Justice Ministry steps up effort to prosecute foreign lese majeste cases
Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya Wednesday said he had signed letters to be sent to seven foreign countries where 19 Thai fugitives wanted on lese majeste charges were staying in the latest attempt to force their return to Thailand.
The letter would be sent to ambassadors in Bangkok, Paiboon said.
The minister did not identify the 19 suspects, who he said were actively committing lese majeste offences. The letters did identify where the fugitives lived, he said.
“I wish to notify those ambassadors for them to realise their inappropriate movement and to ask them to understand Thai people’s feeling,” Paiboon said.
Thailand understands that other countries do not have lese majeste laws, Paiboon said, but he would ask allies to understand people’s feelings.
“Though they do not have the same laws, they may help by monitoring them so that they do not do anything to hurt the feelings of Thai people. Our move does not violate the sovereignty of those countries,” he said.
The letters were not the first effort by authorities to alert foreign countries about fugitives overseas, Paiboon said.
