Thai activists risk death to protest the crime of criticising the royal family
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Two young Thai pro-democracy activists began a hunger strike in prison on January 18, 2023 to demand the release of several activists arrested for the crime of "lèse-majesté" – that is, for criticising the royal family. Our Observer, their lawyer, told us how this crime is often used to silence democratic opposition.
Smeared with red paint, Tantawan "Tawan" Tuatulanon and Orawan "Bam" Phuphong, two young Thai pro-democracy activists aged 21 and 23, appeared in Bangkok's criminal court on January 16 to ask a judge to revoke their bail. This move was in solidarity with other activists who are imprisoned and awaiting trial for the crime of lèse-majesté.
The two were charged with the same offence in February 2022 after organising an "opinion poll" about the monarchy in a busy Bangkok shopping mall.
100% ของผลโหวตวันนี้ยืนยันแล้วว่าประชาชนมีความเห็นว่าขบวนเสด็จสร้างความเดือดร้อนต่อประชาชน
— ทะลุวัง - ThaluWang (@ThaluWang_) February 8, 2022
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ขบวนเสด็จที่ทำคนเสียเวลา เสียรายได้ หรือแม้กระทั่งเสียชีวิตบนรถพยาบาลที่ต้องรอราชวงศ์เสด็จบนถนนจากภาษีของ ”ประชาชน”
(1) pic.twitter.com/J3I90fhclJ
On January 18, the two began a dry hunger strike, abstaining from food and water. They have been hospitalised and are currently in critical condition, according to their lawyer, but refusing medical care.
Since then, signs of solidarity with the imprisoned pro-democracy activists have multiplied around Thailand and on social media. Concerts, rallies and graffiti express support for their cause.
Since 2020, Thailand's youth have held protests against Thailand's authoritarian government and monarchy. This time around, students have taken to the streets dressed as prisoners, covering their faces and chaining up their hands and feet.
วันนี้ ที่อ่างแก้ว มช. มีกิจกรรม 'Performance Art' #ยืนหยุดทรราช เรียกร้องสิทธิประกันตัวให้ผู้ต้องขังทางการเมือง
— prachatai (@prachatai) January 23, 2023
ที่มาคลิป: Darunet#ยกเลิก112 #ปล่อยเพื่อนเรา #ตะวันแบม #ยืนหยุดขัง pic.twitter.com/DreTpyWTLt
ภาพบรรยากาศกิจกรรมยืนหยุดขัง วันที่ 24 มกราคม 2566 ณ บึงสีฐาน มหาวิทยาลัยขอนแก่น 🌻🕊
— ThaluKKU_official (@Thalu_KKU) January 25, 2023
_#ปฏิรูปกระบวนการยุติธรรม#หยุดฆ่าชีวิตด้วยกฎหมาย#คืนสิทธิประกันตัว#ปล่อยเพื่อนเรา #ยกเลิก112 pic.twitter.com/68vwS35Jdq
#ม็อบ26มกรา66 มวลชนทยอยเข้าร่วมกิจกรรม #ทะลุฟ้า บน skywalk หน้า MBK สนับสนุน 3 ข้อ #ตะวันแบม #ปล่อยเพื่อนเรา #ยกเลิก112 #ยกเลิก116 #ปฏิรูปยุติธรรม pic.twitter.com/TcDIBwjC2U
— new 🌹🐈 #ปากท้องดีมีเสรีภาพ (@JiPaTaBook) January 26, 2023
'They are determined to go all the way'
Kunthika Nutcharut is a lawyer. She is a member of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) and defends the two young activists.
I went to the hospital yesterday [January 25] and Tawan’s condition was alarming. She is refusing to take the treatments and is starting to run out of potassium, which will affect the functioning of her heart. But when they learned that their appeal to the government continues to be ignored, they decided to continue their fast. They are determined to go all the way.
Their main demand is that those in prison [on remand awaiting trial] be released unconditionally. Many people in pre-trial detention are released with conditions and are then denied the right to demonstrate or express their opinion. And a Facebook post is enough to send them back to prison.
The NGO Human Rights Watch called on the Thai authorities on January 20 to release those in pre-trial detention and to respect the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), ratified by Thailand. The ICCPR's Article 9 states: "It shall not be the general rule that persons awaiting trial shall be detained in custody."
Among the main demands of the two young activists is the abolition of Article 112 of the Thai penal code, which criminalises "defamation and insults against the royal family", in other words, "lèse-majesté". Thailand has one of the toughest jurisdictions in the world in this area, with penalties ranging from 3 to 15 years in prison.
'This law forbids people to have a free opinion'
This law allows the regime to completely muzzle democratic opposition, our Observer says:
The possibility of punishing so severely the insult to the king, the queen or his family is extremely problematic [from a human rights perspective]. This law forbids people to have a free opinion.
This law is also very ambiguous: Thai jurisprudence has qualified several acts of “lèse-majesté” in a rather broad way. This could be, for example, sarcastic comments online about the king, or dressing in a certain way.
ดินแดงเริ่มแล้ว #แบมตะวัน #จับมือทะลุวัง #ยกเลิก112 pic.twitter.com/NpCckcc7BA
— Gap.jirapas (@Gap29732546) January 23, 2023
For example, I once followed the case of a young woman who was prosecuted for wearing a traditional Thai dress [Editor's note: at a pro-democracy fashion show in Bangkok in 2020]. A photo of them went viral and the court considered that the dress resembled the queen’s; she was found guilty of defaming the queen under Article 112.
แต่ไม่มีใครอยากให้พวกหนูตายไง #ยกเลิก112#คืนสิทธิประกันตัวให้ประชาชน pic.twitter.com/98gyKqXjRG
— ♬♥Panamaz♥♬ (@weeeedpung) January 23, 2023
Thailand has been enforcing Article 112 more often since the 2020 protests against the monarchy and the military leader Prayut Chan-o-cha, who became prime minister with the king's support after leading a coup in 2014.
At least 200 people have been charged with lèse-majesté since then, according to Human Rights Watch. In January 2021, a pro-democracy activist received a record 87 years in prison, for 29 lèse-majesté offences.
ปีนี้มีการพิจารณาคดี 112 อีกหลายคดี หลายคนถูกตัดสินจำคุกไปแล้ว และฝ่ายขวามีการเสนอให้เพิ่มการคุ้มครองมาตรา 112 ครอบคลุมคำว่า #สถาบันพระมหากษัตริย์ กษัตริย์ราชวงศ์จักรีในอดีต และพระบรมวงศานุวงศ์ชั้นพระองค์เจ้าขึ้นไป นั่นจึงเป็นเหตุผลที่ต้อง #ยกเลิก112 #เลือดต้องแลกด้วยเลือด pic.twitter.com/jfLE68ub7f
— ทะลุแก๊ซ - Thalugaz (@thalugazzz) January 22, 2023
Our Observer also points to Article 116 of the Thai Criminal Code, which punishes "incitement to violate the constitution" with up to seven years in prison. The law is regularly used instead of or in addition to the offence of lèse-majesté to silence opponents.