Govt accused of using sedition law as pretext for lese majeste charges
Political activists are accusing the government of falsely charging pro-democracy leaders with sedition under Section 116 but actually hitting them with lese majeste charges. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had said earlier that “Section 112 for lese majeste has not been used thanks to a Royal order”.
However, the Democracy Restoration Group activists' post on Facebook said that this statement goes against the details provided in the detainees' police files, which are similar to those of lese majeste.
For instance, the police record on prominent human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa says: “On August 3, Arnon delivered a speech inciting hatred toward the monarchy. The accused also used Facebook to post messages persuading people to gather and undermine the monarchy. The protestors are showing the intention of overthrowing the crown.”
Pro-democracy activists say the authorities are using the already severe Section 116 as a pretext to implement the unforgiving lese majeste law.
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