Thailand: two more charged with royal defamation
Event- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jan 3, 2021
- Event Description
On 3 January, Thanakon (last name withheld), 17, received a summons on a Section 112 charge issued by Buppharam Police Station. TLHR said that the charge is likely to be related to a demonstration on 6 December 2020 at Wongwian Yai.
Jiratita (last name withheld), 23, was also charged with royal defamation for a speech given at the protest on 2 December 2020 at the Lad Phrao intersection. Anon Nampa, Parit Chiwarak, Shinawat Chankrachang and Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul also face Section 112 charges for their involvement in the same protest.
TLHR noted that the charges against those involved in the 2 December protest were filed by a member of the public, which shows the problem of anyone being able to file a complaint under this law, therefore allowing it to be used by various political factions against each other.
Meanwhile, several protest leaders have received further charges under Section 112. Parit is now facing 12 counts, Anon is facing 8 counts, Panusaya is facing 6 counts, while Panupong is facing 5 counts.
- Impact of Event
- 2
- Gender of HRD
- Other (e.g. undefined, organisation, community)
- Woman
- Violation
- Judicial Harassment
- Rights Concerned
- Freedom of assembly
- Offline
- Right to liberty and security
- HRD
- Pro-democracy defender
- WHRD
- Youth
- Perpetrator-State
- Police
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Event Location
Latitude: 13.777118700176123
Longitude: 100.49791758600009
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 3 January 2020, two pro-democrcy defenders, including one minor, whose identity was withheld, were charged by the police with lese majeste for their participation to pro-democracy rallies held in the previous months in Bangkok, Thailand.