Laws to protect Thai royalty stifle discourse
Recent high-profile lèse-majesté cases have made examples of those who have criticized the monarchy.
from the April 4, 2007 edition
Page 2 of 3
Since the coup, that debate has been pushed to the margins, where bolder voices have tried to keep the spotlight on royal powers. But the door appears to be closing as a conservative military tightens its grip, abetted by media self-censorship. That, say critics, leaves little room to explore what lies ahead as Thailand tries to reconstitute its political system.
"If we're going to have political reform, then we have to abolish the lèse-majesté laws. We have to be able to talk about the important issues in Thai society and the role of the monarchy," says Giles Ungpakorn, a professor of politics at Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University, who has organized protests against the coup.
The law has been on the books for a century, but was used sparingly until 1976, when a right-wing junta seized power and raised the maximum penalty to 15 years in jail. Since then, the number of cases has surged, despite constitutional safeguards on free speech, says David Streckfuss, a US expert on Thailand.
"It's crept into the entire Thai political discourse, creating a black hole in the center. As soon as you touch on certain topics, suddenly everything stops," he says.
Even more delicate than discussing Bhumibol's reign, the ninth in the Chakri dynasty that began in 1782, is the question of his successor. The ailing monarch, who underwent spinal surgery last year, is increasingly ceding ceremonial duties to Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn. But the prince's choice of royal consorts has fueled unkind gossip behind closed doors, as well as talk of an ancient prediction that the dynasty would end at the ninth reign.
In the information age, it is hard to keep a lid on such speculation, says Mr. Sulak. "When you want to suppress the truth, the suppression must go the whole hog. But with the Internet now, it's not possible," he says.
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