<p>Deputy Prime Minister Pol Capt Chalerm Yubamrung is set to begin his crackdown on websites offensive to the monarchy, and has sought a budget of 400 million baht to buy new equipment to block foreign websites.</p>
<p>On 10 Dec, about 100 activists gathered at the Victory Monument to join a ‘Fearlessness Walk’ to protest against the lèse majesté law.</p>
<p>On 8 Dec, the Criminal Court sentenced <a href="http://www.prachatai.com/english/search/node/Joe%20Gordon">Joe Gordon</a>, a Thai-born American citizen, to 5 years in jail for lèse majesté, but reduced the jail term by half as he had pleaded guilty.</p>
<p>Suraphot Thaweesak, a university lecturer and Prachatai columnist, has received a summons to report to the police in Roi Et province in the Northeast as a result of a local yellow shirt’s complaint against him for his comments on the Prachatai website.</p>
<p>Article 19, the international human rights organization on freedom of expression, has recently published a statement calling for the reversal of Thailand’s latest lèse majesté conviction, 61-year-old grandfather Amphon, or the “Ah Kong” case. Amphon was sentenced 20 years for allegedly sending four vulgar SMS to the personal secretary of Abhisit Vejjajiva, then Prime Minister.</p>
By Pravit Rojanaphruk |
<p>Singapore-based political scientist Pavin Chachavalpongpun, launched an on-line campaign on Wednesday to free Thailand's latest lese majeste law prisoner 61-year-old Amphon Tangnoppakul, aka Akong, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week for allegedly sending four SMS messages defamatory to the Queen and the monarchy to personal secretary of then Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The campaign is catching on and Pravit Rojanaphruk asked Pavin through the internet as to why he is doing it and what's his expectation.</p>
<p>On 1 Dec, the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology inaugurated the Cyber Security Operation Centre (CSOC) to suppress cyber crimes, including in particular offences against the monarchy.</p>
<p>On 25 Nov, programmer and Facebook user <a href="http://www.prachatai.com/english/search/node/suraphak">Suraphak</a> (family name withheld) was indicted by the public prosecutor for lèse majesté, according to lawyer Anon Nampha.</p>
By Santiprachatham Network |
<p>In the latest conviction under Article 112 and the 2007 Computer Crimes Act, Mr. Amphon (last name withheld) or Ah Kong, age 61, has been convicted of the crime of lèse majesté and sentenced to 20 years in prison for allegedly sending 4 SMS messages. This case has not only generated widespread criticism about the evidence and reasoning used during the trial, it is also the latest incident that reflects the serious problems of Thailand’s judiciary system. These problems are as follows: </p>
<p>Prachatai has been informed that in response to the Thai Ministry of Information and Communications Technology request to Facebook to remove 10,000 pages or URLs that are deemed by the Ministry to be offensive, an American citizen has formally written and delivered a request for investigation of the Thai request against the background of the Freedom of Information Act, the Speech Act of 2010, US constitutional safeguards and other laws relevant to free expression in a democratic society, to the US Department of Justice and foreign relations committees of both houses of Congress.</p>
<p>On 23 Nov, <a href="http://www.mcot.net/cfcustom/cache_page/297283.html">Grp Cpt Anudith Nakornthap</a>, Minister of Information and Communications Technology, said that the Ministry had asked Facebook headquarters to delete over 10,000 URLs or pages which contained pictures and messages offensive to the monarchy.</p>
By Asian Human Rights Commission |
<p>The Asian Human Rights Commission wishes to express grave concern over the latest conviction and sentence of a person in Thailand for a crime of freedom of expression. On 23 November 2011, in Black Case No. 311/2554, Ampon Tangnoppakul (also known as 'Arkong'), a 61-year-old man, was sentenced to twenty years in prison for four alleged violations of Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code and the 2007 Computer Crimes Act. Ampon’s crime was to allegedly send four SMS messages to Somkiat Klongwattanasak, personal secretary of the former prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva.</p>