Journalist charged with sedition

KAWEEWIT KAEWJINDA

BANGKOK — A prominent journalist in Thailand was charged Tuesday with sedition and violation of the country’s computer law for online postings concerning politics.

A lawyer for the legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said Pravit Rojanaphruk acknowledged the charges at the police department’s Technology Crime Suppression Division. Pravit is very active on social media and outspoken in his criticism of Thailand’s military rulers, who took power after a coup in 2014.

Thailand’s ruling junta has tried to clamp down on dissent, targeting social media in particular. It has also imposed measures such as banning political assemblies and temporarily detaining of its critics for “attitude adjustment” sessions at military bases.

The lawyer, Poomsuk Poomsukcharoen, said two counts of sedition against Pravit were for Facebook postings from February last year. Police said Pravit would be called back on Aug. 18 to hear more details of the charges.

Pravit is a senior staff writer at Khaosod English, the website of a Thai newspaper. Police announced last week that they would bring sedition charges against him and two politicians, one a former energy minister. Sedition is punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment.

A report issued Tuesday by the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights says at least 69 people in 23 cases have been persecuted under the current military government, formally known as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) noting that the law was rarely used before.

“After the 2014 coup, this law became one of the primary tools used by state officials to suppress the political expression of the people. The meaning of sedition was expanded to include peaceful public expression of criticism of the NCPO, political campaigns, opposition to unjust laws, and protesting and opposing the state on other matters,” said the lawyers group.

“Nearly all of the accusations are related to peaceful political expression or expression of opinion. Some cases involve the ridicule of those who hold power. None of the cases include instigation to cause violence,” the report notes.

Pravit often comments on Thai politics on social media. He has been detained by the junta on two separate occasions for “attitude adjustment” sessions.