Juvenile lese majeste III

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights has an alert regarding an upcoming Central Juvenile and Family Court judgement on a juvenile Article 112 case.

The case is claimed as a “first” for this court, although other juveniles have previously fronted other courts on lese majeste charges. For a case in Khon Kaen, see here, here, here and here.

The case TLHR refers to involves Petch. a 19 year old LGBTQ+ activist. He copped the charge for a speech on 6 December 2020 at Wongwian Yai.

The prosecution alleges that Petch “gave a speech that tarnishes and defames King … Vajiralongkorn (Rama X). His speech is not opinion or truth but defamation towards King Rama X and livestreamed on social media leading [the] audience to believe that King Rama X is a bad person and above the law who is not subjected to any punishment.”

The latter is certainly true, while the former is an opinion held by many. The prosecutor alleges “that his speech defames the father of King Rama X (King Rama IX) for endorsing, allowing, accepting or acknowledging the coup of 2014 which constitutes falsehood.”

Of course, it is a fact that the dead king endorsed the coup, as he has had in 2006.

2006 coup endorsed

“Petch” denied all charges.

As is increasingly usual, Petch’s indictment followed a complaint by ultra-royalist Jakkapong Klinkaew, a leader of a group calling itself the People’s Center for the Protection of Monarchy.

The court heard witness statements from 17 to 25 August 2022, with seven “plaintiff’s witnesses and four defendant’s witnesses who were the defendant himself, the guardian, and two academics.”

Petch faces eight legal cases, “including three cases charged under Section 112 for giving a speech at Nonthaburi Pier on 10 September 2020, ‘wearing crop top’ at Paragon mall on 20 December 2020, and this case…”.

The verdict is due 22 November 2022.