<p>It has become increasingly clear over the past week since the imposition of Martial Law nationwide followed by the coup that one of Thailand’s most draconian and abused laws, the lèse majesté law or Article 112 of the Penal Code, is being used to persecute anyone who voices opposition to the coup.</p>

<p>The coup was staged on 22 May—it is the 19^th coup since Thailand abolished its absolute monarchy in 1932. While domestic pressure has been built up against the coup, international community has also kept a watchful eye on what has happened in Thailand.</p>

<p>Following the recent military coup in Thailand, free speech, free assembly and academic freedom have been massively constrained. Now, the junta is even trying to extend these restrictions overseas.</p>

<p>In these troubled times it may be wise to give the biting satire a rest.&nbsp;</p> <p>The average Prachatai reader will of course have no problems in understanding the gist of a typical Harrison George article.&nbsp; But one fears that in the bowels of an army base somewhere, there toils a poor recruit who has been told to check on the Prachatai English website. &nbsp;And no one can guarantee that he enjoys the same level of sophistication.&nbsp;</p>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Army, signed Announcement No. 1/2557 [2014] of the Royal Thai Army, on the matter of the promulgatเon of the Martial Law Act, on 20 May 2557 [2014]. Following examination, it is the view of the Khana Nitirat that the aforementioned announcement of the Royal Thai Army is unconstitutional and illegal. This is the case for the following reasons:</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div>1. </div>

<p>Depending on which message of gloom you read, the country is moving off the map, at a dangerous crossroads, down a cul-de-sac and into a quagmire. &nbsp;All at the same time.&nbsp;</p> <p>But have no fear, Senate Speaker Surachai Liangboonlertchai has found an escape route.</p>

<div> <div style="font-size: 12px;"><em>Translated by Tyrell Haberkorn.</em></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div><em>Translator’s introduction: On 23 November 2011, Amphon Tangnoppakul, age 61, was <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prachatai.com%2Fenglish%2Fnode%2F2912&amp;sa=D&amp;sntz=1&amp;usg=AFQjCNFzG00N9fVcpkZ7Z2hG8xiG7agMpA">sentenced</a> to twenty years in prison under Article 112 and the 2007 Computer Crimes Act for allegedly sending four SMS messages with anti-monarchy content. </em></div>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div>The protracted demonstrations led by the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) during the past six months have clearly indicated a collusion among the PDRC, the Democrat Party, various courts, the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT), some Senators and certain independent regulatory agencies. Concertedly, they have made impossible any solution based on the rule of law and democracy. Key sections of the Constitution and other laws have been misinterpreted and misapplied to crush political opponents and justify a series of blatantly illegal actions. </div>

<p>Drafting a reform package seems to be the new game in town that anyone can play.&nbsp;</p> <p>And I’m anyone.&nbsp; But unlike politicians, I learn from experience.</p> <p>Everybody else’s reform proposals have quickly been shot down in flames, like Abhisit’s and Suthep’s as far as you can understand it.&nbsp; And I think that’s because they all incorporate one basic flaw that makes them totally unrealistic: they expect other people to do something different from what they are already doing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Anyone who has glanced at the best-seller lists recently might be forgiven for thinking that we’ve suffered a 150-year time warp.&nbsp; Topping the charts is a hefty tome entitled ‘Capital’ by a European political economist.</p>

<p>Maj Gen Dr Rienthong Naenna, creator and leader of yet another anti-lèse majesté movement of outraged citizens, has run into some initial flak in his patriotic endeavours.&nbsp; And I don’t mean being on the wrong end of a strongly worded editorial from the Bangkok Post.&nbsp; That just proves you’ve fallen off the lunatic fringe of the anti-government, anti-democracy, anti-anything-remotely-connected-with-Thaksin movement, which was blindingly obvious anyway.</p>

<p><strong>On the Occasion of the International Thai Studies Conference</strong><strong>, Sydney, Australia</strong><strong>, 24 April 2014</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7420/14002282941_60dd82de55_z.jpg" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2925/14025462953_be7842be64_z.jpg" /></p>