Pavin on the reasons for lese majeste repression

Pavin Chachavalpongpun of the Institute of Southeast asian Studies, Singapore, has been an almost daily commentator on things political in Thailand for the past year or so. In his latest, he attempts to explain the “many reasons” behind the application of the lese majeste law:

Propping up a weakened monarchical institution and disguising the uncertainty of the royal succession is one rationale. Attempts to control society, conserve elitist privileges, prolong the military’s role in politics, obstruct democratisation and cope with the technological revolution in cyberspace also play a significant role.

And like PPT, he sees that the use of lese majeste reveals a crumbling structure where the use of the law as doing the work of republicans. In his words:

the more Bangkok’s elite employ the law for political purposes, the more they weaken the monarchical institution. Its usage highlights a sense of desperation, not authority, as the old establishment clearly exploits the law to maintain its position of power.

Pavin gets a bit lost when he introduces several concepts as descriptors but with no analytical use (at least in his account): prerogative state, network monarchy, and is remarkably short in his history of the use of lese majeste repression. None the less, we think he is right when he concludes that:

The only way for the monarchy to survive in Thailand’s changing political environment is for members of the old establishment to consider reforming, or even abolishing, this anachronistic law. So far, they have failed to acknowledge the devastating effects that come with exploiting it.

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