An online campaign has been started to call on the Thai authorities to drop a royal defamation charge against a well-known intellectual accused of defaming an ancient Siamese King.

On 10 October 2017, a campaign to collect signatures to support Sulak Sivaraksa, a renowned royalist and lèse majesté critic, was opened on Change.org.

The campaign was initiated by Ladda Wiwatsurawech one day after the police submitted to the military prosecutor the case file in which Sulak is accused of royal defamation.

It called on Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the junta leader and Prime Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to authorise the dismissal of the lèse majesté charge against Sulak.

“King Naresuan, as a historical figure who ruled the Ayutthaya Kingdom from 2133 to 2148 BE, does not fall under Article 112 of the Criminal Code,” reads part of the campaign statement.  

At press time, 750 people had signed the campaign.

The military prosecutor will decide on 7 December 2017 whether to indict Sulak. If found guilty, he could be imprisoned for up to 15 years.

Sulak pointed out in a video interview in 2014 with Prachatai that Article 112 only protects the present monarch, Queen and Crown Prince.

A webpage of an online campaign on Change.org to support Sulak