Thai singer receives four-year sentence for setting King's portrait on fire

[snoop1130]

 

Well-known Thai singer Ammy the Bottom Blues, birth name Chaiyamon Kaewwibunphan, has been given a four-year prison sentence for burning a portrait of the King of Thailand in 2021.

 

Chaiyamon's charges include the violation of three laws, among them the lèse-majesté law which forbids insult or defacement of the Thai monarchy. A fellow activist, Thanapat Kapeng, was also charged along with Ammy.

 

On May 27, a decision by the Criminal Court concluded that both Chaiyamon and Thanapat violated sections 112 and 217 of the Criminal Code and section 14 of the Computer Crimes Act.

 

Section 112, also known as the lèse-majesté law, and section 217, which forbids damaging another's property, were the laws allegedly violated. They likewise violated section 14 of the Computer Crimes Act, which prohibits sharing inappropriate content online.

 

The two activists were found guilty of violating these laws by burning the king's portrait during a political rally in 2021 outside Klong Prem Prison. The court interpreted this action as an intentional insult to the king. By sharing pictures of the incident on Facebook, Chaiyamon caused a risk to national security, the court stated.

 

Thanapat received a two-year prison sentence, whilst Chaiyamon was sentenced to serve four years. Their lawyers have since requested bail, the Nation Thailand reported.

 

Simultaneously, according to the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, 272 individuals have been charged under the lèse-majesté law in 303 cases between November 24, 2020 and May 10 this year.

 

Among those charged is MP Chonticha Jaengraew from the opposing Move Forward Party, which garnered the majority of seats and 38% of the primary vote in last year's elections, but was not allowed to form a government. Chonticha was recently sentenced to two years in prison for violating section 112 and at this point, she has been released on bail.

 

Photo courtesy of Phuket GO

 

-- 2024-05-28

 

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[Chris Daley]

Don't drop the soap.

[dinsdale]

I'm suprised comments aren't closed for this one. 

Simultaneously, according to the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, 272 individuals have been charged under the lèse-majesté law in 303 cases between November 24, 2020 and May 10 this year. The weaponisation of Section 112 in practice.

Edited May 28 by dinsdale

[transam]

Best keep stum on this one.....🤐

[Rimmer]

//CLOSED//