Facebook users who “share” or “like” content that insults the Thai monarchy are committing a crime, Minister of ICT Anudith Nakornthap said this week. Even repeating the details of an alleged offense, such as on social media sites like Facebook, is illegal under the lese majeste law and the related Computer Crimes Act which says that spreading illegal content, either directly or indirectly, is a crime.
On 8th December, the criminal court will deliver the sentence of Joe Gordon, a Thai-born American who has been held since May for translating excerpts of a locally banned biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and posting them online. Gordon pleaded guilty to the alleged crimes committed years ago while living in the U.S. state of Colorado. The case has raised concerns about the reach of Thai law and how it is applied to both Thai nationals and foreign visitors.
“Anyone who is accused can be prosecuted, even foreigners using the Internet outside of Thailand”, said Anudith. “If a foreigner abroad clicks ‘share’ or clicks ‘like,’ then the Thai law has no jurisdiction over that, but if there is a lawsuit filed and that person then comes into Thailand for a holiday, then that person will be prosecuted.”
Critics worry that Web users may not know they are committing crimes. “You have to understand that once you click ‘like’ on your wall, it will show up in your friends’ feeds that you clicked ‘like.’ It can be considered as indirectly publishing that page,” said Chiranuch Premchaiporn, executive director of independent news website Prachatai.com who faces 20 years in prison herself for failing to remove allegedly offensive online reader comments quickly enough.
Lese majeste arrests and convictions in Thailand have spike in recent years causing website owners and Facebook user to practice self-censorship in fear of being accused of being anti-monarchy. Last Wednesday, Thailand’s criminal court sentenced Amphon Tangnoppakul, a 61-year-old grandfather, to 20 years in prison for sending four mobile phone text messages to a personal secretary of then-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva that were deemed offensive to the queen. He denied the charge.
Freigegeben Surachai sofort und ohne Bedingungen.
