The FIDH has released a new report. Dark Ages – Violations of cultural rights under Thailand’s lèse-majesté law (opens a PDF) is about the “abuse of Article 112 of the Criminal Code (lèse-majesté) has considerably limited creative expression regarding the Thai monarchy and has led to the imprisonment of several artists and writers…”. The press release is also available.
The report “explains how the country’s restrictions under Article 112 violate its obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to which Thailand is a state party.”
The report’s release is for Thailand’s periodic review by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ (CESCR) review of Thailand’s periodic report on 4-5 June.
FIDH President Karim Lahidji stated:
Authorities have systematically blocked websites, banned books, and suppressed all other acts and material, written or oral, that are considered critical of the Thai royal family. These measures, coupled with the imposition of harsh prison sentences for lèse-majesté violators, effectively prevent any public debate about the Thai monarchy….
Lese majeste, FIDH says, means an “atmosphere of fear created … [and] widespread self-censorship.”
Political Prisoners in Thailand 