Court quietly frees jailed lese majeste trio
What’s hot in Thai newspapers and social media
Three lese majeste suspects accused of involvement in an anti-monarchy Facebook page were released yesterday after serving 84 days in prison, the Prachatai online news website reported.
The release appears to mark the first time the military prosecutor has dropped a lese majeste charge and let the suspects go free.
The suspects were identified as factory worker Jaruwan, 26, welder Anon, 22 and fishing boat crew member Chatchai, 20. The website withheld the suspects’ last names. They were arrested in late November 2014.
Ms Jaruwan was accused of defaming the monarchy in messages found on a Facebook page under her name. She denied the allegation saying her account had been taken over by a friend of her boyfriend. The military also arrested both her boyfriend Anon and his friend Chatchai.
She had not seen the alleged anti-monarchy messages on her Facebook page because she could not gain access to it after the log-in and password had been changed.
While Ms Jaruwan left school at Grade Four, her boyfriend Anon and his friend Chatchai finished Grade Six. Anon, however, has difficulty reading and writing.
Ms Jaruwan was detained at the Women’s Correctional Centre while Anon and Chatchai ended up at the Central Remand Prison under martial law. None could afford bail.
The military prosecutor yesterday decided to drop the charge against the suspects who were then freed by the military court.
According to the Prachatai Facebook page, Ms Jaruwan’s family plans to seek financial compensation for her incarceration. Ms Jaruwan lost her job while under arrest. She also has a six-year-old child to support.
The English-language version of Prachatai said the country has a severe lese majeste law and people who speak publicly against the monarchy easily become the target of political cyber-bullying. For that reason, most explicit lese majeste comments are posted anonymously or under pseudonyms.
“The Thai Netizen Network recorded several cases of copycat Facebook pages and profiles with explicit lese majeste content in 2011 as a ploy to cause trouble to ultra-royalists under a law which ironically the loyalists support,” the website said.
Park path in the clear
After a week of relentless pressuring, Facebook user Oy Kanjanavanit has succeeded in having the remnants of a stage cleared at Benjakitti Park.
Last Monday, Oy, the secretary-general of the Green World Foundation, wrote on Facebook she had sent a complaint to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration about materials leftover from the show which were obstructing paths in the park.
According to the complaint, materials from the production of the “Mahajanaka the Phenomenon Live Show” held in the park in late December had been left discarded on the jogging path for about two months.
The leftover materials forced joggers into the cyclists’ lane, which was potentially dangerous to both.
After a few days, Oy said the BMA’s 1555 complaint centre informed her the remaining materials would be cleared away.
“I went to take a look. I found some materials had been moved but not all. They still obstructed the jogging track,” Oy wrote on Feb 6.
She said she would continue calling the complaint line until the track was cleared properly.
On Monday, Oy returned to the park again and found that although a gap had been created for joggers to pass through, much of the material was still strewn on the track.
She called the complaint line again but the officer told her the company which organised the show insisted it had finished the clearing up.
“I insisted with photo evidence that the job was not done properly,” Oy said.
Oy’s petition was widely shared among her friends and other social media users. She said she was not speaking out to cause trouble. She just wants the public park to return to its proper state.
By yesterday the news was better. Oy posted a photo of the park’s jogging track completely cleared of construction materials.
She said the officials concerned are capable of doing a proper clean-up if they are determined to do so. She thanked all concerned for a job well done.
DiCaprio saves elephants
Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio has joined a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) campaign urging Thailand to end the ivory trade to protect elephants.
In a tweet sent on Saturday, the star of Titanic and The Beach, who has 12 million followers, called on people to support “Thai citizens demanding an end to the ivory trade”.
DiCaprio referred to a Chor Chang Chuay Chang campaign launched by WWF-Thailand in his hashtag.
WWF-Thailand asked people to imagine life without elephants by removing the Thai letter representing elephants — Chor Chang — from their names.
These individuals are then asked to post photos of themselves on social media with their names without the elephant letter.
“By removing Chor Chang from their names, Thais are making a statement that they want the illegal trade in ivory to stop or their beloved national animal — the elephant — could disappear,” WWF-Thailand said.
According to the WWF, about 20,000 African elephants are killed each year for their ivory, much of it ending up in Thailand as jewellery and trinkets.
Under pressure from the UN body enforcing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the government recently added African elephants to its list of wild animals under protection.
The country has also amended the Wild Animal Reservation and Protection Act which will prohibit the import, export, trade and sale of ivory from African elephants when it comes into force in March, according to the WWF.
Prinya’s dare fails to fire
Thammasat University’s vice-rector Prinya Thaewanarumitkul’s show of responsibility over the political satire show at a traditional football match last weekend has drawn mixed reactions.
Prinya was quoted by Matichon Online as saying he had told an army officer that if he was to take action against the students for mocking the military regime, he should be punished too. He said the officer did not give any reply. Students staged a parade and flash-card presentation at the 70th annual football match between Chulalongkorn and Thammasat universities at Supachalasai Stadium on Saturday.
The students called for a return to democracy and made fun of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and the military regime.
Facebook user Lakkana Punwichai said even though she was at odds with the vice-rector over some matters, she admired him for sticking up for the students.
However, some internet users regarded Mr Prinya as an opportunist. Nuay Swat said he never takes the vice-rector seriously and he just wanted to boost his image.
Another user, Lands Freelands, said the vice-rector threw down the challenge because he realises the military regime was unlikely to pursue the issue. “He is just an opportunist,” said the user.
Meanwhile, Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the military regime to ease the rules on freedom of expression given the students showed no intention of causing trouble.
He pleaded with the military to be more open to different views. Well-meaning criticism might help the regime, Mr Abhisit said.