In an audio interview with The Economist, available here, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva states (at about 8:00 mins into the audio file) that there will be no amendment to the lèse majesté law. He is clear when asked about amendment: “Not to the actual provision in the criminal code.” Rather he directs attention to “the need to clarify and make sure that enforcement of the law does not defeat the purpose of the law itself which is to protect the monarchy.” He adds that what is required are good “standard operating procedures” and “some clarification on the law itself.” Abhisit argues that “people are uncertain about what constitutes a violation of the law…”. He does agree that the law has become an area of concern for “many people.”
Ironically, his view is not that different from the perspective expressed by deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was recently reported in the International Herald tribune (12 March 2009: “Deposed Thai prime minister vows to fight on”): “He [Thaksin] also criticized the recent and increasingly harsh use of Thailand’s lèse-majesté laws, the broadly worded prohibitions against the misuse of national assets and insults to the Thai monarchy. He said overzealous prosecutors were using the laws to curry favor with the king and the political elites. ‘The laws are not the problem, it’s the practitioners who overreact,’ he said.”
PM Abhisit is also featured in a related interview by the BBC, available as video. At about 5:00 mins into the interview he is asked about his Democrat Party-led government’s legitimacy, and responds with a well-rehearsed statement that makes claims to opening up political space and to supporting human rights “to a degree that is unprecedented.” At about 7:30 mins, Abhisit is asked about media freedom and the closure of websites simply because they criticise the monarchy. He responds by saying that “the law is the law and anybody who violates the law has to accept the consequences.”
The prime minister then makes his now common but false comparison between the Thai lèse majesté law and those in Europe.
Abhisit claims that all of the people charged will be “treated fairly” and “given due process.” This is clearly untrue as can be seen by looking through the cases of persons currently held and denied bail including Darunee Charnchoensilpakul and Suwicha Thakor. Yet again the prime minister is loose with the truth when dealing with the international media.
On the Prachatai case and the arrest of Chiranuch Premchaiporn, Abhisit says that there has been some kind of “misunderstanding” and that this will “be corrected.” Abhisit then claims that having spoken to Chiranuch, that this is the “first time” that a government leader has “reach out” to “these people” to “make sure that there are no abuses and that all voices can be heard.”
We at PPT continue to urge that the political use of lèse majesté be rejected and we look forward to the prime minister “reaching out” to those political detainees who have been held for considerable periods without trial.
3 Comments
March 19, 2009 at 3:04 pm
[...] Take Action Further updated: No amendment to lèse majesté law [...]
March 20, 2009 at 11:27 am
[...] Further updated: No amendment to lèse majesté law Political Prisoners in Thailand: March 19, [...]
November 8, 2009 at 12:16 pm
[...] Abhisit claimed that all of the people charged will be “treated fairly” and “given due process” – patently absurd, with Darunee Charnchoensilpakul having been tried in a closed court. [...]
Comments are closed.