Updated: Yet another lese majeste arrest

Ji Ungpakorn’s blog refers to เอกชัย หงส์กังวาน/Akechai Hongkangwarn as yet another victim of the political law that is lese majeste. He states:

Akechai Hongkangwarn was arrested for distributing CDs of an ABC programme which was broadcast in Australia and for distributing some Wikileaks documents. He is now out on bail.

This is confirmed at Prachatai. There are further details (in Thai) at the Ban Rajadamnoen web board.

Update: It is reported that on 11 March 2011, the police arrested and charged 35 year-old Akechai under Article 112 – lese majeste – for being in possession of 100 illegal VCDs, a CD writer and 10 Wikileaks documents. He was arrested following a rally by the Red Siam group (on 10 March). He was allegedly found to be in possession of banned VCDs, believed to be copies of the Australian ABC program on the monarchy. He was accused of having these for sale.

The ABC program and the Wikileaks documents relate to the monarchy and to the crown prince. See here, here, here, here and here on Wikileaks and the linking of the ABC and Wikileaks here. Use the search function at PPT and enter Wikileaks for more related posts.

Akechai was eventually bailed by his 82 year-old father with legal assistance from the Ratsadornprasong law office group on 17 March 2011. Bail was set at 500,000 baht.

According to the Rajadamnoen web board, Akechai (also rendered as Ekachai and Ekchai) has long opposed the lese majeste law.

His details are added to PPT’s long list of pending cases under this draconian and political law.