The police have issued a summons for an anti-junta historian and former rector of Thammasat University for sharing a fake news report about a purse of Prayut’s wife.
On 23 January 2018, Pol Col Olarn Sukkasem from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) revealed that investigators had summoned the renowned historian, Charnvit Kasetsiri, to report on Friday.
Charnvit was accused of disseminating forged computer data likely to cause damage to a third party, a violation the Computer Crimes Act. If found guilty, he will face up to five years in jail, a fine of up to 100,00 baht, or both.
The accusation emerged after the historian shared on his Facebook account a false news report that Naraporn Chan-ocha, wife of junta leader Prayut Chan-o-cha, used a two-million-bath Hermes purse, while it is, in fact, a product of Thailand’s Royal Folk Arts And Crafts Centre and costs no more than 10,000 baht.
Charnvit is a former President of Thammasat University. He is a pro-democracy academic and often criticises the junta via his Facebook account.
He vowed to fight the case immediately after the TCSD showed its intention to prosecute him.
Latest Contents
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 transfer to account “โครงการหนังสือพิมพ์อินเทอร์เน็ต ประชาไท” or “Prachatai Online Newspaper” 091-0-21689-4, Krungthai Bank
2. Or, Transfer money via Paypal, to e-mail address: [email protected], please leave a comment on the transaction as “For Prachatai English”