A Short Compendium of Eccentric Words and Names Relating to Lese Majeste Law
Thu, 12/11/2009 - 23:12 | by prachatai
1) DARANEE CHARNCOENGSILPAKUL (aka DA TORPEDO)/ PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE
Sentenced in August 2009 to 18 years in prison for ‘insulting’ the King.
Although Daranee is a prisoner of conscience the London-based Amnesty International has failed to classify her as such. Though AI issued a statement on June 25, 2009 calling for “a public trial” on the case which was ordered closed to the public by the Thai court, AI didn’t even raise any objection to the lese majeste law or whether the law is producing prisoner of conscience or not. And one would have thought that AI’s specialty was the issue of “prisoner of conscience”. Perhaps not anymore.
At this stage, would it not be better for Thailand’s crippled state of freedom of expression if AI would explicitly renounce its role in campaigning for prisoner of conscience? As long as AI keeps mum about the issue some people may be misled into believing that there indeed exist no prisoner of conscience in Thailand. So if you can’t do the job, then at least let others know that you’re no longer doing it.
AI can carry something like this on its website: “We do no longer keep track on any possible prisoner of conscience in Thailand. Thank you very much.”
Back to Thailand, the question is: “Do they really need to put Daranee behind bars?”
Why?
To show/shout to the world how reasonable/agreeable and just lese majeste law truly is?
To announce/flaunt to the world that Thailand is indeed ‘unique’ and that the King is ‘revered’/‘benign’/‘semi-divine’/etc./etc.?
On the first day of her trial, none of the mainstream Thai media was there to cover/report about the trial. The media apparently didn’t care/dare. Only Reuters, Asahi Shimbun and prachatai.com were present.
The mainstream Thai media seemed to already have made up their mind about how to treat people like Daranee. It’s tough when the portrait of the person whom you ended up against in the lawsuit is being hung in every courtroom.
The judges decided to have the trial held in-camera which means that anybody not directly involved are barred from the hearing, including journalists. But does lese majeste law and the limiting of free speech really has nothing to do with the public?
As if being prisoner of conscience isn’t bad and absurd enough, no political books were allowed for Daranee in jail. But what will they do with the political thoughts inside her brain? Try to remove it or find a way to delete it and replace it with new and more appropriate content?
2) JI (GILES) UNGPARKORN and others.
Self-exiled political activist/Marxist and another unintended high-profile product of lese majeste law.
Twenty other people, foreigners included, are facing pending lese majeste cases. Those currently still in jail are Boonyuen Prasertying and Suwicha Thakor. Those sentenced to jail and subsequently granted royal pardon include Australian Harry Nicolaides who merely wrote an ‘offensive’ English-language novel that sold less than 10 copies prior to his arrest. (For more information see thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com).
3) The Economist
A highbrow London-based weekly news magazine known (at least in Thailand) for being critical of lese majeste law and the Thai monarchy institution. Not consistently available in Bangkok for some mysterious reasons. At least four editions were not available in Bangkok over the past 10 months or so.
BTW, Big Brother is also watching them and said these Brits don’t really understand how Thai people think.
4) The King Never Smiles
Title of a banned book written by journalist Paul Handley on HM the King published by Yale University Press. Failed attempt was made to have the book project aborted.
Not available in Thailand’s bookshops but available in Thai contraband version on-line and read among a circle of some Thais.
Big Brother warning: Read it at your own risk.
May be more dangerous to possess than that of having cocaine under your bed.
5) (social) COERCION ?
‘Please’ stand up in ‘respect’ of the King/ the royal anthem at theatre before filming starts. (Google Chotisak Onsoong and see what happened to him after he refuses to stand up.)
“Please’ wear yellow shirts to work in ‘honour’ of HM the King every Monday. It would also be ‘good’ to wear light blue shirt in ‘honour’ of HM the Queen.
Who will dare say I am not a royalist and do not ‘revere’ the King? Who will dare say ‘I am a republican’?
Given the current ‘political climate’ and social coercion will anyone dare say ‘I am not loyal (mai jong rak phak dee) to the throne?’
So all Thais revere the King as the mainstream media often repeated ad infinitum and yet lese majeste law is needed.
6) FEAR ?
Definition: an unpleasant feeling caused by the awareness of danger (ibid)
Who will dare tell the society – please do not OVER-revere the monarchy because it may not be good for Thailand/democracy/stock market etc. ect. in the long run, or even now?
To be too dependent on one person, one institution, you know…
Who will send more defaming and lese majeste content on-line to a friend/contact when you may end up in jail? By the way, the latest arrested ‘criminal’s’ name (October 2009) was Nat Sattayapornpisut, 27, who allegedly sent lese majeste content on the Internet to a British national in Spain through the Internet. Apparently thought police are now accessing some suspicious on-line users’ private e-mail accounts like Nat’s.
7) BIG BROTHER
Thought Police, ICT Min. (Internet-Control Technology Ministry), PAD (People Allergic to Democracy) etc, etc..
Is your family/neighbour/colleague allergic too?
IGNORANCE IS BLISS… THREE AND THREE MAKE FIVE
LESE MAJESTE LAW IS JUST
ALL THAIS REVERE THE KING
ALL THAIS LOVE THE KING
LESE MAJESTE LAW IS NEEDED
TO PUT SOME THAIS IN JAIL
8) RAMA X
Public discussion on the topic anyone?
Guess there’s no taker then. ☺
9) VERIFIABILITY/BELIEVABILITY (the unintended consequence of lese majeste law/censorship/self-censorship)
From The Nation’s editorial on October 16, 2009:
“False hearsay regarding the King could have been started for political, even financial gain. The stock market tumbled two days in a row on PLANTED RUMOURS [capitalized by this writer]. On Wednesday, the index shed 2 per cent as the Dow Jones breached the 10,000 mark. Yesterday the Thai index plunged more than 8 per cent amid concerns about the King’s health. In afternoon trading, the benchmark index fell 8.3 per cent to 670.72 despite the Palace saying that 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, receiving treatment at Siriraj Hospital since September 19, was recovering from a lung inflammation.”
“The market later trimmed those losses to down 6.1 per cent. The UNFOUNDED RUMOURS [capitalized by the writer] about the health of His Majesty had circulated for more than three days. The Nation’s office received several phone calls on Wednesday. One call was from Hong Kong, where investors were trying to inquire about the monarch’s health. Another call came from Singapore, again inquiring about the King’s condition. The rumours were SO WIDESPREAD [capitalized by this writer] that the Palace was prompted late on Wednesday to issue a statement saying that the King’s doctors asked him to stay in hospital… King Bhumibol is a constitutional monarch with no formal political role, but has repeatedly brought calm in times of turbulence and is widely revered as the country’s moral authority and a unifying figure. Thousands of well-wishers have crowded daily outside Siriraj Hospital, and events have been organized around the country in honour of His Majesty…The 81-year-old King has gone to Siriraj to receive treatment for fever, fatigue and lack of appetite. He is now recovering at a pace that is natural for his age, and he CERTAINLY (capitalized by this writer) will be able to resume functions and his role sooner than later. THERE IS NOTHING MORE TO THIS FACT. (captitalized by this writer).
“The rumours were designed to create panice and SPECULATION (capitalized by this writer) on Thailand’s politics. The political situation indeed remain divisive…Again, we condemn those who began the rumours and call on them to stop playing tricks on public sentiment as the nation send its best wishes to the beloved monarch.”
The key words here are: “PLANTED RUMOURS”; “UNFOUNDED RUMOURS”; “WIDESPREAD [rumours]”; “NOTHING MORE TO THIS”; “FACT”; and “SPECULATION”. The point is, how can any rational and ordinary Thai/foreigner be so sure as to know for certain?
How can people trust local news when they are well-aware that Thai media is famous/infamous for exercising widespread self-censorship/censorship regarding the monarchy institution, incessantly/untiringly and abundantly praise and report only GOOD NEWS about the institution?
And remember, there is also lese majeste law.
Should anyone be surprised that the latest annual report by Paris-based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Thailand at 130 out of 173 countries? We used to be at number 59 just five years ago but are now neck to neck with notoriously repressive societies like Singapore (ranked 133). That’s quite an ‘accomplishment’. As RSF noted in its latest annual report in October 2009: “Most of the Thai journalists voice the same reverence for King Bhumipol as the vast majority of the same population. The others are forced into self-censorship… The government has put in place a system of censorship and surveillance of the internet to prevent any criticism of the king. More than 50,000 web pages have been blocked, according to the information and communications ministry.
“Under Article 112 of the criminal code, “anyone defaming, insulting or threatening the king, the queen, the presumptive heir or the regent” is guilty of the crime of lese-majeste and can be sentenced to three to 15 years in prison. And the 2007 law on cyber-crime gives the authorities the power to check personal information of internet-users without legal control… The authorities, who faced international criticism for these free expression violations reacted by going even further…”.
In a related development, on May 28, 2009, Prasong Lertrattanawisut, President of Thai Journalists Association (TJA) spoke at a media symposium organized by the Fredrich Ebert Foundation (FES) on why Thai mainstream media censored itself on news relating to lese majeste law. “Why we do not dare report about lese majeste cases? Because we have been taught [that way]. It’s a deep-rooted culture.”
(The quote in Prasong’s own words in Thai: Kadee min tham mai sue mai kla saner [phro] tuek sorn, pen wattanatham thee fang luek.)
Now, moving on to the US, The New York Times reported on October 15, 2009, page A8 that: “The 81-year-old king… is regarded as semidivine by many Thais. His health is an extremely delicate topic. His son and presumed heir, Crown prince Vajiralongkorn, … element of uncertainty to a polarizing four-year political crisis.” (this writer elected to self-censored part of the article due to lese majeste law).
IGNORANCE IS BLISS
10) MINORITY RIGHTS = minority = no rights = wrong
11) PARANOIA
Definition: 1 a form of mental disorder characterized by delusions of grandeur, persecution, etc 2 intense, irrational fear or suspicion (Chambers Mini English Dictionary, 2006 edition)
The question is, which side is more paranoid?
The authorities/elites/royalists who ban books/magazines, and news mildly critical of the monarchy institution or those who are too afraid to talk ‘freely’ and critically at restaurant about the king or be quoted about their personal travail etc, etc.?
Are the authorities/elites/royalists/mainstream establishment media who support lese majeste law and thus making the law world famous/infamous more paranoid than those who believe that Big Brother is watching them due to their political belief/activities?
Are people who are afraid of keeping a banned foreign book about the Thai King more paranoid than the ICT Ministry and the thought police who monitor on-line and off-line discussion/debate about the monarchy institution?
Or is it vice versa?
Either way, Thailand must be full of truly paranoid people.
12) ANONYMOUS ON-LINE POSTERS
Do you guys really think you’re so “anonymous”?
Check again with the Internet-Control Technology Ministry.
Or ask Nat (see # 6) and friends. (also, see the latest arrests of people like bbb)
13) LIBERTY
Something alien to Thais, or so Big Brother confirmed.
14) FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Another alien concept not fully developed in Thailand.
15) TRUTH/HONESTY
Please refer to # 14.
16) JUSTICE
But we already have lese majeste law plus Big Brother!
17) LML
Little-minded law?
18) DEMOCRACY
Are you ‘crazy’?
Big Brother said democracy has nothing to do with this article.
‘Please’ repeat after Big Brother.
DEMOCRACY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH LESE MAJESTE LAW!
Go back to your trusted news outlets.
Resume your ‘normal’ life.
Forget that you have ever read this article.
Everything is normal.
Everything is fine.
Now go to bed.
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Comments
I have no doubt that Pravit
I have no doubt that Pravit has a professional responsibility to his job, so am going to give a bit of criticism here.
This article is sentimental, it may arouse high emotions and political sentiments; but this approach of writing gives little 'returns' and might very well generate fears on the part of your readers. I'm sure Pravit read the Times' leading article, "Siamese Spat", published on 11 November. To my opinion, that article is first class journalism. On the surface, its content may be too plain for people who understand Thailand well; but within some 250 words, its author managed to assert the key message- that the monarchy is part of the democratic constitution of Thailand, and that the room for a discussion on the monarch (by citing the king himself) and the lèse majesté law must be opened for Thais- is put across in a skilful manner. Besides, he did this without any implication of discontent or subversion to the Thai way of doing things, an aspect of which the Thai authorities and the Thai patriots would have no problem with. Pravit does write well and write better when you keep your mind still. Your articles have been appreciated by many; and I'll look forward to read some of your incoming cracking works. I hope this is a fair comment.
IMO, both Pravit and Times
IMO, both Pravit and Times did their jobs quite well enough, though in a different way. Times did elaborate their professional journalism fairly and straightforwardly enough as you said, but Pravit did it in a satirical tone which I think is at least successfully reminding me of HG's weekly 'Alien thoughts'. It's quite hard to compare both of them for they're not two of a kind, though covering the same subject.
BTW, your comment is fair enough.
by citing the king
by citing the king himself
That was a fair while ago - I hope he regains good health speedily and is able to elaborate further.
btw, A lot has happened since then, and sadly, the silence has been deafening.
"PARANOIA Definition: 1 a
"PARANOIA
Definition: 1 a form of mental disorder characterized by delusions of grandeur, persecution, etc 2 intense, irrational fear or suspicion"
I'm not a doctor, but, ironically, this Prawit's piece somewhat fits.
It also leaves no room for a reasonable discussion - Prawit is obviously on the warpath here.
It also leaves no room for a
It also leaves no room for a reasonable discussion - Prawit is obviously on the warpath
There has been plenty of warning signals that change is necessary, but those signs have not been heeded, and instead the screws have been tightened, and all the usual tools are being used to crush any dissent.
IMO, there needs to be more like Pravit, and less apologists like StanG & Trep.
Silence = Acquiescence
:)
This thread gives a lot of
This thread gives a lot of food for thoughts, not just politically but personally.
Yeah, lots of food for
Yeah, lots of food for thought, but I'm going to revolt after reading this same stuff over and over and over again, one more bite of this and I'm going to throw up.
Who is the Big Brother? That creep was mentioned at least a dozen times.
Opinions in this thread vary,
Opinions in this thread vary, don't u find that interesting? and the above posters tried to argue their case in a civilized way, rather than just attacking one another. That;'s what is needed here in this country. You may revolt if u want! have a nice dream!
Well spoken, Joy!
Well spoken, Joy!
Well spoken, Joy!
Well spoken, Joy!
no need to be paranoid. Big
no need to be paranoid. Big Brother is not watching you.
Read the latest news from The Nation:
Doctor nabbed over stock rumours
Published on November 19, 2009
Police yesterday arrested a 42-year-old female doctor for allegedly spreading rumours about HM the King's health which resulted in a slump in the Thai stock market in October.
Dr Thatsaporn Rattanawongsa became the fourth suspect arrested on the charge.
Police raided Thon Buri Hospital and arrested the doctor as she was waiting to start her shift at the hospital. Police then accompanied her to her residence in Saphan Kwai area to search for more evidence.
Police claimed the doctor joined the three other sus-pects arrested earlier in spreading false information about HM the King's health.
The three suspects were Theeranun Wipuchanin, a for-mer executive of a securities company; a Bangkok-based stock broker of KT-Zmico Securities Katha Pajariyapong; and Somjaet Itthiworakun of Chon Buri.
Charged with violating the 2007 Computer Offence Act, they could face up to five years in prison if convicted.
Privacy Policy © 2006 Nation Multimedia Group Thailand Web Stat
November 19, 2009 02:24 am (Thai local time)
www.nationmultimedia.com
Prawit, who is to say that
Prawit, who is to say that none of these three people has nothing to tell the police regarding their involvement?
Some people started it, and some made billions.
Who is to say that there was no stock manipulation there? If that kind of manipulation is not criminalized yet, it should be. Plant false information, watch people react, buy their stocks while they are panicking, watch your wealth grow overnight as rumor is officially dismissed and price returns to normal.
I don't understand how people could argue in defense of this. The only excuse is that they are fixated on LM/Freedom of speech and can't see anything else.
>>>
Joy, these opinions were interesting three years ago, by now they are just repetitive. They also smack of propaganda machine churning out tonnes of "new" stuff everyday, just worded differently. Wasn't the article commissioned by Samesky website? It could have been ghosted by anybody, really. Or maybe they think Prawit's name would add it some weight.
"...these opinions were
"...these opinions were interesting three years ago, by now they are just repetitive." In November 2006, these opinions actually didn't have all that much currency. The fact that now conditions are much heavier would obviously point to the necessity of repetition, if that were really so. Odd that you are railing against repetition, Stan, when your posts are so full of it!
"Wasn't the article
"Wasn't the article commissioned by Samesky website? It could have been ghosted by anybody, really. Or maybe they think Prawit's name would add it some weight." Are you trying to start a rumour? It's most unlikely that a journalist would have a ghost writer, or that Samesky would use the name of a well-known journo on an article not written by him. Very silly ideas!
I think we need more
I think we need more information to decide whether this is the usual LM (make them cower into submission) type witch hunt, or whether it is a genuine attempt to clean up on apparent stock market manipulation.
(I've have already expressed my opinion of what a stupid situation it is where rumours of the health of one aged person, who has nothing to do with running any company or country, and is 'above' politics, can have such an effect on the stock market)
-Does anyone have more details of the particular web forums these alleged 'manipulation' rumour comments were posted on?
-Were they on stock market investing sites, or political sites?
-What other types of comments did those posters make (ie are they mainly discussing politics or stock market investing?)
- Can those individuals, or their family's, be shown to have profited by the 'rumours'?
Knowing the general paranoia and attempts to limit free & open discussion of 'you know what', I would not be surprised if the authorities are motivated by something other than what StanG seems so concerned about.
btw, With all this spying & blocking going on, there's little wonder the internet is often so slow in Thailand!
It's an ongoing police
It's an ongoing police investigation, how can you expect free and open discussion from the authorities here?
If they arrested people on the first day you could suspect a knee-jerk clampdown, but now, when they are pulling people after a month has passed, they must have done some real police work.
I admit when they arrested the first guy I hoped it wouldn't be for simple translation, as it turned out to be, according to official information. Now I hope they arrested him/them to extract information on people up the rumor chain.
I expect the results pretty soon, right after naming masterminds of Sondhi assassination.
"I expect the results pretty
"I expect the results pretty soon, right after naming masterminds of Sondhi assassination." Well, at least you have a sense of humour.
StanG: Glad you agree with me
StanG: Glad you agree with me (about needing more information)
btw, my comment about 'free and open discussion' was not related to the police/authorities discussing this case at this point in time, but rather to the general attempts to limit free & open discussion within Thailand regarding certain unmentionables - lack of transparency inevitably leads to rumours.
Hobby, I think they've got
Hobby, I think they've got it. After that incident there were days when they were saying "no reports means situation hasn't changed, please don't panic".
Both sides, the authorities and the market players, realized that relying on rumors is detrimental to progress. That was a good lesson for all of them.
And yes, more information is certainly welcome. We can't disagree on this.
In the first two cases the offending posts were immediately found (in Google cache) and links were all over the local cyberspace.
It's gone quiet now. I've almost forgot that there was one more arrest before this doctor.