Posted on Jan 19, 2021
Thailand jails woman for 43 years for ‘insulting’ royal family amid brutal crackdown
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A 65-year-old Thai woman has been handed a ‘shocking’ 43-year jail term, a sentence which Amnesty International claims is the longest ever handed out in the southeast Asian country for criticising the monarchy.
Former civil servant, Anchan Preelert, was sentenced to 87 years in jail but her sentence was reduced to half after she pleaded guilty to 29 separate violations. Her total sentence was 43 years and six months.
She was convicted for violating Thailand’s controversial and toughest lèse-majesté law, after audio clips were posted online with comments deemed critical of the royal family.
“Today’s court verdict is shocking and sends a spine-chilling signal that not only criticisms of the monarchy won’t be tolerated but that they will also be severely punished,” said Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher on Thailand for Human Rights Watch, according to local media reports.
Former civil servant, Anchan Preelert, was sentenced to 87 years in jail but her sentence was reduced to half after she pleaded guilty to 29 separate violations. Her total sentence was 43 years and six months.
She was convicted for violating Thailand’s controversial and toughest lèse-majesté law, after audio clips were posted online with comments deemed critical of the royal family.
“Today’s court verdict is shocking and sends a spine-chilling signal that not only criticisms of the monarchy won’t be tolerated but that they will also be severely punished,” said Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher on Thailand for Human Rights Watch, according to local media reports.
Thailand jails woman for 43 years for ‘insulting’ royal family amid brutal crackdown
Posted from independent.co.ukPosted in these groups: 
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Thailand
Posted 4 y ago
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A1C Michael Allen 1SG Steven Imerman THIS is what the 1st Amendment does for Americans, not defend your right to say asinine things
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Thailand has had these type laws on the books for a very long time, they were not new when I was stationed there in 1973.
Some of the actions that could get you into hot water over there was if you dropped a Thai coin or a bill on the ground you did not want to step on it to keep it from rolling or blowing away. Their reasoning is it had the King's picture on it and Thai culture dictates the lowest par of your body is your feet, so if you did you were essentially insulting their king by placing your foot on his likeness.
Sounds ridiculous to "Westerners," but its their country, we do not hold the values in society that they do.
If you got mixed up in some unsavory adventures if could be quite unpleasant, However, overall Thai people were wonderful at least for me they were. I would love to go back one of these days.
Some of the actions that could get you into hot water over there was if you dropped a Thai coin or a bill on the ground you did not want to step on it to keep it from rolling or blowing away. Their reasoning is it had the King's picture on it and Thai culture dictates the lowest par of your body is your feet, so if you did you were essentially insulting their king by placing your foot on his likeness.
Sounds ridiculous to "Westerners," but its their country, we do not hold the values in society that they do.
If you got mixed up in some unsavory adventures if could be quite unpleasant, However, overall Thai people were wonderful at least for me they were. I would love to go back one of these days.
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