The Khon Kaen Provincial Court began its trial of 3 Khon Kaen University students for desecrating the national flag. The students were charged after they replaced a national flag with a ‘monarchy reform’ banner on a flag pole during a protest at Khon Kaen University in February 2021.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), Wachirawit Tedsrimuang, Chaitawat Rammarerng and Chetta Klindee were summoned to appear in court as defendants and witnesses on 31 January and 1 February.

On the opening day of the trial, the Court prohibited attorneys and observers from recording the proceedings. Court officers said that a detailed record of the trial would later be made available for copying and added that note-taking was prohibited in previous trials.

In their testimony, the three defendants admitted that they had done the act but claimed that they were merely exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression. They also said that they raised the ‘reform monarch’ flag after removing the national flag from the pole after 18.00, the time when national flags are supposed to be taken down countrywide. They added that they did not see any officers coming to collect the flag for the evening.

The defendants stated that they did not desecrate that flag. Instead, they brought it down properly, did not take it away, and did not damage it in any way.

The 2-day trial included testimony from eight witnesses in support of both the plaintiff and the defendants. The Court is scheduled to issue a ruling on 25 March 2022.

The case stemmed from the defendants raising a red flag bearing the message ‘reform monarchy’ on a national flag pole in front of the President’s office at Khon Kaen University.

The following explanation of the protest was later posted on a Facebook page, Khon Kaen Has Had Enough (Khon Kaen Por Kan Tee).

“A “reform monarchy” flag was raised to the top of the flag pole in front of the KKU President building to symbolically show that Thailand can become a full-fledged democracy when it reforms the monarchy. We do not despised the national flag but we do .want it to be a truly dignified national flag representing a democratic regime that conforms with international standards.”

The flag remained at the top of the pole for 10 minutes before police and a university security officer came to remove it. The Khon Kaen District Police Station subsequently pressed charges against the three defendants for raising a flag that damaged Thailand’s dignity and treating the national flag in a manner violating the Flag Act. The charges carry a 2 year jail sentence, a 4,000 baht fine or both.