US envoy should keep nose out of Thai politics
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US Ambassador Glyn Davies has expressed concern about the prison terms handed down under Section 112 of the Criminal Code recently. He said no one should be jailed for peacefully expressing personal views.
I totally agree with the ambassador, but I have a few questions.
Did he study the details of each of the cases of lese majeste that he referred to before voicing his opinions?
How would he react to the claim that more than 90 per cent of the lese majeste cases over the past decade were not a result of people “peacefully expressing their views”, but of behaviour that bordered on blasphemy, libel and defamation?
Isn’t it a fact that ordinary citizens in any democratic country enjoy legal protection against libel and defamation?
While it is true that Thailand’s lese majeste law desperately needs to be revamped, why exploit the issue?
Vint Chavala
