Thai Justice Minister targets 40 for overseas lese majeste offenses

[webfact]

Justice minister targets 40 for overseas lese majeste offenses
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, Feb 6 -- Profiles of 40 persons abroad were sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking their extradition from the countries where they stay while offending the royal institution, according to Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya.

The minister said the Department of Special Investigation and other law enforcement agencies had compiled the profiles for him.

The movement to seek extradition is in response to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s order to stop offenses to the monarchy.

Gen Paiboon said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will distribute the information so that other countries would realize that Thai people were concerned about the movements of the wrongdoers.

Although some countries have no extradition agreements with Thailand, the information including evidence of the persons’ offences would emphasize the concerns of the Thai public, the justice minister said.

“I would like the countries where the suspects [are] to be aware of the feelings of Thai people, so clear evidence is submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Those countries will know that Thailand is worried and wants to bring the culprits to punishment," he said.

"This is the first time [we have] provided information and evidence to clearly identify the persons and their whereabouts,” Gen Paiboon said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2015-02-06

[Anthony5]

Wow, the planes to Thailand will be full with handcuffed people, extradited for dreamed up offenses.

[JetsetBkk]

I doubt any developed country would extradite a person for this reason.

[siampolee]

The greater majority of those countries will not extradite persons on these charges, there are laws in place in other countries, however they are seldom if ever used.

Lese-majesty laws in the UK. do exist on the statute book, however they are as said seldom or ever used nowadays. I know people are not prosecuted anymore for it.

Contempt of the Sovereign is an offence under the common law of England.

Paragraph 369 of Volume 11(1) of Halsbury's Laws of England (2006) suggests that the last prosecution for this (Les Majeste) offence was R v Price in 1840. I would suggest you worry more about the libel-laws. They sting just the same.

Edited February 6, 2015 by siampolee

[dragonfly94]

The feelings of the Thai people? they are not allowed to say anything different for fear of arrest, so who knows what their feelings really are? YT has loads of serious LM so why don't they block that instead of pursing fantasy extraditions that will never happen, unless maybe one is in China.

Edited February 6, 2015 by dragonfly94

[trainman34014]

Serious waste of time and they should get on with solving the REAL problems of the country.

[bubblegum]

Very clever scheme of TAT to increase tourist arrivals.

[daveAustin]

Best way for Thailand to move on and be seen as an easy-going, grown-up nation is to let this kind of stuff go. It's not helping the image and is holding them back somewhat. It's 2015, not 1515, people will always have a say. If the UK took to task the people that made quips about the Queen (and on TV, no less), the prisons would be full and the country would be a laughing stock. Not even the Queen gives a flying one and would have a laugh when Spitting Image was on apparently (buying her own puppet even), because basically she's above all that tat. The big problem here is, it's likely not so much the guys right up the top, it's the commoners needing to be seen to be speaking up to justify their job and stifle any potential loss of face for their immediate higher-ups. With that, I don't think the culture is quite ready to go easy on this.

[lildragon]

The saviors of Thailand here ladies and gentleman. I bet they don't get a single person, and Even if they do it won't Be from a country with grrr speech.

[BigBadGeordie]

Well, best of luck with that one.

But how about seeking extradition for convicted criminals on the run......ah, the "too hard box" again.

[Chang_paarp]

The government officials seem to miss the point that by pursuing these folk for LM "offences" they are simply re-enforcing the bona fides of any political refugee status application the "offender" may have. They are merely proving that the person has a genuine reason to believe they will be persecuted for their political belief.

[wirat69]

Hmmm.... some TVPosters seem to be unaware that (at least some of) these fugitives from justice have

(a. jumped the queues of legitimate refugees (e.g. Eakapop Luara)

(b. continued to make some rather inflammatory and blatantly insulting of His Majesty and "The Palace" (e.g. Eakapop Luara, again, though his Facebook activities have been curtailed/closed because of his behaviour since arriving in his host country

The chaps that they seek are not just "Mummy, the Emperor has no clothes!" type lese majeste offenders. In some cases I am sure that there are many other enquiries to be advanced once they can speak to the fugitive......

Edited February 6, 2015 by wirat69

[dragonfly94]

But they are using just words and are not proposing violence, unlike some others

[NickJ]

In regards to the Thai L-M laws. They cover refering to any Royal from any country that has a positive relationship with Thailand.

[lildragon]

Hmmm.... some TVPosters seem to be unaware that (at least some of) these fugitives from justice have

(a) jumped the queues of legitimate refugees (e.g. Eakapop Luara)

( continued to make some rather inflammatory and blatantly insulting of His Majesty and "The Palace" (e.g. Eakapop Luara, again, though his Facebook activities have been curtailed/closed because of his behaviour since arriving in his host country

The chaps that they seek are not just "Mummy, the Emperor has no clothes!" type lese majeste offenders. In some cases I am sure that there are many other enquiries to be advanced once they can speak to the fugitive......

That's their opinion though. There are people.Back home in they uk that have as much hate aimed towards the crown. There are groups and associations supporting having a republic, then there's guys like David icke And just supporters speculating some serious accusations towards them, Muhammad Alfyed took them to court for conspiracy to muder....

You Can dressed It up however you went But Know is archaic and is used more as s tool By governments and politicians to hurry each other. There are many more issues than 40 people speaking therr minds abroad.

[NeverSure]

The government officials seem to miss the point that by pursuing these folk for LM "offences" they are simply re-enforcing the bona fides of any political refugee status application the "offender" may have. They are merely proving that the person has a genuine reason to believe they will be persecuted for their political belief.

This.

It also gives more advanced countries more reason to be wary of Thailand.

[2fishin2]

I doubt any developed country would extradite a person for this reason.

Agree, actually in most countries it would give them the reason to NOT extradite.

[docshock13]

First the domestic purge of domestic political opposition and now this witch hunt.

[kkerry]

Hmmm.... some TVPosters seem to be unaware that (at least some of) these fugitives from justice have

(a. jumped the queues of legitimate refugees (e.g. Eakapop Luara)

(b. continued to make some rather inflammatory and blatantly insulting of His Majesty and "The Palace" (e.g. Eakapop Luara, again, though his Facebook activities have been curtailed/closed because of his behaviour since arriving in his host country

The chaps that they seek are not just "Mummy, the Emperor has no clothes!" type lese majeste offenders. In some cases I am sure that there are many other enquiries to be advanced once they can speak to the fugitive......

The government seems unable to understand that each time they demand someone be extradited over LM, they are almost guaranteeing that person will be granted asylum. Facing embezzlement or murder charges in Thailand and want to avoid extradition? Get yourself charged with LM. It's your get out of jail free card.

[Caveat Emptor]

I doubt any developed country would extradite a person for this reason.

As i understand it many countries do not extradite for offences not contained in their own laws.

[phuketrichard]

who wants to bet that the 2 authors of the books on the .....

are on this list

[dragonfly94]

First the domestic purge of domestic political opposition and now this witch hunt.

They could go for ice picks, but they would have to know where the countries were on a map first

[chainarong]

This just go's to show how childish Thailand has become , you would think that Thailand had no other worries than to waste resources in pursuit of persons not even in Thailand, they never tried it on persons that have divided a beautiful nation, one would have thought that Thai authorities would have more to do and as it has been stated how do they know that Thai people want these laws, the majority too scared to open their collective mouths on any subject, last but not least if they are in a democratic run country, with plenty of freedom of speech, your application will be torn up.

[aussieinthailand]

The claim of political asylum can be used by some people, Q. isn't Thailand signatory with the UN and that the UN provides for political asylum?

Soooo,,,,??? now what?

[Humberstone]

The greater majority of those countries will not extradite persons on these charges, there are laws in place in other countries, however they are seldom if ever used.

Lese-majesty laws in the UK. do exist on the statute book, however they are as said seldom or ever used nowadays. I know people are not prosecuted anymore for it.

Contempt of the Sovereign is an offence under the common law of England.

Paragraph 369 of Volume 11(1) of Halsbury's Laws of England (2006) suggests that the last prosecution for this (Les Majeste) offence was R v Price in 1840. I would suggest you worry more about the libel-laws. They sting just the same.

Contempt of the Sovereign is not the same as Lese Majeste

[kmj]

Not a hope in hell of any extraditions

[wow64]

Money well spent.

Better not say anything else.

[iReason]

Another acute look at Thainess for the International World.

Keep it coming.

Soon, they'll have no more feet to shoot.

These Fascists are boiling that free speech is exposing them for the children they are.

[NongKhaiKid]

I doubt any developed country would extradite a person for this reason.

As i understand it many countries do not extradite for offences not contained in their own laws.

My understanding too. Last month it was mentioned that countries would be contacted as if all LoS has to do is ask and now they're at it again making it sound as if other nations will understand and fall in line.

It's nowhere near as simple as just asking ' send them back ' especially to countries that have a proper rule of law.

[phoenixdoglover]

These kinds of announcements must be for local consumption.

Outside of Thailand?