Singapore-based political scientist Pavin Chachavalpongpun, launched an on-line campaign on Wednesday to free Thailand's latest lese majeste law prisoner 61-year-old Amphon Tangnoppakul, aka Akong, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week for allegedly sending four SMS messages defamatory to the Queen and the monarchy to personal secretary of then Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The campaign is catching on and Pravit Rojanaphruk asked Pavin through the internet as to why he is doing it and what's his expectation.

1) Why the campaign?

We are coming to the end of the road when it comes to justice in Thailand. The lese majeste law has been increasingly used as a political weapon to undermine opponents. Sadly the judges have not been on the side of the people. This campaign has been inspired by Burma's Fearlessness project, endorsed by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, to give a courageous support for many Burmese political prisoners. it's a peaceful campaign. We would like to make a statement by writing the name "Akong" on our palm as a support and campaign for his freedom.

2) Why just Amphon and not other prisoners of conscience?
 
Amphon is the ultimate victim in this game of political revenge. A perfect victim indeed--in a sense that, this is an old Thai-Chinese man, who perhaps knows nothing about lese-majeste law, someone who might not even be able to speak Thai very well, someone who perhaps are not well versed at all in using handphone and sending text messages, someone who has not been politically active--yet all these do not prevent him from being accused and arrested. What I find the most atrocious is the length of the sentence--4 SMSs = 20 years? Is this Thailand? This is the country where most peoples claim that the King is much loved and respected by all Thais; yet it is the country that has the most severe punishment of all.

3) What's your expectation from the campaign?
 
I hope this could send a strong message to the royalists to see the rationale behind the sentence against Akong, how they have exploited the lese majeste law and more importantly how they could actually weaken the institution they love. My argument is that, the more the law has been used, the more the much revered institution will be in a much more difficult position.

4) Who first came up with the idea?
 
I came up with the idea, as I said, as inspired by Burma's Fearlessness campaign. The Burmese are brave in their fight against injustice and their support for political prisoners. Why can't Thais be like them?
 

5) How many have joined the campaign so far?
 
They are as many as 150 people on Facebook who express their interest to join the campaign--not bad, considering that it was just started yesterday... A dozen of people sending in their photos with the word Akong on their palm... as part of the campaign.