The following is a statement from Associate Professor Giles Ji Ungpakorn, Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University.
Details of lese majeste charges against Giles Ji Ungpakorn
Today, the police informed me that I have been charged with lese majeste because of 8 paragraphs in Chapter 1 of my book “A Coup for the Rich”. The paragraphs are listed below.
According to the police charge sheet, the charges arise from the fact that the Director of Chulalongkorn University bookshop decided to inform Special Branch that my book “insulted the Monarchy”. The bookshop is managed by the academic management of the university. So much for academic freedom!
… [As an interim measure, and on advice, I have removed the relevant paragraphs from the statement. A full copy of the book is available here. AW]
Reading through these paragraphs it is clear that this lese majeste charge is really about preventing any discussion about the relationship between the military junta and the Monarchy. This is in order to protect the military’s sole claim to legitimacy: that it acted in the interests of the Monarchy.
Associate Professor Giles Ji Ungpakorn
Faculty of Political Science
Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
20 Jan 2009
Ji.ungpakorn@gmail.com
15 responses so far ↓
1 David Brown // Jan 21, 2009 at 2:13 pm
thank you for providing copy of the text alleged by the complainant to be offensive
I presume this text has been translated to or from Thai… will there be any issue with what the judges see in Thai as to whether the translation is fair or not
I keep hearing that Thai documents, such as the Constitution, are translated ommitting such things as whether Thailand has had 75 years of democracy in english but says something about developing democracy in thai….
meanwhile we should spread this as widely as possible to obtain as much pressure on the Thai government and the elite to:
remove lese majeste as a crime altogether or
administer it only where a complaint is publicly lodged by a member of the royal family, with reasons
and truth must be a defence!
2 Bert // Jan 21, 2009 at 9:32 pm
A phrase from Obama’s inauguration speech earlier today seems relevant ….
“To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
3 Susie Wong // Jan 22, 2009 at 10:08 am
To me, Giles Ji Ungpakorn is an inspirational. He is blessed with remarkable talent that is all his own. The most important thing about Ji is the direction he takes. He is super-elite by background yet he dresses and acts like an ordinary Thai. He writes his own road.
Giles is like one-stop shopping where you find a brilliant scholar, a leader, and an honest man, all in one person. Virtues define his character. He knows this is politics, but he will not compromise his vision of a better Thailand.
I feel safe. I feel hope having Giles Ji Ungpakorn in the country and the region. I look forward to see his career soar to the leadership of Thailand.
4 23 // Jan 22, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Unfortunately SW, the system is completely rigged against anyone with even the slightest socialist credentials or ability to think things through in a fairly logical fashion. Instead we have to be content with capitalist/ elitists like Thaksin posing as reformers so that they can take over the prime role of parasite-in-chief.
I would take Giles to task a bit. He really needs to distance himself from both sets of political excrement, if he is to maintain some cred.
5 Lleij Samuel Schwartz // Jan 23, 2009 at 11:01 am
re: Susie Wong
I feel safe. I feel hope having Giles Ji Ungpakorn in the country and the region. I look forward to see his career soar to the leadership of Thailand.
Be careful of what you wish for, I’m sure early in his career, professor of philosophy, Abimael Guzmán also had some adoring students who also thought he was a a brilliant scholar, a leader, and an “honest” man.
What Thailand needs is not an other “Sendero Luminoso,” but it’s own version of economist, Hernando de Soto and “El Otro Sendero“.
6 Leveller // Jan 23, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Hats up to Ji! A socialist Siamese Socrates who shows a real care for the well being of ordinary Thai citizens by dissenting and having the the courage to tell the truth about royalist-nationalist domination Thais are made to be grateful for being born Thai and live as their freedom to be passive docile subjects
7 nameless nobody // Jan 23, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Saint Ji is saintly precisely because he has never had the power to do whatever he felt necessary (to, oh… let’s say 3M people) to do to produce the utopia which would surely come if only his ideas were implemented properly and not sabotaged or obstructed by those 3M skulls all nicely piled up in pyramids.
As a voice in the wilderness, it’s not a bad idea to have a few of this type extant to say the unsayable from time to time… even if it is mixed in with a lot of marxist codswallop.
But to let the guy be in charge of more than a dog pound – haven’t any of you folks read your history books? The wise Mr. Schwartz excepted, of course.
I’m certainly no huge fan of the Devaraja silliness which things have descended to in Thailand, but black cat, white cat and all that… Monarchical Thailand has lagged behind greatly in the regional skull pyramid building stakes these last 60 years and one has to wonder if there isn’t some small correlation.
That there will be hell to pay when You Know Who pines for the Fjords is another thing entirely. The one point I will agree on with the marxists is that eventually a contradiction will bite you in the posterior, no matter what you do.
8 Srithanonchai // Jan 31, 2009 at 5:08 pm
“The red shirts insult the monarchy, both directly and indirectly. … Theirs surely are anarchist actions opposing the monarchy. … This [Giles Ungpakorn’s Internet petition for the abolishment of the lese majeste law] is an open and clear proactive action of cyber-war opposition to the monarchy, because [demanding] the amendment of this law already is rebellious thinking. If this law is indeed repealed, due to the inferior wisdom of whomever, the result will certainly be a civil war, because the royalists will not accept bold people insulting [the monarchy] day in day out.”
ASTV Phuchatkan (January 30, 2009)
“Protect and uphold the monarchy so that it is stable in being the emotional center, and in preserving the unity, of the people in the nation … Seriously use every means to prevent any violation of the king’s power.”
Democrat-government’s policy declaration (Matichon, December 25, 2008)
“The blocking of websites that disseminate content and pictures which insult the monarchy is one of the government’s crucial policies.”
ICT minister (Bangkok Post, January 7, 2009)
“In Thailand, the monarchy is not only a symbolic institution. It is the pillar of national security. Whatever is deemed as affecting the monarchy must be treated as a threat to national security.”
Minister of justice (Reuters, January 17, 2009)
“It’s bad for democracy, freedom of expression, press freedom and critical thinking. Successive Thai governments have claimed they wanted to groom Thai children into critical-thinking adults. The ongoing crackdown is detrimental to the nurturing of critical minds. While a number of dictatorial regimes in the world are progressing towards greater freedom, Thailand is regressing.”
9 Srithanonchai // Jan 31, 2009 at 5:10 pm
Sorry – the last quote is from
Pravit Rojanaphruk (The Nation, January 16, 2009)
10 Srithanonchai // Feb 1, 2009 at 6:18 pm
In Davos, Abhisit said that honesty and integrity were at the heart of his government. It becomes clear why he did not mention “intelligence” when reading the following paragraphs from an interview with the ICT minister that appeared in Bangkok Post of February 1, 2009.
Q: Okay, but appropriate or not is subjective. You deem something as inappropriate, but that’s your opinion, not fact. So does that mean, given freedom of speech as an integral component of democracy, the government should have the right to direct their opinions on to the people? Or should it be the prerogative of the people to decide for themselves what is or isn’t appropriate?
Q: Yes, yes, yes. The government should have the right to direct. [A long pause] But let’s not use the term “direct”, let’s say we have the right to “give guidance”, to “suggest”, what is inappropriate.
Q: Either way, that results in censorship and bans. So what would you say to foreign media and governments condemning such action for being undemocratic?
Q: Like Minister Pirapan said [earlier on television], the Royal Family is our Father and Mother. The Father and Mother of the land. Would anyone allow people to insult their father and mother? Not us. Democracies are always different. France is different from America and South Korea. Can you accept it? Jumping at the chairman of the House and going thump, thump, thump [she makes punching gestures, in a reference to violence in the South Korean parliament]. It depends on the country and traditions.
Q: Both you and Minister Pirapan say that lese majeste is a matter of national security, like the example cited about America banning “terrorist” websites. One may argue that that’s a case of enemies at war – there’s death and bombing – a case of national security. How then do you make the link between Royal Institutions and national security?
Like Minister Pirapan said, it’s not about libel or slander. A lot of foreigners misunderstood. They don’t fully understand the law. It’s about national security. It’s the law of Thailand. We have our laws, they have theirs. We respect theirs, they respect ours, right?
It’s what our flag stands for. The colours of our flag stand for country, religion and King. What our flag stands for is our national pride … our national security. All of these are what Thailand stands for … for “country”, it’s about fighting foreign invaders … for “King”, it’s about protecting our revered institution.
11 Ralph Kramden // Feb 4, 2009 at 12:42 am
Abhisit is fast showing that what he says and what he does are quite separate. There was also a good interview with him on BBC radio, from Davos, where, when pushed on some issues, he became quite agitated rather too quickly. On the Rohinga issue for example. I doubt this approach is going to work well with foreign journalists.
12 nganadeeleg // Feb 4, 2009 at 9:15 am
‘…he became quite agitated rather too quickly‘
Cold, but no agitation in this interview:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/davos/7862554.stm
‘Abhisit is fast showing that what he says and what he does are quite separate‘
Agree – the ObaMark moniker is looking very apt.
13 Ralph Kramden // Feb 4, 2009 at 11:57 am
Radio, not TV.
14 Ralph Kramden // Feb 4, 2009 at 11:03 pm
The Bangkok Post (31 Jan 09) in a story where Suthep warns the UDD about the upcoming rally has a line in which suggests that the Democrat-led government is looking as conservative as the Surayud/palace/military administration following the coup: “Meanwhile, police in several districts of Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday set up checkpoints on Bangkok-bound routes. Motorists were asked about their destination and purpose of travel.” So not just freedom of speech but freedom of movement are an issue for the Democrat-led government.
15 Frank G Anderson // Feb 6, 2009 at 11:50 am
Hot off the translation desk!
I have draft translated this today, but because of its Bush-like far-reaching consequences, felt it should appear ASAP for all to read. Thailand is claiming sovereignty beyond its borders.
From: http://www.protecttheking.net/law1.html
Referral from this site indicates -
หมวด ๒
การใช้กฎหมายอาญา
Article 2
Use of Criminal Law
มาตรา ๕ ความผิดใดที่การกระทำแม้แต่ส่วนหนึ่งส่วนใดได้กระทำในราชอาณาจักรก็ดี ผลแห่งการกระทำเกิดในราชอาณาจักรโดยผู้กระทำประสงค์ให้ผลนั้นเกิดในราช อาณาจักร หรือโดยลักษณะแห่งการกระทำ ผลที่เกิดขึ้นควรเกิดในราชอาณาจักรหรือย่อมจะเล็งเห็นได้ว่าผลนั้นจะเกิดใน ราชอาณาจักรก็ดี ให้ถือว่าความผิดนั้นได้กระทำในราชอาณาจักร
Section 5 Any offense, or any part thereof, that was committed in the kingdom, whereby the consequence of the offense that was committed in the kingdom and whereby the offender (s) intended that such a result occur in the kingdom, or whereby the characteristics of the action consequences ought to occur in the kingdom, or are likely to be expected to have results occurring in the kingdom, shall be deemed to be an offense within the kingdom.
ในกรณีการตระเตรียมการ หรือพยายามกระทำการใดซึ่งกฎหมายบัญญัติเป็นความผิด แม้การกระทำนั้นจะได้กระทำนอกราชอาณาจักร ถ้าหากการกระทำนั้นจะได้กระทำตลอดไปจนถึงขั้นความผิดสำเร็จ ผลจะเกิดขึ้นในราชอาณาจักร ให้ถือว่า การตระเตรียมการหรือพยายามกระทำความผิดนั้นได้กระทำในราชอาณาจักร
Where there are any preparations or attempts to prepare which are prescribed under the Criminal Code aa offenses, even though such acts occurred outside the kingdom, should the actions be carried out continuously to where they have become offenses and consequences will occur within the kingdom, it shall be deemed that the preparations or attempts to act have been committed within the kingdom.
มาตรา ๖ ความผิดใดที่ได้กระทำในราชอาณาจักรหรือที่ประมวลกฎหมายนี้ถือว่าได้กระทำใน ราชอาณาจักร แม้การกระทำของผู้เป็นตัวการด้วยกัน ของผู้สนับสนุน หรือของผู้ใช้ให้กระทำความผิดนั้นจะได้กระทำนอกราชอาณาจักร ก็ให้ถือว่าตัวการ ผู้สนับสนุน หรือผู้ใช้ให้กระทำได้กระทำในราชอาณาจักร
Section 6 Any offense committed within the kingdom, or which this Criminal Code has prescribed as committed within the kingdom, even though the actions of the joint originators, or supporters, or of users committing this offense who have committed the offense outside the kingdom, it shall be deemed that the originators, supporters or users permitted to commit the offense have committed [it] within the kingdom.
มาตรา ๗ ผู้ใดกระทำความผิดดังระบุไว้ต่อไปนี้นอกราชอาณาจักร จะต้องรับโทษในราชอาณาจักร คือ
Section 7 Any person committing the cited offense outside the kingdom shall be punished in the kingdom; that is [according to]…
(๑) ความผิดเกี่ยวกับความมั่นคงแห่งราชอาณาจักร ตามที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรา ๑๐๗ ถึงมาตรา ๑๒๙
(1) offense relating to the kingdom’s security as contained in Article 107 through Article 129 [Translator – This is Thai Criminal Code Book II, Offenses Relating to the Security of the Kingdom]
(๑/๑) [๓] ความผิดเกี่ยวกับการก่อการร้ายตามที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรา ๑๓๕/๑ มาตรา ๑๓๕/๒ มาตรา ๑๓๕/๓ และมาตรา ๑๓๕/๔
(1/1) [3] Offense relating to terrorism as prescribed in Article 125/1, Article 135/2, Article 135/3 and Article 135/4.
(๒) ความผิดเกี่ยวกับการปลอมและการแปลง ตามที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรา ๒๔๐ ถึงมาตรา ๒๔๙ มาตรา ๒๕๔ มาตรา ๒๕๖ มาตรา ๒๕๗ และมาตรา ๒๖๖ (๓) และ (๔)
(2) Offense related to counterfeiting and alteration as prescribed in Articles 240-249, Article 256, Article 257 and Article 266 (3) and (4).
(๒ ทวิ) [๔] ความผิดเกี่ยวกับเพศตามที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรา ๒๘๒ และมาตรา ๒๘๓
(2 Thawee) Sexual offense as prescribed in Article 282 and Article 283
(๒) ความผิดฐานชิงทรัพย์ ตามที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรา ๓๓๙ และความผิดฐานปล้นทรัพย์ ตามที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรา ๓๔๐ ซึ่งได้กระทำในทะเลหลวง
(2) Offense against property as prescribed in Article 339 and property theft offense as prescribed in Article 350, which are committed on the high seas.
ที่มา : http://www.krisdika.go.th
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