Convictions under the stifling law have apparently increased significantly since the 2014 military coup, and both the Thai government and the media take the measures extremely seriously. In fact, even when reporting these offenses, media outlets carefully choose how to convey information, as merely repeating insults and perceived offenses could be seen as illegal. More horrifying still, now that the country is operating under martial law, Sriboonpeng and others found guilty of offending the monarchy cannot appeal their sentences.
The same principle has been used multiple times in the past to imprison dissenters, including non-Thai individuals. In 2007, a Swiss man was imprisoned for a decade for his lèse-majesté conviction, and an American citizen of Thai descent was also arrested when he visited the country, whereupon he was forced to “confess” his crimes. Lèse-majesté has also been used to qualify censorship and government surveillance — YouTube was blocked in the nation several years ago after a video appeared that was considered insulting to the king, and in 2014, mass surveillance “specifically targeting those producing and reading lèse majesté content” was justified under the law.
While international organizations have long decried the practice as “preposterous,” the Thai government has shown no signs of budging. So while you’re in the U.S., say what you will about your political leaders. But don’t expect to be able to speak so freely, especially on the Internet, in foreign countries.
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