Thailand’s strict laws making it a crime to insult the monarchy entered new territory on Monday when a factory worker was charged with disparaging the king’s dog.The worker, Thanakorn Siripaiboon, was charged with making a “sarcastic” Internet post related to the king’s pet. He also faces separate charges of sedition and insulting the king.
Mr. Thanakorn could face a total of 37 years in prison for his social media posts, highlighting what has become a feverish campaign to protect the monarchy and rebuff critics of the country’s military rulers. The precise insult toward the royal dog was not divulged by the military, according to the suspect’s lawyer, Anon Numpa.
The law applies to anyone who specifically defames the king, the queen, the heir apparent or the regent, but Mr. Anon said he was incredulous that it could be broadened to include a household pet.
“I never imagined they would use the law for the royal dog,” he said. “It’s nonsense.”The next legal step, the lawyer said, would be his client’s indictment, but he added that no time frame had been set by the authorities.
No comments:
Post a Comment