A 41-year-old shipping company employee has been sentenced to 3 years in prison on a royal defamation charge after being accused of participating in a protest on 20 December 2020.
Phawat ‘Pocky’ Hiranphon was charged with royal defamation in February 2021 after a complaint was filed by Acting Sub Lt Narin Sakcharoenchaikun, a member of the ultra royalist group Thai Pakdee.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), Phawat was indicted along with several other activists who attended the protest. The indictment was made on the ground that actions during the protest mocked the King and damaged his reputation.
Phawat maintained that they did not attend the protest. TLHR also noted that document presented by the prosecution stated the defendant’s age as 17 years and 4 months when Phawat was 36 at the time of the protest. Meanwhile, except one witness who was a police inquiry officer, prosecution witnesses could not identify Phawat in video clips of the protest.
TLHR said today (12 December) that Phawat was found guilty and sentenced to 3 years in prison for royal defamation. He has been granted bail pending appeal.
The 20 December 2020 protest was organized by the student activist group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD). Activists wore crop tops and walked around the Siam Paragon shopping mall in response to a royal defamation charge filed against activist Noppasin Treelayapiwat, then 16, for participating in a protest on 29 October 2020 in which he wore a black crop top with the message “My father’s name is Mana, not Vajiralongkorn” written on his back. They also demanded the repeal of the royal defamation law.
Several activists have been charged with royal defamation over the protest and found guilty, including Thanakorn and Nattakorn, who were charged as minors and given a suspended sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison.
Parit Chiwarak, Panussaya Sithijirawattanakul, and Panupong Jadnok were also charged with royal defamation over the protest. They have since left the country and are living overseas.
Prachatai English is an independent, non-profit news outlet committed to covering underreported issues in Thailand, especially about democratization and human rights, despite pressure from the authorities. Your support will ensure that we stay a professional media source and be able to meet the challenges and deliver in-depth reporting.
• Simple steps to support Prachatai English
1. Bank donation via the "Foundation for Community Educational Media (FCEM)", Krungthai Bank, account number 091-010-4328, Swift Code: KRTHTHBK
2. Or, Transfer money via Paypal, to e-mail address: [email protected], please leave a comment on the transaction as “For Prachatai English”