Thursday, October 6, 2011

Lèse Majesté: The Rape of Justice and Free Speech

A rape is an act of plunder, abuse, despoliation and violation. Rape is about power and control.

Anyone can file a police complaint of lèse majesté in Thailand. If arrested bail is routinely denied thus also denying those accused of adequately being able to defend themselves. 

They are often detained in jail for several years awaiting trial. This lengthy incarceration is a form of pressure to force the detainees to plead guilty. They are repeatedly offered deals to do so and if they don’t plead guilty, then the authorities drag out the case so that the accused simply languishes in jail. 

A charge of lèse majesté carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. And with each charge, multiple counts are added, increasing prison sentences exponentially.

Trials for lèse majesté are traditionally held in secret, for reasons of  'national security.’ Closed secret trials translate to mock trials. According to some sources, conviction rates in lèse majesté cases are at around 98%.  

Justice has been raped!

By its very nature lèse majesté represents a gross and vicious attack on freedom of speech and freedom of expression.  It is used as a potent political weapon.  Royalists in the military, the bureaucracy, and the Democrat Party have used it to crush dissent.  Many people are in prison in Thailand for merely expressing their beliefs in a peaceful way.

The climate of fear that lèse majesté causes has fueled increases in censorship of all types, as well as self-censorship in the print and online media in Thailand.


Free Speech has been raped!



FREE DARUNEE!
FREE SURACHAI!
FREE SOMYOS!
FREE JOE GORDON!
FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS IN THAILAND!

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