Lese majeste back

As Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha made it known that the king ordered that lese majeste not be used, we can only assume that the resumption of its use also comes from the king.

In a Bangkok Post report, Gen Prayuth is quoted as stating that lese majeste will again be used. The report states: “Referring to cases involving the insulting of the monarchy,” Gen Prayuth declared: “The government must take swift action because many people have voiced opinions on the issue. People nationwide cannot accept this.” He means royalists “cannot accept” an end to neo-feudalism, preferring to be serfs.

It is royalists who have been calling for the use of the draconian law:

… royalists on Thursday stepped up their demand that police invoke it against protesters after an offensive remark was spray-painted on the portrait of a Royal outside police headquarters during a protest on Wednesday night.

The use of lese majeste is a last ditch effort to suppress the demonstrations. After all, the police have charged hundreds in recent months, most with serious “crimes,” like sedition and computer crimes. Some of the charges are summarized here. Just in the past few days, police are considering charges against another 31 protesters.

Thai PBS reports that “[p]olice and relevant agencies will tomorrow [Saturday] meet to discuss conduct and activities of anti-establishment protesters which could be construed as violation of the lèse majesté law.” Pol Maj-Gen Piya Tavichai said that “police will not file lèse majesté charges until after the meeting tomorrow.”

Another report refers fears that “ongoing political conflict will intensify, with no visible way out, after Prime Minister Prayut … declared that ‘all existing laws’ would be wielded against anti-establishment protesters.”