35 years for insults

BANGKOK: Thailand’s military court delivered its harshest sentence for insulting the monarchy yesterday, jailing a man for 35 years, rights groups said.

Vichai Thepwong, 34, a former insurance salesman, was initially sentenced to 70 years, but the jail term was halved after he pleaded guilty to 10 separate violations of Thailand’s strict lese majeste law.

Since seizing power in a coup three years ago, the government has brought cases against 73 people under the defamation law.