112 update II

Continuing our 112 updates from the past three weeks:

Clipped from TLHR

Prachatai reported that Jirawat (last name withheld), a 32-year-old online clothing vendor, has been sentenced by the South Bangkok Criminal Court to nine years in prison on Article 112 and computer crimes charges, reduced to six years.

The sentence stemmed from three Facebook posts in 2021 about the Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha government’s Covid-19 vaccine policy, police corruption – the so-called elephant tickets, usually associated with royal interventions in promotions – and calls for monarchy reform.

One of the posts, from the anti-monarchy Facebook page KTUK – Konthai UK – is reported to have stated that the “government was unable to import good Covid-19 vaccines because it did not join the World Health Organisation’s COVAX programme.” It also observed that King Vajiralongkorn held almost all shares in Siam Bioscience, the only company licensed to produce a Covid-19 vaccine in Thailand.

The second post, from another Facebook user, used photos of four “official documents and Move Forward Party MP Rangsiman Rome holding pieces of paper.” Captions to the photos “alluded to police corruption, bribe-taking and the possibility that a signature on one of the document was Queen Suthida’s.”

A third post is reported to have “contained a transcript of a speech given by activist Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon during a 24 March 2021 protest.” Her speech made the point that “people must be able to praise and criticise the monarchy, both because it is their fundamental right to do so and because, as friends of the monarchy, they should be able to reprimand an individual king if he does not behave appropriately.”

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that the complaint against Jirawat “was filed by Pattarawan Khumma, a relative of his wife who used to work for the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).” Jirawat’s view is that “Pattarawan and his wife had a fight before the complaint was filed, leading him to suspect that she was using the royal defamation law [Article 112] to harass him for personal reasons.”

In court, Pattarawan “admitted that she is related to Jirawat’s wife but refused to answer questions about the fight.”

In his testimony, Jirawat acknowledged that he shared the posts, but added that he did not add any messages to the post. Significantly, he argued “that while the posts criticised the government and raised questions about the monarchy, citizens have the constitutional right and freedom to express opinions on such matter[s].”

In finding Jirawat guilty, the “court ruled that the posts damaged the people’s faith in the monarchy by causing people to misunderstand that the King, the main shareholder in the Siam Bioscience company, was seeking to monopolise the local market for Covid-19 vaccine by delaying vaccine procurement from overseas.”

In court, Apiporn Pasawat, the president of Siam Bioscience’s board provided information that was previously unknown or not widely known. He “testified that King Vajiralongkorn was the majority shareholder in the company, with Air Chief Marshal Satitpong Sukvimol and Pol Col Thumnithi Wanichthanom holding 1 share each.” Previous reports had usually stated that the company was 100% owned by the Crown Property Bureau and by the king when the law was changed to make all CPB property the king’s property.

Apiporn also stated in court that “he contacted AstraZeneca with the help of a former colleague at the Siam Cement Group (SCG) and secured a license to produce the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.”

Apiporn has a long history of associations with royal companies and with Thai Airways, where he was a director. Of course, the Vajiralongkorn has had a close relationship with the airline. Apiporn has done very nicely as a servant of royals.

In his testimony, Apiporn “initially denied that the Thai government ordered vaccine from Siam Bioscience.” One of the reasons he’s a trusted servant is because he can tell straightfaced lie about what is public knowledge. Under cross-examination, he admitted that “Air Chief Marshal Satitpong signed a Covid-19 vaccine purchase contract with the Ministry of Public Health, but only as a witness.”

Importantly, he “also admitted that Siam Bioscience had never produced a vaccine before the pandemic and said that the company received 600 million baht from the Thai government in support.”

Finally, and significantly, he also “acknowledged that the company made a profit from vaccine production, with its shareholders, including the King, receiving dividends.”

It is widely believed and known that royals have long intervened in promotions of police officers.

The second social media post “was held to have damaged the reputation of Queen Suthida by suggesting that she was involved in the appointment and transfer of police officers,” while the third post was ruled offensive because “Patsaravalee’s speech was insulting and disrespectful to the King, damaging people’s faith in the monarchy because it claimed that the King was expanding his powers and not acting in accordance with the Constitution by interfering in government affairs and the judicial system as well as by transferring property and military units to himself.”

Of course, he’s done all of that.

After his conviction, Jirawat’s lawyer filed for bail but this was denied by the Appeals Court, on 8 December 2023.