The widely broadcast images of an Australian citizen shackled, herded into a holding cell, and sentenced to three years in prison for writing one paragraph should be causing considerable discomfort for the Australian government. In the past Kevin Rudd has made it clear that it is fine for us to have disagreements with our friends in the region on basic human rights issues. So what will he be doing about our good friend Thailand?
There are some indications that pressure is building for more decisive Australian action. This is an extract from The Australian:
THE family of an Australian man behind bars in Thailand for insulting its royal family says the Federal Government should have done more to try to keep him out of jail. Melbourne writer Harry Nicolaides may have avoided his three-year sentence if the Australian Government did more to help him after his arrest in Thailand in August last year, his family says.
“Up until the end of December I was quite frankly alarmed and at times shocked at the treatment we had,” Nicolaides’ brother Forde Nicolaides said. “It is only more recently that they (the Government) have come to the party. “I appreciate there is some sensitivity around the offence, but I think more could have been done earlier. It could have shaped a different outcome.” …
Forde Nicolaides was critical of Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and said the Federal Government had urged his family not to speak to the media, which he says was probably a mistake.
“There is a huge expectation gap between what Australian citizens think the Australian Government will do when they are in trouble overseas versus what they will do,” Mr Nicolaides said. Mr Nicolaides said now his brother had been sentenced, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd should write a letter of support for Harry to the Thai royals and Thailand’s Prime Minister, seeking mercy.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Bruno // Jan 20, 2009 at 8:37 pm
A Speakers’ Corner is an area where public speaking is allowed. The original and most noted is in the north-east corner of Hyde Park in London, England. Speakers there are allowed to speak as long as the police consider their speeches lawful. (Wikipedia)
2 Densamer // Jan 20, 2009 at 10:17 pm
I have sympathy for Harry and his family, and the Australian Government should be doing much more to ensure his quick release.
After reading the infamous passage, I can only feel a great sense of injustice; clearly it is far less offensive than what you would hear many Thais gossip among each other.
3 serious // Jan 21, 2009 at 9:14 am
hes a convicted criminal
he broke tai law
now he serves sentence for it
to some this is sad
to others its JUSTICE
4 David Brown // Jan 23, 2009 at 9:37 am
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australia
dear minister,
After the recent case of an Australian being gaoled in Thailand for publishing a book containing a paragraph that was deemed by the Thai authorities to break their Lese Majeste law there is a danger that more Australians may be at risk.
Even if an Australian makes remarks in Australia about the Thai Monarchy, the Thai authorities may arrest, charge and gaol the person immediately without bail if they subsequently visit Thailand.
Being arrested and gaoled is likely at the least to give a normal Australian, casual of people in authority and status, a dreadful
surprise, spoil the persons holiday and possibly lead to up to 15 years separation from their family.
Recently, the Thai government has signalled that the maximum penalty for lese majeste be increased to 25 years, which, combined with meals mostly consisting of Thai rancid prawns and chillies and sharing a cell with 50 to 60 mostly non-english speakers, to most people would be equivalent to a whole of life sentence.
Because it appears this risk does not apply to any other country and is unique to Thailand I believe there are grounds for recommending this extra-territorial risk be explicit in your travel advisories for Thailand as noted in the following email to your Smart Traveller section.
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