Updated: Limp royalistness

Vitit Muntarbhorn is a Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Law at Chulalongkorn University and was formerly UN Special Rapporteur, UN Independent Expert and member of UN Commissions of Inquiry on Human Rights.

His op-ed at the Bangkok Post, “Thailand’s bail system — is it made for the rich?“, was recently presented at a web-conference organized by Thammasat University.

“Discussing” lese majeste

Given the fact that lese majeste defendants were more-or-less routinely refused bail for the years from 2006 to 2017 and that four defendants – all political activists – have been denied bail three or four times in quick succession, and you’d think that Vitit and his publisher would have something to say. But you’d be wrong.

Not a word. Sure, there’s limp comments about “the chasm between power derived from the coup d’etat and the aspirations of a democratic and just society” and “the spate of cases in relation to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly,” and some appropriate statements about access to bail. But nary a word on lese majeste and the bizarre actions of the courts.

Vitit’s work with the UN and on international law means he knows truth. Does he dare not speak it?

Update: A reader drew our attention to a second statement (added later?) to the Post op-ed, stating:

Professor Vitit Muntarbhorn teaches at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. He has helped the UN in a variety of positions and is currently a member of a UN Human Rights Commission of Inquiry. This article is derived from his speech at the recent Conference on Asean Traversing 2015: Challenges of Development, Democratisation, Human Rights and Peace, organised by Mahidol University, Bangkok.

Yet the original attribution to a February web-conference remains. Work it out. Something very limp going on.