Case filed against foreign reporters for insulting Thai king
The Thailand police are investigating an alleged insult to the revered monarchy by the board of the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT). The “lese majeste” complaint if proved could be punishable by 15 years in jail.
Lese-majeste is a serious offence in Thailand, where many people regard 81 year old King Bhumibol Adulyadej as semi divine.
The complaint was filed by a freelance translator Laksana Kornsil against the 13 member board of the club over the distribution of a DVD that included a controversial speech made at the club in 2007. The FCCT’s 13 member board includes journalists from the BBC, Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal.
The DVD included a controversial speech by pro-Thaksin politician Jakrapob Penkair in 2007 about the coup against Thaksin the year before, for which Jakrapob was accused of Lese-majeste and quit his cabinet post in May 2008.
The latest complaint has drawn criticism from activists saying that it underscores the threat that the law poses to press freedom in Thailand. The Paris based International Federation for Human Rights said that it was deeply concerned by the abusive use of the law, in particular the filing of complaints by any Thai citizen rather than by the person targeted.