End of the lèse majesté law?

New Mandala

New perspectives on mainland Southeast Asia

End of the royal taboo?

December 1st, 2008 by Andrew Walker and Nicholas Farrelly


Earlier today we posted an extract from an article in The Australian which discusses some of the royal intrigues influencing the current showdown in Bangkok. Much of this, and similar, analysis is speculative. Nonetheless it has become increasingly clear that the international media, in an effort to explain events in Thailand to a bemused readership, is now forced into challenge the long-standing effort to curtail discussion of the royal family’s political role.

The People’s Alliance for Democracy and its overt use of royal symbolism can take most of the blame for this turn of events. The old taboo is being slowly but surely whittled away.

In this post we have assembled various statements from the international media that show how the old taboo is being challenged. The sieges of Suvaranbhumi and Don Muang airports are truly exceptional events. It is unsurprising that they have generated some exceptional news coverage.

there is more .................


with so much media clearly ignoring the lèse majesté law how will it affect current cases?

Highly unlikely anywhere in the distant future.

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Originally Posted by gjbkk

with so much media clearly ignoring the lèse majesté law how will it affect current cases?

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Well, I am not sure hats the case. It surely should be with so much international media ignoring...and they can pretty much ignore whatever they like.

In Thailand, its very much like the old stuation of trying to describe a small room with an elephant in it. Without mentioning the elephant.

it could give the defence lawyers a bit of leverage but then it is doubtful it can be used in court as the lawyer would then be charged with lèse majesté
:ourrules:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gjbkk

it could give the defence lawyers a bit of leverage but then it is doubtful it can be used in court as the lawyer would then be charged with lèse majesté

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Singapore are the experts in this. Any press with assets in singapore gets hammered everytime they print soemthing teh government doies not like. But even they have little sucess in controling what is printed outside thier boarders and with no tangible assets within. They do try to persue through international courts some times, but invariably get kicked back.

Bottom line is, if you are outside the country, there is little they can do to you.

^ just don't enter

^ yes

Eliminator will be disappointed, no more threatening posters or those postes that agree with other posters posting other poster's posts.