Thai MP sentenced to six years for insulting monarchy | Hacker News Reader

Thai MP sentenced to six years for insulting monarchy

aljazeera.com

22 pointsabetusk14 comments

Here is some interesting information to better understand the power of the Thai monarchy and its use of the crime of lese majesty to maintain that power:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lèse-majesté_in_Thailand

A monarch who hasn't even been seen in public in...over a year? (At least according to local English news, which to be fair isn't exactly thorough)

(Not a fan of politics articles on HN, but anyhow)

Yea, most Thai dislike the current monarch. This is a major reason why youth have been protesting against the Monarchy and Military Junta since 2020 [0], and why the progressive Move Forward Party won by a landslide [1] in the 2023 elections, but ended up getting blocked by the establishment.

Thailand is essentially an oligarchy of a Military Junta, the Royal Family, and a small ethic Chinese business elite where each oligarch essentially owns an entire sector (eg. CP Group and food, King Power and retail, Chue Chin Hua and construction, etc). It's basically 1930s Japan's political structure, which was a deliberate move by the Thai elite in the 1930s-50s. It's also helped attract Japanese+Korean FDI as lecherous Japanese+Korean boomer execs have experience managing businesses in these kinds of business conditions before the 80s in their home countries.

The Thai model of Military Junta+Business Oligarchy+Figurehead Political Family ruling elite giving scraps via a large welfare state is the primary political model across mainland SEA in Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos, though some (eg. Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia) manage it better than others (eg. Myanmar, Laos)

Most Thai dislike the impunity of the oligarchy now thanks to awareness in social media, especially after the heir to the RedBull fortune ran over a police officer and was let go with no punishment [2], as well as memories of the repression of the Red Shirt Movement (though the leader was himself an oligarch in the telecom space).

At least the old king/"emperor" wasn't as bad as the new one. The new guy just plain sucks and shows his disdain to his subjects publicly why Bhumiol at least hid it well via his personality cult.

The lese majeste laws in Thailand are primarily used as a quick way for the de facto ruling Military Junta to do away with pesky troublemakers asking for democracy, accountability, and other stuff authoritarian oligarchs don't like.

[0] - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%E2%80%932021_Thai_prote...

[1] - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Thai_general_election

[2] - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Wichian_Klanprasert

Thanks for putting together a far more academic and well-cited response than I did. Another thing of note was banned book sales -- ranging from 1984 to The King Never Smiles -- spiked during the 2020 protests (and COVID lockdowns). Couldn't find any "official" articles on that, so take that with a grain of salt. But lots of my Thai friends were passing around copies around that time.

She deserves it.

I'm sorry, what are you talking about? Care to justify your position?

Having read her social media publications form my opinion that the sentence is justified. That's it.

What did she say on social media that makes a six year prison sentence justified?

Was it her reposting of a tweet that was critical of the decision to hand a contract for manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines to a company owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn?

Was it her reposting other tweets that were critical of the king?

Or something else entirely?

Is a six year sentence really appropriate for somebody that is critical of a monarch?

I'm Australian and I have a low opinion of King Charles, should I go to prison for six years?

Well. Guys, for me, it's not any specific message, but consistent effort of incitement.

You can have your opinions. I have mine. So do the judges.

Wonder if you'd still feel that way if "our opinions" could put you in jail for 6 years

Sure. If it's an established agreement. And I act harmfully.

Calling her social media posts a "harmful act" is lol. Censorship is only necessary when you're afraid that the other side is right.

I wish her best for the appeal. She did already delete her posts and seize producing inciting content. Moving toward non-violence is progress.

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