<p>On the morning of Monday, February 23, the live broadcast of the 87th Academy Awards from Los Angeles will be broadcast in Thailand. Almost simultaneously, at 1:00 pm, an entirely different type of show will be staged at the Criminal Court in Bangkok.</p>

<p dir="ltr">This may be the first play attended at every show by Thai military officers. Not that the Thai military is impressed with the play, but because its content touches on the climate of fear, imposed superficial Thainess, and lèse majesté prisoners. The presence of the military officers, who were assigned to record the performance and audience every night, merely reinforces the message in the restaged Bang-La-Merd: the Land I Do Not Own. It sounds surreal but true that Ornanong Thaisriwong, the director and solo actress in the play, stages a performance about the climate of fear while being watched and taped by real military officers.</p> <p></p>

<div> <div> <div>The police on Friday morning arrested and charged Pornthip M. with lèse majesté for her involvement with a political play about a fictional monarch, which has deemed lèse majesté by the police.</div> </div></div>