Don’t You Dare Speak Ill of Thailand’s King
Even a Facebook Joke About the Monarch, Entering His Eighth Decade of Rule, Could Send You to Prison for Decades
Since the military coup of 2006, the Thai government has prosecuted hundreds of Thai citizens who made comments about the monarchy, under the authority of Thailand’s lèse-majesté laws. The sentences have been stunning, with people forced to serve 10, 30, or even 60 years in prison for “crimes” that generally are nothing more than a few sentences on Facebook.
Under the lèse majesté laws anyone can be charged with the crime of disrespecting the king, queen, or any heir to the throne. The current monarchy-backed military junta has used these laws …
