Thanapol Eawsakul is the editor of the controversial magazine Fa Diew Kan. He currently faces two charges/accusations of lese majeste. The first relates to an interview with Sulak Sivaraksa in 2006 and the second to an issue of the magazine, on the monarchy, from 2007. Fah Diew Kan and its website have long been harrassed by the authorities.
In February 2011, another charge was brought against Thanapol. Democrat MP Watchara Petthong filed lese majeste charges against Thaksin Shinawatra, Robert Amsterdam and Thanapol as editor of the Same Sky/Fa diew Kan for the publication of the Thai version of the White Paper by Amsterdam & Preoff on the violence of April and May 2010. The book, which does not list Thanapol as publisher, has been a best seller, and was the initial case taken to the International Criminal Court by red shirts seeking redress for the violence.
Media commentary on Thanapol’s case:
Prachatai, 22 February 2011: “Lèse majesté charges filed against Robert Amsterdam’s book”
RWB, 7 January 2008: “Information ministry asked to explain why website was closed without going to court”
Earth Times, 6 January 2008: “Popular Thai website closed down for anti-monarchy comments”
Prachatai, 5 January 2008: “Fah Diew Kan website shut down; lèse majesté alleged”
The Nation, 5 March 2007: “A searing indictment of the coup”
Asian Human Rights Commission, 31 March 2006: “THAILAND: Interior Minister bans magazine for publishing articles on Thai monarchy” and a related poste, here.
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