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The Thai police have banned and confiscated copies of a book by a respected and well-known social critic, alleging that the material "may cause unrest and degrade good morals" in Thai society.
The book by Sulak Sivaraksa, called "A Quarter of a Century of Thai Politics: A Thorn-filled Path", concerns politics, democracy and the monarchy.
A Right Livelihood Award recipient, Sulak said a notice from the Special Branch Police on 2 October 2007 ordered him to stop printing, selling and disseminating the book, citing the 1941 Printing Law.
The law, created during the country's authoritarian past, gives the police the authority to censor and stop publications that are deemed a threat to peace, public safety or public morals.
Sulak, who has twice been tried and acquitted on lese majeste charges, has vowed to bring up the case for the consideration of the National Human Rights Commission and the Administrative Court.
When he was first charged with lese majeste in 1984, it created such international uproar that the government was forced to drop it. The second charge in 1991 arose from a talk he gave at Thammasat University about the repressed state of democracy in Thailand. He went into exile until the courts cleared him in 1995.
| Thai police ban a book on democracy The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has expressed its concern after receiving reports that police have confiscated copies of a book about Thai politics, democracy and the monarchy, written by respected and well-known social critic, Sulak Sivaraksa. The book, entitled A quarter of a century of Thai politics: a thorn-filled path, led to Sivaraksa receiving a notice from the Special Branch Police on October 2, 2007, which cited the out-of-date1941 Printing Law and ordered him to stop printing, selling and disseminating the book. IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said, "Banning books and access to a variety of information sources is a clear breach of people's freedom and right to know, and reveals the kinds of restrictions imposed by the Thai government on writers and the media". Thai police allege the material in the book "may cause unrest and degrade good morals" in Thai society. A new Printing Act does not allow police to seize books for this reason, but although the new law has been passed it is yet to be made effective. However Sivaraksa stands by his book, and claimed, "...all I wrote was true... for three decades now, authorities have not stopped harassing citizens and even (Prime Minister) Surayud (Chulanont) once remarked that (Thai) police are like the mafia". Sivaraksa said he will now petition the United Nations and the National Human Rights Commission and file a case in the Administrative Court to challenge the police's decision. He has had charges made against him in the past which subsequently dropped due to an international outcry. "The IFJ supports Sivaraksa in challenging the decision to confiscate his book and calls upon Thai authorities to drop the ban and allow the book to be freely published and distributed," Park said. "It is the role of the media to question governments and hold them accountable for their actions, and it's terrible that people like Sivaraksa are being persecuted for carrying out their professional duties."
*The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 114 countries |
Related Article: http://www.fringer.org/?p=285 (Thai)
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