Thai woman receives record 43 years in prison for insulting monarchy, sending chilling message to activists

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Thailand has some of the world’s strictest laws against maligning or criticizing the king, queen, heir, or regent. The laws, known as lese majest, can lead to up to 15 years in prison for any violation.

Anchan Preelert, 65, pleaded guilty to sharing audio clips on YouTube and Facebook between 2014 and 2015 that were deemed critical of the kingdom’s royal family, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. She was convicted of 29 cases, three years each.

The criminal court in Bangkok issued an initial sentence of 87 years, but cut it in half over Anchan’s guilty plea.

“The verdict is the highest ever handed down by the Thai court for violating Section 112,” said her attorney Pawinee Chumsri, referring to the law of lese majesty.

Pawinee said they would appeal the verdict and were working on bail from the Court of Appeals. “There are two more courts we can hear in her lawsuit,” she said.

Resurgence of lese majesty

Since late last year, authorities have brought lawsuits against dozens of protesters after the law had not been enforced for more than two years. Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said last June that the law will no longer be enforced at the request of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
But that was before the democracy movement became the biggest challenge to the establishment the country has seen in modern times. For more than five months, protesters held regular rallies demanding Prayut’s resignation – who seized power in a military coup in 2014 – as well as the dissolution of parliament and constitutional changes that they believe entrench the military’s power.
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Many protesters felt encouraged to openly call for monarchy reform.

Those calls struck a nerve and took thousands of people into the streets, in sometimes violent confrontations with police and pro-monarchy groups. The idea of ​​a holy monarchy and a king shielded from public scrutiny was torn apart by the younger generation. Their demands included that the king be accountable by the constitution, restraint of his powers, and transparency over his finances.

From November 24 to December 31, 2020, at least 38 people were charged on lese majesty, including a minor and several college students, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak, political scientist and director of the Institute for Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University, said Anchan’s verdict “means lese majesty law is back in full force.”

“Dating back to the last reign and the 2014 coup, this record hiatus conviction is seen as a warning shot for the ongoing youth-led protest movement against the new monarch,” he said. “It suggests that Thailand’s established centers of power have a long-term craving.”

Six-year case

Anchan’s case is not directly related to the recent charges against pro-democracy protesters. But now that the nearly three-year hiatus in lese majesty affairs is over, analysts say the phrase suggests old cases will now be triggered.

Anchan, a former tax officer, was arrested in January 2015, not long after the military overthrew Thailand’s civilian government in a coup.

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After seizing power, Prayut imposed martial law and hundreds of activists were arrested and charged under draconian laws such as sedition and lese majesty in a crackdown to silence any dissent, rights groups said.

Anchan’s case was initially brought to a military court, and she was held for nearly four years pending trial, her lawyers said. In 2018, she was released on bail and her case was transferred to a civil criminal court.

Her crime was sharing audio clips on social media from an underground radio show allegedly criticizing the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The creator of the clips – a man who went by the name “Banpodj” – was convicted of lese majesty and has already served his sentence.

“This shocking case is yet another serious assault on Thailand’s disappearing freedom of expression space,” said Amnesty International’s regional director in Asia Pacific, Yamini Mishra. “The way she is being convicted is also chilling. The way the authorities have apparently tried to maximize the sentences by multiplying the criminal charges is sending a clear signal of deterrence to Thailand’s 50 million internet users.”

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