In Thailand, three years in jail for ‘insulting’ royalty
By Simon Montlake | 01.19.09
BANGKOK, THAILAND – Not long ago, Harry Nicolaides was another aspiring novelist toiling in obscurity. His self-published debut “Verisimilitude” sold only seven copies.
Today, he got his 15 minutes of fame. But it wasn’t exactly the publicity he might have craved.
A Thai court sentenced Mr. Nicolaides, an Australian, to three years in jail for offending the monarchy, a criminal offense in the Kingdom of Thailand. He had pleaded guilty, earning a sentence at the lower end of the prescribed range for lèse-majesté.
The crime was committed in a single paragraph in “Verisimilitude,” a 2005 novel set in Thailand that is salted with social commentary. At the sentencing, the judge read out the offending section to the court, which was packed with foreign reporters. The judge said the author had insulted the king and crown prince in the passage.
What exactly did Nicolaides write to deserve such harsh treatment?
That would be telling. And telling is tantamount to repeating the offense in the eyes of the Thai legal system. So I won’t do it, though stealthy Internet searches may turn up an excerpt or two from the book, which until recently was on the shelves of Thailand’s National Library.
Most Thai media steered well clear of today’s trial, part of the self-censorship and coercion that ensures uncritical coverage of the royal family and the institution.
That means few Thais will find out that Nicolaides defamed their royal family. He is hoping for a royal pardon so he doesn’t spent the next three years in a Bangkok prison. That’s why he pleaded guilty.
Thailand’s courts are likely to be busy with more such cases, as authorities are increasingly cracking down on loose royal commentary.
The Christian Science Monitor recently reported that a Thai lawmaker has proposed raising the maximum penalty for the crime to 25 years. The lèse-majesté laws in Thailand are already some of the world’s harshest, with a punishment of three to 15 years in prison. Police say they are currently investigating 32 cases of the crime.
Outspoken academic Giles Ungpakorn was ordered last week to report to police for questioning in a lèse-majesté case. With typical bravado, he called a press conference to denounce the case as political repression and argue for the immediate abolition of the century-old law.
Naturally, this rated barely a squeak in Thailand’s media.
<< What Obama means to the world | MainComments
2. Fred Smithers | 01.19.09
Shame on this entries author for going along with this censorship. They may censor there, but we don’t here. I am greatly disappointed in the CSM.
3. Taprom | 01.19.09
“Thailand” means the land of the free. you know what, only if you kneel down to the K of Thai and its cronies. so stop doing business with Thailand and visit Vietnam and Cambodia instead.
4. David | 01.19.09
Thailand hasn’t learned from the last time this law backfired on a massive scale. Many feet will be upon the king’s image in the coming days/weeks.
5. Daniel | 01.19.09
It’s a shame that the modern world permits some people to be above criticism from birth. If you don’t have equality at birth, what do you have upon which to build a just society? What purposes do royal families serve in any society? Are entitled figure heads worth their cost?
8. Jon | 01.19.09
It is terrible what has happened to this man, but perhaps the greatest crime is that the press is extending the authoritarian laws of Thailand to America. Last time I checked we have freedom of expression here, and unless there is vulgar language in his text, there’s no reason not to let the public know what is so terrible that this man deserves 3 years in prison. Shame on you Simon Montlake.
9. tudza | 01.19.09
Yet another reason to stay well clear of Thailand. Mobs close their major airports for days and weeks and now foreign nationals are being held for months for what most civilized countries would deny is an offense.
The Thai government doesn’t even see fit to listen to their monarch on the matter, the King has said in the past that he is uncomfortable with making such things a crime.
10. fouse, gary c | 01.19.09
While the present King and Queen have earned the respect and love of the Thai people for their good works, the Crown Prince is altogether another story. With the King aging and in poor health, the question of sucession will plunge the country into a crisis soon. One can only hope a way can be found to keep the Crown Prince off the throne.
11. Michael Duggan | 01.20.09
As an American, I cannot believe we support such a corrupt, and suppressive government. I urge all Americans to call upon their representatives, and put an end to such human rights abuses.
To write what was probably the truth, this man will suffer in prison. I hope Obama will put an end to this type of support. Just remember, if your getting a new passport, it is these corrupt individuals that will be processing it, and copying your information to Chinese intel.
13. I’m Thai | 01.20.09
This case is so stupid. Most Thai peoples disagree with court….stupid court…stupid law !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
14. James | 01.20.09
You won’t tell? So now you’re enforcing the laws of the Thai Government? Ever hear of freedom of speech? This is pathetic. The press no longer believes in free speech and willingly censor themselves. What a sad world we live in!
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
Leave a Comment
We do not publish all comments, and we do not publish comments immediately. The comments feature is a forum to discuss the ideas in our stories. Constructive debate - even pointed disagreement - is welcome, but personal attacks on other commenters are not, and will not be published.
Tip: Do not write a novel. Keep it short. We will not publish lengthy comments. Come up with your own statements. This is not a place to cut and paste an email you received. If we recognize it as such, we won't post it.
Please do not post any comments that are commercial in nature or that violate copyrights.
Finally, we will not publish any comments that we regard as obscene, defamatory, or intended to incite violence.
1. Happy Cypriot | 01.19.09
Is the book any good? I want to read something over the Australia Day long weekend.