Man jailed for distributing documentary about royal family

Published on March 30, 2013 by TFP   ·   No Comments

BANGKOK, 30 March 2013 – A 31-year-old man has been sentenced to imprisonment for distributing a documentary deemed insulting to the royal family.

The Criminal Court has ruled that Ekachai Hongkangwan violated Article 112 of the Criminal Code, or the "lese-majeste law", by selling CDs of a documentary produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for 20 baht a copy. He was sentenced to five years in prison, a term reduced to three years and four months because he provided "useful testimony".

The 2010 documentary distributed by Mr Ekachai was an episode in the programme "Foreign Correspondent" on ABC channel. The court finds the content of the episode insulting to and defaming the Crown Prince.

The court also cited as evidence the fact that Mr Ekachai had in his satchel copies of US Embassy cables, as publicised by Wikileaks, about members of the royal family.

Critics of the lese-majeste law have argued that the law, carrying disproportionate penalties, prohibits honest criticism of the monarchy, and lends itself as a political weapon.

(NNT: Prach Panchakunathorn)

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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2013/03/31/man-jailed-for-distributing-documentary-about-royal-family/