112 and the injustice of the ruling class

Prachatai continues to lead the way in drawing attention to Article 112 injustice. Its two most recent posts deserve serious reading because both show how conservatives seek to enforce a draconian law to protect not just a feeble institution, but to bolster the entire ruling class and its feudal ideology. The mainstream media – long a servant to the ruling class – continues to tip-toe around 112.

The first story is of publisher Samanchon Books being directed to remove anti-112 posters “which they displayed in their stall at the annual National Book Fair, due to ‘concerns’ from the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, where the fair is taking place.”

Clipped from Prachatai. Photo by Vachira Buason

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights photos showed “a group of men surrounding the stall, and said that they were plainclothes officers of unknown affiliation who came to check the Samanchon Books stall and removed the posters.” Later, a witness said “a group of men came to take down the posters during the night of 29 March, when no one was at the stall, and that employees arriving at the fair the next morning found the posters underneath a table in the stall.”

Later, Samanchon Books “replaced the removed posters with new ones showing the number ‘123’ with a strike through it.” It is reported that a police “officer told the publisher that the posters were not illegal, but not to publish pictures of them.” Posters with 112 on it are also not illegal; rather, they are threatening for the ruling class ideology and thee class’s minions must act to prevent dissent.

There were further reports of “plainclothes officers … seen around Samanchon Books’ stall the next day (30 March), which was the first day of the fair. An employee saw them taking photos of the stall, and that the men hid their mobile phone after an employee went to see what they were photographing.” More “[p]lainclothes officers were … seen at stalls run by Same Sky Books and the Progressive Movement, a non-profit formed by leaders of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party.

The second story comes with some breathtaking photographs by Ginger Cat. The story is of a group of activists who “staged a protest in Bangkok’s Siam shopping district to demand the release of 15-year-old Thanalop, who has been held in pre-trial detention on a royal defamation charge for the past week.”

The photos show activist Anna Annanon who “staged a protest at the Siam walking street in Bangkok’s downtown shopping district. Wearing a school uniform and with tape over her mouth, Anna sat inside a cage and pour red paint over herself, while other activists handed out pamphlets with information about Thanalop and [Article 112]…”. Her fellow activists “scattered the pamphlets from the second floor of the nearby Siam Square One shopping mall.”

Clipped from Prachatai. Photo by Ginger Cat.

Meanwhile, Thanalop’s detention continues to be illegal: “Although Thanalop was allowed visitors on 31 March, the Juvenile Centre refused to let lawyers see her on Monday (3 April). An officer at the Centre said that its Director prohibited visitors from seeing Thanalop, claiming that now that someone has spoken to her about her school applications there is nothing else to discuss with her. They also said that lawyers will not be able to see her even if she appointed one as her legal counsellor.”

Lese majeste and the ruling class has tied Thailand in political knots that make the justice system cruel, apply laws with double standards, and even break the law with impunity. No election can fix this, although it may, depending on the result, begin a process of reform that will have to dismantle and rebuild the existing (in)justice system that locks up children.

Without Prachatai and Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, the disaster of the justice system could not be understood.