On Monday, April 11th, a well-recognized Thai politician was indicted due to his criticism of the government, in which he allegedly insulted the king and violated Thailand’s cyber law. Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit is a popular leader of Thailand’s progressive political movement and has remained committed to continuing his political activities despite the prospect of facing up to 20 years in prison. Thanathorn is a co-founder of the court disbanded Future Forward Party, which is known for its criticism of the military due to the military’s foundational role in the country and the conjunction of the military amongst governmental affairs. Thanathorn has been accused of lese majeste and breaking cyber laws from earlier last year during a Facebook Live stream. During this live stream, he condemned the government’s vaccine campaign due to their implicit bias toward Siam Bioscience, a firm owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Thailand’s lese majeste law is a strict law that carries a prison term of up to 15 years for insulting the royal monarchy. Critics of the law recognize the use of the law to control political dissent and shape the viability of the monarchy. As reported by US news, Thanathorn denies insulting the royal family and that his critique was focused on the government, not on the royal family. “What I did was intended for public benefit and to protect the royal institution,” he mentioned to reporters. Waco Tribune-Herald published a quote from Thanathorn’s lawyer. “Thanathorn’s criticism is towards the government’s policy, and there is no content that defames the (royal) institution. But like other cases, it’s a tool to silence critics. This actually tarnishes the reputation of the monarch rather than protects it,” said his lawyer, Krisadang Nutcharas.
The censorship in Thailand amongst the public has created an atmosphere conducive to politically upholding the royal family and their monarchy. Political movements are faced with a tremendous barrier to enacting political change as the current constitution of Thailand, and the nature of elections make it significantly difficult for free and fair political competition. Peaceful protestors have faced arrest, harassment, and criminal prosecution, making the nature of the authoritarian rule in Thailand even more apparent to the global community.
Thailand gained a reputation in the 1990s as a budding Southeast Asian democracy that valued freedom of expression. That isn’t the case now. Those seen as political dangers, whether opposition politicians, activists seeking a return to democracy, or online critics of military rule, have faced harsh government repression in the five years after the 2014 military takeover.
The outcomes of Thanathorn’s indictment and the criminal penalties he will face will speak volumes regarding the current nature of the royal family’s rule in Thailand. The international community and local civil society in Thailand will await the rulings of this case to assess the future of the country’s political rule and the ability for progressive movements to both emerge and sustain in Thailand.
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