A court in Thailand on March 7 sentenced a 26-year-old man to two years in jail for selling calendars featuring satirical cartoons of yellow ducks that prosecutors claimed defamed the country’s monarch.
The Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said Narathorn Chotmankongsin, whom TLHR identified as Ton Mai, was charged with lèse-majesté, which forbids insulting the monarch.
Thai police arrested Narathorn and searched his house in December 2020 because of the “yellow duck calendar 2021” that he sold on the pro-democracy Ratsadon Facebook page.
Prosecutors claimed that his calendars contained descriptions and illustrations of yellow ducks that could be interpreted as ridiculing and defaming the country’s monarch.
“This case sends a message to all Thais, and to the rest of the world, that Thailand is moving further away from—not closer to—becoming a rights-respecting democracy,” HRW Asia Director Elaine Pearson said.
“Thai authorities should permit peaceful expression of all viewpoints, including those related to the monarchy.”
The protests began in July 2020 and sought the removal of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha—who’s a former junta leader—changes to the constitution, and curbs on the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Concerns Over Lèse Majesté
The lèse-majesté provision of Thailand’s criminal code prohibits people from defaming, insulting, or threatening the royal family, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.![People hold images of King Maha Vajiralongkorn during his coronation in Bangkok on May 4, 2019. (Reuters/Athit Perawongmetha)](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.theepochtimes.com%2Fassets%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F05%2F04%2FThailand-crowns-king-04-1200x800.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Human rights groups have repeatedly expressed concern over the law, claiming that it restricts the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) stated in June 2022 that some lèse-majesté defendants face numerous prosecutions and prison sentences ranging from 120 to 300 years.
“At the current pace of prosecutions, and given the traditionally high conviction rates in lese-majeste trials, Thailand may soon become one of the countries with the highest number of political prisoners in the region,” Adilur said.