DSI sees case for lese majeste against Thaksin over Seoul remarks

[webfact]

ARTICLE 112
DSI sees case for lese majeste against Thaksin over Seoul remarks
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is likely to press the lese majeste charge against former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra over his recent interview in South Korea in relation to the 2014 coup, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya said.

A source from the DSI added that the police are in agreement but will wait for the final decision by the DSI before they coordinate with public prosecutors to seek cooperation from foreign countries, as the offence was committed abroad.

Paiboon said on Tuesday that the DSI believed the remark made by Thaksin could be deemed to be in violation of Article 112 of the Criminal Code. The move came as the Office of the Attorney-General set up a team of prosecutors yesterday to jointly work with computer crimes police to look into alleged lese majeste violation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act by Thaksin in his online video clips.

He was speaking after DSI chief Suwana Suwanjuta reported to him about the department's progress in compiling a watch list of 125 people in connection with lese majeste offences. The list comprises three groups; People who face arrest warrants but are staying abroad; people in the country and are under watch; people whose behaviour is being monitored.

Suwana is expected to submit the list and details of each case to the PM and deputies within next week.

Suwana reported to Paiboon that the DSI found Thaksin's remarks in South Korea to be in violation of Article 112 and it was up to the police if they agreed with the department.

The Foreign Ministry has revoked Thaksin's passports and the police are seeking to strip Thaksin's police rank following his controversial remarks in Seoul two weeks ago.

Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan said the move to strip Thaksin of his police rank was not an act of revenge.

"We act in accordance with the law and bring justice. It is not revenge or harassment,'' he said.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Anupong Paochinda allayed fears following the discovery of bombs and ammunition hidden in the parking lot of the Metropolitan Police Bureau. Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha has also stopped using his car in favour of an armoured van.

Anupong said it was not right to assume that the incidents were repercussions of the move to strip Thaksin of his police rank.

"State officials have to act in accordance with the law regardless of consequences,'' Anupong said.

He said whether the move to strip Thaksin of his rank may adversely affect national reconciliation efforts or not is a separate matter.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/DSI-sees-case-for-lese-majeste-against-Thaksin-ove-30261570.html


-- The Nation 2015-06-04

[Strangebrew]

I don't think they got a chance of trying him first his comments were done out of country and from country where free speech is allowed. he broke no law in country where comment came from Now different story if he made comment in Thailand then Thai law was broken. So no free country would turn him over. But let's say he committed murder then different story illegal Nearly if not all countries now then you have a case. But if he happens to step into Thailand then Thailand can do as it pleases. Not taking sides stating facts.

[arthurboy]

Keep grasping at your very thin straws, lads. At least this tenuous claptrap will please the arch conservatives. For a while...

[ezzra]

If they will be able to stick the lese majeste charge on him, that his goose is well and proper cooked....

it seems that every man and his dog now are after Mr T.... where will it end, is anyone guess....

[kotsak]

If they will be able to stick the lese majeste charge on him, that his goose is well and proper cooked....

it seems that every man and his dog now are after Mr T.... where will it end, is anyone guess....

Usually these things end at the graveyard..

[alant]

What did he say that was so bad? Is it possible to see / hear the remarks in question?

[Manbing]

Just because he hasn't uttered the words in public doesn't mean its not been front and center of his political agenda for a great many years.

Even if he came close, its high time.

I recall Thaksin was fond of suing anyone who spoke against him when he held power.

Hoisted by his own petard.

Pétard comes from the Middle French péter, to break wind, from pet expulsion of intestinal gas, from the Latin peditus, past participle of pedere, to break wind, akin to the Greek bdein, to break wind (Merriam-Webster). Pétard is a modern French word, meaning a firecracker (it is the basis for the word for firecracker in several other European languages).

Edited June 4, 2015 by Manbing

[mikemac]

Just because he hasn't uttered the words in public doesn't mean its not been front and center of his political agenda for a great many years.

Even if he came close, its high time.

I recall Thaksin was fond of suing anyone who spoke against him when he held power.

Hoisted by his own petard.

Pétard comes from the Middle French péter, to break wind, from pet expulsion of intestinal gas, from the Latin peditus, past participle of pedere, to break wind, akin to the Greek bdein, to break wind (Merriam-Webster). Pétard is a modern French word, meaning a firecracker (it is the basis for the word for firecracker in several other European languages).

................."I recall Thaksin was fond of suing anyone who spoke against him when he held power."....................

I was reading an article in a website that was about journalists worldwide and the way they were attacked, both physically and verbally and I came across this quote -

"Thaksin's government was accused of exerting political influence in its crackdown on unlicensed community radio stations, and Thaksin brought massive defamation suits against critical journalists."

Which is why I often laughed at the Thaksin supporters on TVF who attacked the current PM for doing exactly the same thing.

Talk about hypocrites !

[BarnicaleBob]

It is unlikely that any country would allow him to be extradited on a lese majeste offense because it is not considered a criminal offense in most countries. Therefore any request for extradition would be denied.

[heybruce]

What did he say that was so bad? Is it possible to see / hear the remarks in question?

Any news organization in Thailand that repeats the comments will also be guilty of a LM offense. Whatever he said will also not be repeated during his or any other trial for LM for the same reason.

When we read that someone is charged with a LM offense, we just have to take the government's word for it that an offense occurred.

[KarenBravo]

This is a law that doesn't belong in the 20th century, never mind the 21st.

[maidee]

well, as long as he does not come back to thailand, he can really live like a king

[FangFerang]

I agree with the lese majesty charge. There is no way Prayuth would have communicated his intentions to the Privy Council, nor any possible way the Council could or would have influenced Prayuth's actions.

Curiously, the Privy council has seven members, four of which are generals in the Army or RTAF.

But that has nothing to do with it. Thaksin is a criminal.

[Just1Voice]

Violation of Computer Crimes Act? He gave a live interview to a reporter in S. Korea. So where's the computer crime?

Violation of Article 112? He never once, during that interview, made a single reference to the Royal Family. So where's the LM charge?

What he did say was that he believed the Privy Council was behind the coup. Are the PC now covered by the LM laws?

(I know exactly what was said as I had the chance to watch the interview before it was taken down and blocked. In fact, I watched it twice.)

This is a B.S. attempt to throw anything and everything they can at him, whether it's factual or not, and hope something sticks. They act like he's the Boogyman they are all terrified of. <deleted> him, forget him, deal with the real issues Thailand has, and stop worrying so much about this megalomaniac idiot.

[WitawatWatawit]

A clever ploy to keep him out of the country. Countries that don't have LM charges are not going to deport him. The junta doesn't really want him back because even though his influence is waning, he can still be gravel in the shoe and hinder the junta's agenda, set it back awhile. Better the odious one stays overseas where he is not going to get the kind of publicity that he would generate if he were to return and serve his jail time. It's already obvious that Thaksin is desperate for relevancy and fearful of being denied media coverage because he can see his star fading among the Thai public.

[mikemac]

Violation of Computer Crimes Act? He gave a live interview to a reporter in S. Korea. So where's the computer crime?

Violation of Article 112? He never once, during that interview, made a single reference to the Royal Family. So where's the LM charge?

What he did say was that he believed the Privy Council was behind the coup. Are the PC now covered by the LM laws?

(I know exactly what was said as I had the chance to watch the interview before it was taken down and blocked. In fact, I watched it twice.)

This is a B.S. attempt to throw anything and everything they can at him, whether it's factual or not, and hope something sticks. They act like he's the Boogyman they are all terrified of. <deleted> him, forget him, deal with the real issues Thailand has, and stop worrying so much about this megalomaniac idiot.

To put it simply - They-just-don't-like-the-guy !

[DLock]

It is unlikely that any country would allow him to be extradited on a lese majeste offense because it is not considered a criminal offense in most countries. Therefore any request for extradition would be denied.

That's the point.

They don't want him back, so they keep piling on charges and cases so that he will never come back to spend the rest of his life in jail.

Stripping him of passports, police rank, LM is just there way of showing they are in control and that he is not and that he does not matter.

But lots of twists and turns to come....especially if we ever get to elections again.

[Srikcir]

This is a law that doesn't belong in the 20th century, never mind the 21st.

But it is appropriate for a feudal society that the Junta is trying to recreate - for the thirteenth time. The military wants only to return to its 1933 post-coup days when royalists did not share their sovereignty with the Thai masses.

[Srikcir]

Charge Thaksin with LM and try him (again) in absentia.

He will become a cause célèbre as the world poster child for freedom of expression. He couldn't buy this kind of PR and probably would lose his sanctuary in the Middle East kingdoms if he had tried to do so. Thaksin's picture now appears in The Nation more times than it did during his time as PM.

[Baerboxer]

I don't think they got a chance of trying him first his comments were done out of country and from country where free speech is allowed. he broke no law in country where comment came from Now different story if he made comment in Thailand then Thai law was broken. So no free country would turn him over. But let's say he committed murder then different story illegal Nearly if not all countries now then you have a case. But if he happens to step into Thailand then Thailand can do as it pleases. Not taking sides stating facts.

Unless, like some countries, you decide that your citizens breaking your laws whilst overseas can be prosecuted when they get home. Australia for example.

In this case, the person is unlikely to come back unless one of his proxy governments is in power, the police are back under "control", the military are more pliant, and the public will be more apathetic to his complete whitewash and granting of untouchable for life status.

[dominique355]

If claiming someone is "behind" the coup, or involved in the coup, is an insult, does that mean that the coup itself is a crime or at least a very un-honorable thing to do?

And if so, will the perpetrator of this "crime" be prosecuted?

The answer to both questions is probably "No", which in turn proves (once again) that LM accusations are used to silence political opponents.

[JAG]

I don't think they're bothered about the prospects of a trial or a conviction.

It's just the latest in a line of agencies all trying to prove that they are more loyal to the junta than the others.

If you recall the scene in that 1970s spoof disaster movie "Airplane" when an ever more villainous collection of individuals queue up in the aisle of the doomed airliner to slap the hysterical woman passenger - well you get the picture!

[simon43]

Stripping him of passports, police rank, LM is just there way of showing they are in control and that he is not and that he does not matter.

On the contrary, their actions show that they are 'running scared' of Thaksin, desperate to throw any mud at him that might stick.

The LM charge is bogus - I also saw the video of the interview.

Perhaps they fear his eventual return to Thailand - they would be out of a job

[Siripon]

Stripping him of passports, police rank, LM is just there way of showing they are in control and that he is not and that he does not matter.

On the contrary, their actions show that they are 'running scared' of Thaksin, desperate to throw any mud at him that might stick.

The LM charge is bogus - I also saw the video of the interview.

Perhaps they fear his eventual return to Thailand - they would be out of a job

There is an awful lot of mud that will stick to Thaksin if he comes back and the court cases waiting for his appearance begin.

[Mister Fixit]

Just because he hasn't uttered the words in public doesn't mean its not been front and center of his political agenda for a great many years.

Even if he came close, its high time.

I recall Thaksin was fond of suing anyone who spoke against him when he held power.

Hoisted by his own petard.

Pétard comes from the Middle French péter, to break wind, from pet expulsion of intestinal gas, from the Latin peditus, past participle of pedere, to break wind, akin to the Greek bdein, to break wind (Merriam-Webster). Pétard is a modern French word, meaning a firecracker (it is the basis for the word for firecracker in several other European languages).

Been cutting and pasting Wikipedia, then? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petard

[cdnvic]

Be very very careful not to talk about the Monarchy in a political manor, nor speculate on it even obliquely. We've had to remove a bunch of posts already.