Thai activist gets another 4-year prison sentence for violating royal insult law

A Thai court on Thursday sentenced a pro-democracy activist who has publicly called for monarchy reform to another four years in prison for violating a law that prohibits the insult of the country’s royals.

This was the fourth guilty verdict against Arnon Nampa in as many cases and on the same charge, with another 10 pending for the same alleged violation. The activist is already behind bars. Thursday’s sentence takes his total prison term to 14 years from four convictions.

Thailand’s lèse-majesté law, which is Article 112 of the country’s criminal code, shields the royal family from insults and carries a maximum jail term of 15 years for each conviction. 

Thursday’s guilty verdict was for two posts Arnon wrote on Facebook in early 2021, for which he was also convicted under the Computer Crime Act, the court said.

“The defendant used social media website Facebook to spread false assertions, including that the king was directly administering the country which is against democratic principles,” the court ruling said.

“This is an offense against [the nation’s] security and a violation of the law.”

The 39-year-old pro-democracy activist had been brought to the courtroom on Thursday from Bangkok Remand Prison wearing a brown jail uniform. 

About 50 of his supporters, including family members, friends and journalists, were present in the courtroom.

Criticism ‘should be protected’

Arnon has been in prison since last September when the first case against him was decided.  

He played a key role in the youth-led pro-democracy protests that began in July 2020. Demonstrators back then had called for the resignation of the then-Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, constitutional amendments, and monarchy reform.

According to advocacy group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, at least 1,954 people have been prosecuted for taking part in political protests or for some form of political expression since July 18, 2020. 

Of them, at least 272 have been charged under Article 112, or the lèse-majesté law, in more than 300 cases.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in March expressed concern over the cases. against Arnon.

“Criticism and speeches about reforming the monarchy to support human rights should be protected and promoted in a democratic society,” OHCHR said. 

“We call on the Thai authorities to reverse the verdict and drop all remaining charges against Arnon Nampa,” the office added.

Back then, Arnon was in prison having been found guilty in two cases – the second one had been decided in January.

Petition for amnesty bill

Meanwhile, a network of civil society organizations has gathered more than 35,000 peoples’ signatures on a petition urging parliament to consider a bill granting amnesty to people facing political charges since 2006.

But even if such a law were to be proposed, it may never pass in parliament, said Thanaporn Sriyakul, chairman of the Political Science Association at Kasetsart University.

“Amnesty for Article 112 cases is almost impossible because the current government, led by the Pheu Thai Party, has become the leader of the conservative faction in Thailand, opposing the progressive Move Forward Party,” Thanaporn added.

Although it won the second-largest number of seats in the Thai general election in May 2023, Pheu Thai became the ruling party after it formed a coalition government with parties other than the largest seat-winner Move Forward.

While Pheu Thai was once an anti-establishment party, analysts say that since forming the government last year with pro-royal and pro-military parties, it may not be interested in monarchy reform.