anyone can do anything they want I guess….the one thing he probably hasn’t done yet, humbly admit he was wrong in what he did.
2 CJ Hinke // Nov 11, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Freedom Against Censorship Thailand (FACT) has always felt Thailand’s lese majeste issue to be a core barometer of rights and freedoms. It is incumbent upon academics and activists, both local and international, of all stripes to work against this elemental censorship of free expression. In the current supposedly ‘Royalist’ climate, many people are too afraid to speak out.
Criticism does not always have to be negative. The YouTube videos blocked in Thailand for lese majeste are just juvenile. They don’t offer a mature commentary but that doesn’t mean they should be banned by Bangkok.
The King will not fall by YouTube videos. The monarchy is strong enough to protect itself without the interference of bureaucrats
3 anon // Nov 12, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Well, in the case of Harry Nicolaides, we could always just hope for the mercy of His Majesty the King or the will of the people. Oh snap, did I just commit lese majeste by implicitly pressuring the King to grant Harry a pardon?
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