BBC raided for allegedly insulting king

THAILAND: The BBC’S offices in Bangkok have been raided after the broadcaster was accused of insulting King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand in an internet profile of the newly-ascended monarch.

The leader of Thailand’s junta, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, warned that the country’s lesemajeste law, which punishes criticism of the royal family with up to 15 years in prison, would be strictly enforced.

‘‘[If] a news agency has a branch in Thailand staffed with Thai reporters [and] if they violate Thai laws, they have to be prosecuted,’’ he said. ‘‘Just like when we go to other countries and violate their laws, we are also prosecuted. It doesn’t matter whether they are part of the press or not, a crime is a crime.’’

Following the police raid, the offices were left locked and unoccupied, with signs removed.

The profile of the 64-year-old king was released on the BBC website last Friday, the day he was formally crowned. His father, Bhumibol Adulyadej, died last month at the age of 88.

The report described the new king’s lack of enthusiasm for his father’s development projects, and ’’persistent rumours of womanising, gambling and illegal businesses’’. It also talked of his three marriages and the mysterious deaths of those who were close to him. The report also referred to the new king’s failure to command the affection and loyalty enjoyed by his father.

After the profile was translated for the BBC’S Thai language service, it was widely denounced on social media. On Sunday, an antijunta activist named Jatupat Boonpattararaksa was charged with insulting the royal family for posting a link to the article on Facebook.

The BBC has had trouble with the law before. Jonathan Head, a correspondent, was investigated, but never charged, for the crime. Among the complaints against him was that a photograph of Bhumibol appeared below that of a Thai politician on a BBC website page, rather than in the position of honour at the top of the page.

- The Times