Using lese majeste law against protesters will have negative impact on Palace: Thammasat exec
An executive from the Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus advised the government on Thursday to avoid using the lese majeste law against pro-democracy protesters because this action can reflect badly on the Palace.
In a Facebook post, Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, vice rector for sustainability and administration, said the government should not be using Article 112, especially after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said in June that the King had instructed the authorities not to invoke the law against citizens.
“If the PM announces that this law can be used to deal with protesters, then people will believe that the King has changed his mind. This belief will ignite more problems between those who want reforms and the monarchists,” he said.
Prinya said the premier should deal with the ongoing protests in other ways, not by implementing the draconian Article 112.
