Nicolaides Freed From Thai Prison

[sriracha john]

And let's not forget, these paragraphs in the Thai Penal Law dealing with LM also apply to insults against any other head of state.

Source please.

*bump*

Any progress on providing proof of this previously unheard of assertion, dominique355 ?

Edited February 27, 2009 by sriracha john

[Briggsy]

New “Lèse-ISOC” Laws to Protect Kingdom’s Most Sacred Paramilitary Institution

Official images of ISOC officials to be issued for display in homes and offices

BANGKOK—In the Kingdom’s first major revision of its lèse-majesté laws since 1952, the government announced today that the prohibitions on criticism of the nation’s most revered institutions would be expanded to include the Internal Security Operations Command, or ISOC. Effective immediately, it is a prosecutable offense to “defame or offend the Monarch, the Regent, the members of the Royal Family, or the senior members and actions of the revered Internal Security Operations Command.”

The law was passed by a slim majority in the Democrat coalition-controlled House, with only the Pheu Thai members voting against it. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva signed the bill and it is expected to receive Royal endorsement this week.

“This is a very important measure in protecting both national security and our culture,” said Abhisit afterwards. “Thailand is built on the strong foundations of our three great institutions: the King, Buddhism, and right-wing paramilitary operations.”

As official head of ISOC, Abhisit will also now enjoy special protection from any criticism by the opposition, which must restrict its attacks to the Democratic party in general, or face up to 15 years’ imprisonment. However, he downplayed the benefits he might personally receive from the new lèse-ISOC laws.

“I’m hardly involved in ISOC’s daily operations,” Abhisit said. “In fact, most days I have no clue what they’re up to.”

Additionally, the history of the Internal Security Operations Command will now be included in the mandatory school curriculum, to better familiarize Thai children with the fascinating and venerable origins of this cornerstone of Siamese culture. From its mysterious origins as the CIA-backed Communist Suppression Operations Command in the ancient 1960s, through its magical survival of the overthrow of Thanom Kittikachorn and Prapas Charusathianthough, to its storybook bombing of hilltribe villages harboring suspected leftists in the 1970s, the ISOC tale is expected to quickly endear itself to the hearts of the Thai people.

“ISOC tried to kill the devil Thaksin, just like Lord Rama killed the devil Ramana,” explained Phatcharee Boonvarasan, a professor at Chulalongkorn’s Faculty of History. “We are just now starting to understand that ISOC has always been an inseparable part of the national fabric. In fact, I’m quite certain that the blue in our national flag represents ISOC. Or maybe white. We’ll confirm it once we find the right evidence to support our new facts.”

Other academics were critical of the new law, citing disappointment that the lèse-majesté laws were expanded rather than limited. Their comments, however, have been redacted from the public record as per requirement of the new law. Additionally they have been dismissed from their jobs and detained for possible trial in an undisclosed location. In compliance with the law, their names will not be included in this or any report.

However, most Thai media outlets have expressed cautious support of the new legislation.

“National unity and security require a new kind of politics, and this may just be the way to get there,” said an editorial in Matichon. Thai Rath was even more supportive, encouraging all “patriotic Thais” to “resist the ways of foreigners and liberate our hardworking soldiers from the yoke of burdensome accountability.”

Fah Diew Kan was an exception, calling the new laws “totalitarian” and “completely in violation of the idea of representative government.” Its editors were unreachable for comment however, after its head offices were sacked and burned by ISOC agents, who then shot their weapons at reporters who tried to film the fire, unaware that the new law prohibits documenting any ISOC actions without ISOC approval.

At a press conference later, ISOC member Lt General Manote Premwongsiri tried to assist the media by clarifying the law’s provisions to avoid confusion. He outlined a few basic guidelines, including: 1) not showing ISOC members in photos unless approved by the ISOC public relations department, 2) always placing those photos at the top of any page or website, 3) not mentioning ISOC except in a positive context, and 4) crawling on the floor when in the presence of senior ISOC members.

Premwongsiri also promised that the public relations department would soon be issuing official images of ISOC head Sonthi Boonyaratglin and popular deputy director Pallop Pinmanee to be hung in people’s homes and offices. Additionally, children will be assigned art projects glorifying ISOC’s guiding hand in Thai life, while music videos about the sacred work of ISOC will be played after the King’s anthem in cinemas starting in the summer.

Enforcement of the new lèse-ISOC laws has already begun, according to various related ministries and departments. The Culture Ministry has ordered the burning of all history books that suggest that ISOC committed atrocities in the 1970s, while the national police have issued arrest warrants for Angelina Jolie, any surviving Rohingyas, and the entire membership of the FCCT. An additional 34,000 web pages have been blocked by the Ministry of Communications and Technology, including CNN, BBC, Google, Yahoo, MSN, Bloomberg, Xinhua, Al Jazeera, The Straits Times, Wikipedia, the CIA World Factbook, the UN, YouTube, Facebook, Sanook, Panthip, and The Bangkok Post. FOX News remained accessible however, apparently benefitting from its strict editorial policy of only mentioning Thailand in connection with the sex trade or pedophiles.

Notthenation

[mc2]

"This is a very important measure in protecting both national security and our culture," said Abhisit afterwards. "Thailand is built on the strong foundations of our three great institutions: the King, Buddhism, and right-wing paramilitary operations."

As official head of ISOC, Abhisit will also now enjoy special protection from any criticism by the opposition, which must restrict its attacks to the Democratic party in general, or face up to 15 years' imprisonment. However, he downplayed the benefits he might personally receive from the new lèse-ISOC laws.

some members of Thai Visa would be extremely happy to hear this news !

[ubonjoe]

New "Lèse-ISOC" Laws to Protect Kingdom's Most Sacred Paramilitary Institution

Official images of ISOC officials to be issued for display in homes and offices

Notthenation

For those that are not aware this article is satire as is all news from Not the Nation.

[cmsally]

New "Lèse-ISOC" Laws to Protect Kingdom's Most Sacred Paramilitary Institution

Official images of ISOC officials to be issued for display in homes and offices

Notthenation

For those that are not aware this article is satire as is all news from Not the Nation.

It's a rather sad reflection on the state of affairs; that as I started to read the aforementioned article, for more than a brief moment I thought it might be true.

[Jimjim]

I've been reading the book that got him jailed out of curiosity. If you want to read it, and are out of the country (perhaps you fear reading it in Thailand), you can google it and you'll find a forum with a link to the .pdf of the whole book (sideways, though, figure it out!).

My short review is that it's a crap book full of the usual cliches you'll find in farang in Thailand novels and with an odd English teacher villain subplot (It's just odd. Read it and you'll see.). The villain plot doesn't exactly frighten the reader. Oh no, this evil teacher who wants to reform the education system and will stop at nothing to do it is accusing Savvas of supplying students with answers to the test! Evil! Not exactly edge of your seat tense thriller there. Alas, I will finish it because I can't stand not finishing a book that I start, even a horrible one.

[sriracha john]

New "Lèse-ISOC" Laws to Protect Kingdom's Most Sacred Paramilitary Institution

Official images of ISOC officials to be issued for display in homes and offices

Notthenation

For those that are not aware this article is satire as is all news from Not the Nation.

It's a rather sad reflection on the state of affairs; that as I started to read the aforementioned article, for more than a brief moment I thought it might be true.

Which is why I would request that any and all future Not The Nation news posts that are put in the News Clipping Forum or General Topics be PREFACED with a "Disclaimer" FIRST off.

Whether it's the highly believable article examples like...

Harry Nicolaides Celebrates Record Book Sales

or

Samak Vows to Double Per Capita Wealth by Killing Half of Population

they are sometimes difficult to sort out fact from fiction.

[sriracha john]

I've been reading the book that got him jailed out of curiosity. If you want to read it, and are out of the country (perhaps you fear reading it in Thailand), you can google it and you'll find a forum with a link to the .pdf of the whole book (sideways, though, figure it out!).

My short review is that it's a crap book full of the usual cliches you'll find in farang in Thailand novels and with an odd English teacher villain subplot (It's just odd. Read it and you'll see.). The villain plot doesn't exactly frighten the reader. Oh no, this evil teacher who wants to reform the education system and will stop at nothing to do it is accusing Savvas of supplying students with answers to the test! Evil! Not exactly edge of your seat tense thriller there. Alas, I will finish it because I can't stand not finishing a book that I start, even a horrible one.

But you'd think by the reactions from many of his defenders that he rivaled William Shakespeare and Edward R. Murrow for talent.

Edited February 28, 2009 by sriracha john

[slimdog]

And let's not forget, these paragraphs in the Thai Penal Law dealing with LM also apply to insults against any other head of state.

Source please.

*bump*

Any progress on providing proof of this previously unheard of assertion, dominique355 ?

As you are aware both the Criminal code and the Penal code are not available online, however, what dominique is refering to is :

Penal Code Section 133

Whoever defames, insult or threatens the Sovereign, his Queen or her Consort, Heir-apparent, or Head of a foreign state shall

be punishable with imprisonment of one to seven years or fine of two thousand to fourteen thousand baht or both.

There is also the Criminal code section 112 which carries a higher penlty, which is why nearly all LM cases use this article instead of the Penal code

[sriracha john]

Thank you for posting. I had not previously seen that. The board may wish to consider the above in regards to itself.

[JetsetBkk]

It's a rather sad reflection on the state of affairs; that as I started to read the aforementioned article, for more than a brief moment I thought it might be true.

I actually double-checked the date to make sure today was March 1st and not April 1st. I think I got to the 4th paragraph before jumping to the end to determine the source.

[JetsetBkk]

"^^^^^^^ Total fake. No sympathy for him from me. "

Jetset.

Have you spent 5 months in the same prison?

Sure, a total fake!

Please read this article in full:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/martyr-to-h...90222-8er6.html

Then watch this video:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7903267.stm

Still think he's genuine? I don't.

[Briggsy]

The Nation has a lengthy editorial today on the use of L-M focusing on the Nicolaides case. It is fairly balanced considering the fact that this is a Thai publication. Disappointingly though they have downgraded Giles Ungpakorn to "a foreigner, half-Thai, half-British".

[PeaceBlondie]

Thanks to jimjim for actually reading much of the book that was banned, and giving us his critique of it. The education system is flawed here. Gee, who would have guessed?

[Plus]

The Nation's editorial didn't even mention possibility of Niclaides doing the stunt to get free publicity as if they haven't even thought about it. At least they could have refuted it.

From their point of view their version makes better fit for the message they try to convey.

Harry didn't expect to be arrested on leaving the country, I believe. True, bar talk and really putting yourself in jail are two diffferent things, but as long as we don't know who exactly brought the charges and why there's always the possibility that he set it up himself (and then forgot about it).

[GungaDin]

"^^^^^^^ Total fake. No sympathy for him from me. "

Jetset.

Have you spent 5 months in the same prison?

Sure, a total fake!

Please read this article in full:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/martyr-to-h...90222-8er6.html

Then watch this video:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7903267.stm

Still think he's genuine? I don't.

Yes!

I don't know what you mean by genuine, but try using a couple of grams of empathy & you will soon see where he's coming from.

I've followed his case from day 1.

He's certainly guilty of naivety & stupidity, who hasn't done something stupid in their life!

The positive result is world attention on a LUDICROUS law which everytime used, (and abused) the country is ridiculed and brought into disrepute.

I find it very disconcerting that the person or persons who brought the charge against him has not been named.

[Briggsy]

"^^^^^^^ Total fake. No sympathy for him from me. "

Jetset.

Have you spent 5 months in the same prison?

Sure, a total fake!

Please read this article in full:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/martyr-to-h...90222-8er6.html

Then watch this video:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7903267.stm

Still think he's genuine? I don't.

Yes!

I don't know what you mean by genuine, but try using a couple of grams of empathy & you will soon see where he's coming from.

I've followed his case from day 1.

He's certainly guilty of naivety & stupidity, who hasn't done something stupid in their life!

The positive result is world attention on a LUDICROUS law which everytime used, (and abused) the country is ridiculed and brought into disrepute.

I find it very disconcerting that the person or persons who brought the charge against him has not been named.

Absolutely.

Rather than focus on the utterly disproportionate punishment meted out to Mr Nicolaides, the reasons behind it and the complete lack of transparency in this affair, posters would rather just take delight in his hubris resulting in 5 months' incarceration in the well-known terrible conditions in Thai jails.

This case is linked to the battle for power at the highest levels and that is why Harry had to endure such an ordeal for a paragraph in a work of fiction.

And yes, it has backfired internationally. Though I rather imagine the invisible people ordering these arrests behind the scene had a more domestic audience in mind.

[jdinasia]

Disporportional?

The guy pled GUILTY (kinda hard to say he wasn't!) and was released one month after his trial.

As for backfiring internationally? --- Yeah I guess there will be fewer idiots in Thailand committing L.M. to try and sell a badly written book.

[Steve2UK]

The Nation's editorial didn't even mention possibility of Niclaides doing the stunt to get free publicity as if they haven't even thought about it. At least they could have refuted it.

From their point of view their version makes better fit for the message they try to convey.

Harry didn't expect to be arrested on leaving the country, I believe. True, bar talk and really putting yourself in jail are two diffferent things, but as long as we don't know who exactly brought the charges and why there's always the possibility that he set it up himself (and then forgot about it).

Just how could they "have refuted it"?

I agree with Briggsy that it's a relatively balanced take - the more so considering it's this particular Thai publication. Agree likewise about the downgrading of Giles Ungpakorn - but that was surely predictable? "Blood will out" etc.........

As for "there's always the possibility that he set it up himself (and then forgot about it)"......... . Even for a classic Baldrick, that would make it a rather bizarre "cunning plan". More desperate flogging of more dead horses.

Regarding who brought the charges and why (given that any Tom, Dick or Somchai can and for whatever reason they choose), I think the more relevant question is who decided to proceed to trial with the case under the chosen statutes and why - my understanding being that there is considerable discretion available as to whether to take it that far and, if so, which route to take. Open to correction on the last two points.

[Steve2UK]

I've been reading the book that got him jailed out of curiosity. If you want to read it, and are out of the country (perhaps you fear reading it in Thailand), you can google it and you'll find a forum with a link to the .pdf of the whole book (sideways, though, figure it out!).

My short review is that it's a crap book full of the usual cliches you'll find in farang in Thailand novels and with an odd English teacher villain subplot (It's just odd. Read it and you'll see.). The villain plot doesn't exactly frighten the reader. Oh no, this evil teacher who wants to reform the education system and will stop at nothing to do it is accusing Savvas of supplying students with answers to the test! Evil! Not exactly edge of your seat tense thriller there. Alas, I will finish it because I can't stand not finishing a book that I start, even a horrible one.

But you'd think by the reactions from many of his defenders that he rivaled William Shakespeare and Edward R. Murrow for talent.

In all my close following of this issue from Day 1 (on ThaiVisa and many other sources), I have yet to see so much as one example of this. How about citing some (one?) of these many reactions and showing where there is any reference to talent in the manner you suggest?

Plenty of references to principle, disproportionate response etc - rather a different matter.

Having read the book, I agree with JimJim's sentiments - but then I've also read worse (and may even write worse myself some day - minus an LM-liable paragraph, of course). At least he and I have read it. One wonders whether the member who described it as "revolting" did? But then - that's the same member who also stated categorically that it "doesn't even exist". Ah well, nothing new let alone surprising about that..............

Edited March 1, 2009 by Steve2UK

[Arkady]

The Nation today seems to support Harry's Australian lawyer's comment that the case was political along these lines. At a time of political turmoil both sides resort to hurling multiple accusations of LM at each other. The police and attorney general feel under pressure to do something about it and want to distract attention from the fact that they are doing nothing about the highly publicised cases against influential people like Jakrapob, Sondhi etc. Out of the woodwork pops a rather stupid farang without connections or money who voluntarily puts himself in the line of fire....bingo. (The effects on Thailand's image abroad are a bit unfortunate but most of the police and prosecutors presumably don't read foreign papers or watch CNN and congratulate themselves on a job well done.)

I think there is truth in this but we also need to remember that under the LM laws those whose who fail to report cases of LM are also guilty of the offence. At a certain point the cases gather their own momentum when too many people know, like the case of the Frenchman who insulted a princess on a THAI flight from Paris to Bkk and the cabin attendants were concerned they would be guilty of LM, if they didn't have the guy arrested at Don Muang (the fact that the princess in question was not covered in the LM law was somewhat overlooked and the frog was released without charge after an apology and two weeks in jail.)

Edited March 1, 2009 by Arkady

[freddiefunk]

Disporportional?

The guy pled GUILTY (kinda hard to say he wasn't!) and was released one month after his trial.

As for backfiring internationally? --- Yeah I guess there will be fewer idiots in Thailand committing L.M. to try and sell a badly written book.

I would think a proportional response would be to insult Harry Nicolaides verbally or in print... but 5 months in prison does not seem proportional.

[justanothercybertosser]

Disporportional?

The guy pled GUILTY (kinda hard to say he wasn't!) and was released one month after his trial.

As for backfiring internationally? --- Yeah I guess there will be fewer idiots in Thailand committing L.M. to try and sell a badly written book.

It is hard not to plead guilty when that excludes one from the process of asking for a pardon, and increases the time having to spend behind bars.

Anyhow, nobody who has read the offending passage has any doubt of his guilt according to the law. What though is questioned is the harshness of the punishment, the appropriateness of such a huge case for a book that has been privately published with a print run of 50 copies, and 7 sold.

Also the lack of quality of this book has never been questioned, really.

There may be fewer idiots writing bad books, which nobody reads anyhow, but there will be more international organizations attacking the L.M. law and the condition of Human Rights in Thailand. As has already happened.

[jdinasia]

What though is questioned is the harshness of the punishment,

You mean a TWO year sentence as opposed to the TWELVE year sentence that was handed down on the last farang I remember being convicted of L.M.?

[justanothercybertosser]

What though is questioned is the harshness of the punishment,

You mean a TWO year sentence as opposed to the TWELVE year sentence that was handed down on the last farang I remember being convicted of L.M.?

No, a three year sentence (commuted from six years) against 4 consecutive three year sentences for each individual act of Lese Majeste the Swiss idiot committed.

Which, if you follow the news, is increasingly attacked by many important international bodies as a violation of Human Rights.

[jdinasia]

LOL

a "violation of Human Rights"

You know something is a crime, you break the law. You go to jail.

But you are correct for once on one thing ... it was a three year sentence that he only had to serve one month of prior to his release.

(maybe they should have sentenced him 3 years for each of the seven books he sold!)

Edited March 1, 2009 by jdinasia

[justanothercybertosser]

LOL

a "violation of Human Rights"

You know something is a crime, you break the law. You go to jail.

You may have heard that there is something called "The declaration of Human Rights", and that laws have to conform to this declaration (at least in theory) if a country wants to be part of the international community.

I guess when bodies such a PEN, Human Rights Watch, etc. have harshly criticized the handling of the Harry Nicolaides cases, it has more importance as what "jdinasia", an anonymous poster on a Thai related web forum, has to state about interpretations of law and what define "Human Rights".

[JetsetBkk]

...try using a couple of grams of empathy & you will soon see where he's coming from...

Couple of grams? Not enough, mate...

[freddiefunk]

LOL

a "violation of Human Rights"

You know something is a crime, you break the law. You go to jail.

But you are correct for once on one thing ... it was a three year sentence that he only had to serve one month of prior to his release.

If only this logic was applied to traffic violations... and pub fires...

Thankfully, laws are always enforced in a consistent manner...

It's as if some people believe printed expressions deserve no jail time at all...

You he served only 1 month in prison... he served 4 or 5 months before his trial, no?

[SmugFarangBore]

I find the reactions on this thread from the usual misinformed and opinionated fanatics quite appalling but at the same time they are strangely amusing.

Posters shouting from the rooftops about someone else's apparent 'crimes' and how he should know better and deserved his punishment while living in a country where most of the population is involved in more serious illegal activities than expressing themselves in a book.

People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

And Thailand is one very big glass house my friends.