Lese majeste law needed because royals can't sue, PM argues
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PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha said yesterday that the lese majeste law was aimed at protecting the monarchy against defamation, as members of the Royal Family are unable to sue offenders themselves.
He was responding to a recent remark by US Ambassador Glyn Davies that prison terms handed down under the Kingdom’s tough royal defamation law had increased to an unprecedented degree under the post-coup administration.
Davies also asserted that no one should be jailed for peacefully expressing his or her opinion.
Davies, who assumed his position nine weeks ago, made his comments at a talk at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand on Wednesday.
The prime minister yesterday said foreigners appeared to have no understanding about this law, stated in Article 112 of the Penal Code, despite repeated attempts to explain it to them.
“Every country has its own defamation laws. This is a defamation law for the monarchy. It’s because the monarchy cannot sue anyone. This law is for the protection of the monarchy against defamation,” General Prayut said.
When asked about the US envoy’s comments, Prayut said: “It’s up to him.”
He did not think it was right for law violators to complain that their rights are infringed upon after they are arrested.
Also yesterday, prominent royalist monk Luang Pu Buddha Issara led a protest at the US Embassy against Davies’ criticism of the lese-majeste law.
About 200 people gathered outside the embassy in the afternoon. The protesters held placards with the messages “This is Thailand, not the USA” and “Go, go home.” They accused the US ambassador of meddling in Thailand’s domestic affairs.
A few dozen police officers stood in front of the embassy during the protest.
Phra Buddha Issara, a nationalist monk, read a statement to the crowd condemning Davies and “pressure to make us change” the lese-majeste law, Agence France-Presse reported.
“You have no right and no power. We are not slaves of the US. The monarchy is a sacred symbol that all Thais are ready to defend with their lives,” he said.
The protesters dispersed after their open letter was submitted to embassy staff.
