Further updated: Election coming, political repression maintained

As an election approaches, CIVICUS reminds us that:

Thailand’s civic space is rated as ‘repressed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. Scores of individuals including activists have been charged or convicted for royal defamation (lèse-majesté) and given harsh sentences for their speeches and social posts critical of the monarchy. Some were denied bail. Censorship was also documented, and protesters have also been targeted with arrest and prosecution.

This repression extends beyond lese majeste:

In recent months, human rights defenders commenting on the border conflict have faced harassment and intimidation while a Montagnard activist was extradited to Vietnam. Politicians, pro-democracy and student activists and cartoonists have been prosecuted and convicted for royal defamation [Article 112] while five activists from the Deep South are facing intimidation charges. An amnesty bill was passed that did not include those prosecuted for royal defamation, a human rights defender Arnon Nampa has been denied bail while an Australian journalist was indicted for alleged defamation against a Malaysian agency.

It details this political repression.

Update 1: Reporters without Borders raises another concern: the persistent harassment of women journalists.

Update 2: A reader asks about vote buying, commenting that there had been few news reports. We agree that the reporting has been limited. The People’s Party has worried about “grey money” shaping election outcomes and has pointed to large cash flows (with the Bank of Thailand giving another grey money explanation). There’s also been unscrupulous activity reported related to vote buying. What we do know and have from a very good source is that in recent local elections in a northeastern province sums as high as 1,000 baht were offered for votes. If that continues for the general election, then lots of grey and other corrupt money will have been expended.