Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn (R) inspects a guard of honor accompanied by Thailand’s Queen Suthida (L) throughout the “Trooping the Color” parade by the Thai Royal Guards and oath-giving ceremony to mark the 72nd birthday celebrations of Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn on the Dusit Palace in Bangkok on December 3, 2024. FILE PHOTO/Agence France-Presse
BANGKOK — A distinguished American tutorial was detained on Tuesday and charged with insulting Thailand’s monarchy, his lawyer informed AFP, in a uncommon case of a overseas nationwide falling foul of the dominion’s strict lese-majeste regulation.
Paul Chambers, who has spent greater than a decade educating Southeast Asia politics in Thailand, is in pre-trial detention awaiting a call on his bail request, lawyer Wannaphat Jenroumjit mentioned.
“He denied the cost,” Wannaphat informed AFP.
READ: Thai palace official arrested for lese majeste expenses
Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his shut household are protected against criticism by the lese-majeste regulation, with every offence punishable by as much as 15 years in jail.
The Thai navy filed a grievance earlier this 12 months in opposition to Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan College in northern Thailand, over an article linked to a web based dialogue.
He was knowledgeable of the cost final week and informed to report back to a police station within the northern Phitsanulok province Tuesday to formally reply.
“We now have to test all particulars, however the defendant mentioned he didn’t do it and I imagine the regulation will shield him,” Wannaphat mentioned.
READ: Thai man jailed for insulting monarchy with sticker on king’s portrait
The US State Division mentioned in an announcement it was “alarmed” by the arrest and mentioned it “takes its accountability to help U.S. residents overseas severely.”
“This case reinforces our longstanding considerations about using lese majeste legal guidelines in Thailand. We proceed to induce Thai authorities to respect freedom of expression,” the assertion added.
Chambers informed AFP final week he felt “intimidated” by the state of affairs, however was being supported by the US embassy and colleagues at his college.
Costs underneath Thailand’s royal defamation regulation have surged in recent times and critics say it’s misused to stifle dissent.
Thai Attorneys for Human Rights (TLHR) informed AFP it’s “uncommon” for a overseas nationwide to face such expenses.
Worldwide watchdogs have expressed concern over its rising use in opposition to teachers, activists, and even college students.
One man in northern Thailand was jailed for at the least 50 years for lese-majeste final 12 months, whereas a girl obtained 43 years in 2021.
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And in 2023 a person was jailed for 2 years for promoting satirical calendars that includes rubber geese {that a} court docket mentioned defamed the king.