Thai activist Anon Nampha (39) convicted of lèse majesté
(Editorial credit: SPhotograph/Shutterstock.com)
Prominent Thai activist and human rights lawyer Anon Nampa has been sentenced to four years in prison on charges of insulting the Thai monarchy during demonstrations in 2020. In addition to his prison sentence, Anon must also pay a fine of approximately 520 euros for failure to comply with a specific emergency regulation.
Anon, 39 years old, played a leading role during mass protests that took place in Thailand in 2020. The crowd called for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth at the time and wanted to see reforms in the royal family. In his speech, Anon emphasized the need for an open discussion about the position of the king, a sensitive topic in Thailand. In Thailand, even a single negative comment about the monarchy can lead to a sentence of fifteen years in prison.
The Anon team has already announced plans to appeal the decision. His legal advisor said they are seeking his parole, as reported by Reuters.
This is just the first legal decision against Anon. Thirteen other lawsuits are pending against him, all related to accusations of insulting the monarchy.
Opponents claim that Thailand's lese majeste law is often used to suppress dissent. Data from the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights shows that at least 2020 individuals have been charged in 257 different cases since November 278, including at least 20 young people.
Source: NOS.nl
I won't say what I want to say. Anyway, on a related topic: Pannika, the former spokesperson for the disbanded Move Forward party, received a lifetime (!!) ban from political participation last week. This is because of a message on social media about 10 years ago that was said to be negative towards the highest institution.
Let me put it nicely: in this respect it is a special country.
I won't say what I think, I would like to keep going to Thailand. Fortunately, there is no punishment for what you think.