A Thai cartoonist has been sentenced to prison for royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act over royal caricatures posted on a Facebook page. He was given a suspended sentence for three years.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights report that a Thai cartoonist, Tum, who runs a satirical Facebook page, was charged with royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act after he was accused of being the administrator of a satirical FB page Khon Klom Khon Liam, which posted four satirical cartoons of royal figures.

The Criminal Court ruled on Thursday (11 September) that he was guilty as charged, and sentenced him to 12 years in prison. Given that he pleaded guilty and had never committed such a crime before, the term was reduced to approximately six years in prison suspended for three years .

The Court believed that he has already repented, but the Court said that if he committed such a crime again, his sentence would no longer be suspended. He is required to report to a probation officer eight times in two years and perform 48 hours of social service.

The complaint against Tum was filed by Raphiphong Chaiyarat, a member of the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy, on 18 June 2022. Tum was initially charged over two FB posts but received an additional summons on 8 January 2024, resulting in charges over four posts.

Among the cartoons in question, two depicted events related to the deaths of King Rama VIII and King Rama IX, without any content related to the current reign.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that on 7 January, around 10 police officers visited and searched Tum’s residence and seized his mobile phone and tablet. They also seized copies of his ID card, house registration, bankbook, and notebook.

Despite not having an arrest warrant, the police took Tum to the Technology Crime Suppression Division, where they instructed him to take photos with the confiscated devices and sign a document confirming the items. His SIM card was later returned to him, and he received a summons on the same day.

According to the TLHR’s records, at least 22 people involved in artistic expression have been charged with royal defamation since mass protests in 2020, with half of them found guilty. The Court often misinterpreted the artists’ intentions even if they insisted that they did not mean to defame the King.