<p>UN human rights experts today expressed grave concerns over Thailand&rsquo;s increasingly severe use of lèse-majesté laws to curtail criticism of the monarchy, and said they were alarmed that a woman had been sentenced to over 43 years in prison for insulting the royal family.</p>

<p>An interview with Senior Researcher at Human Rights Watch. What has Thailand lost in the suppression of the pro-democracy protests&nbsp;at a time when superpowers like the USA and EU have started to pose more questions about Thai politics?</p>

<p>A court has found not guilty Bundit Aneeya, an 80-year-old writer and translator in his third lèse majesté trial. The court ruled that his allegedly criminal comment made in public in 2015 did not directly refer to the monarch. His comment could be interpreted in many ways.</p>

<p>On 20&nbsp;January, the Court of Appeal objected to the bail request of Anchan (surname omitted), a 63 year old woman who faces 43 years and 6 months jail sentence under the Lèse-majesté law punishment.</p>

<p>The Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road in Bangkok has sentenced poet &lsquo;Rungsila&rsquo; to 4 years and 6 months in jail for posting poems and cartoons judged to be lèse majesté. He was jailed for 4 years and 11 months during his trial in a military court, so he has no more time to serve.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The record-breaking&nbsp;sentence delivered to <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/9023">Anchan</a>, 63, who was found guilty of&nbsp;lèse majesté, is a &quot;serious assault&quot; on freedom of expression and shows how Section 112 is inconsistent&nbsp;with international human rights law, says Amnesty International&#39;s&nbsp;Asia-Pacific Regional Director.</p>

<p>Anchan (pseudonym), 63,&nbsp;found guilty under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, has been sentenced to 87 years in prison, with the sentence reduced because of her confession and 3 years spent in prison pending her trial. The net sentence is 43 years and 6 months, the longest sentence ever under Section 112.</p>

<p>On 15 January, the court accepted a request from the police to withdraw an erroneous arrest warrant against political activist Chayaphol &lsquo;Dave&rsquo; Danothai after he went to Klong Luang Police Station for questioning with a goat.</p>

<p>Samutprakan Provincial Court has acquitted &quot;Thanakorn&quot; of lèse-majesté and computer crime charges after the authorities prosecuted him for posting a statement relating to a sarcastic comment against supporters of Thong Daeng, the favourite dog of the late King Bhumibol.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Jomtien Hospital and Bangkok Hospital Rayong have announced the dismissal of Dr Saravin Thongrong for &ldquo;inappropriate behaviour against the rules of the company&rdquo; after his comments on the late King Bhumibol surfaced on the internet. Right-wing activists have called for his license to be revoked and for him to be prosecuted under the lèse-majesté law. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Sirichai (last name withheld), a freshman at the Puey Ungphakorn School of Development Studies, Thammasat University, and a member of the student activist group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration, was arrested during Wednesday night (13 January) on a royal defamation charge under Section 112.</p>