JayT Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 Second Thai arrested for royal sit-down offence Wed, Jun 18 By Vithoon Amorn BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai police have arrested a woman for refusing to stand in a cinema for a pre-screening anthem in honour of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the second such arrest this year under draconian lese majeste laws. Several movie-goers filed a joint complaint of lese majeste, or insults to the monarchy, against 28-year-old Rachapin Chancharoen, who could face up to 15 years in jail if convicted, police said on Wednesday. A song and video espousing the virtues of King Bhumibol, whom many Thais regard as semi-divine, is played before every movie and a message on the screen tells cinema-goers to stand. In April, a 27-year-old political activist was formally accused of lese majeste for remaining seated during the anthem as part of a deliberate challenge to the law based on the constitutional right to freedom of expression. However, police said Rachapin just appeared to be insane. "The woman showed clear signs of mental problems and she has been sent to a mental institution for examination," Police Colonel Arkom Chantanalap told Reuters. "By law, we have to prepare a case against her although the final decision will partly depend on what the doctors say," he added. "She is not connected to any political group or cause." Despite a shouting match with other movie-goers over her refusal to stand, police allowed her to watch the movie -- "The Other Boleyn Girl" about England's King Henry VIII, famed for his excessive drinking and executing two of his six wives. TOUGHEST LAWS Thailand's lese majeste laws are among the toughest in the world, but are open to abuse since anybody can file a complaint. They were a regular feature of the charged political atmosphere that preceded the 2006 coup against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. A pro-Thaksin minister was forced to resign last month over accusations of insulting the king. At a public debate on the laws on Wednesday, several academics said misuse was so widespread the legislation should be scrapped or amended to allow only royalty to file a complaint, if they felt sufficiently slighted. "If people filing lese majeste complaints were genuinely loyal to the monarchy, they would stop using it as an excuse to spawn hatred and aggravate polarization in Thai society," Kritaya Archavanitkul of Bangkok's Mahidol University said. The last person to do jail time for lese majeste was Oliver Jufer, a 57-year-old Swiss man who received 10 years in March 2007 for daubing six pictures of Bhumibol with black paint during a drunken rampage on the monarch's birthday. Bhumibol, 80, who has said he is not above criticism, pardoned Jufer but not before he had spent four months in jail. Jufer, a long-term resident of Thailand, was deported. Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 << A song and video espousing the virtues of King Bhumibol, whom many Thais regard as semi-divine, is played before every movie and a message on the screen tells cinema-goers to stand. >> Ummm ... no, and they should know better. It is the Royal Anthem, a generic song praising the sitting monarch. It was written over a century ago in the reign of Rama V. The Royal Anthem was the National Anthem until Field Marshall Pibun Songkram ordered a new national anthem written at the time he was telling Thais to call him Than Phu Nam (Der Fuehrer). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Munchmaster Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 I think it was very considerate of the police to allow her to watch the movie before arresting her. :thumbup: I wonder if they watched it to (FOC). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flashermac Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 They were hoping for cartoons after the movie ended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drogon Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 And a stupid "first-time tourist" like me in July? Would the police arrest me too? (and of course I do not speak Thai or any other language besides French) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentors Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 And a stupid "first-time tourist" like me in July? Would the police arrest me too? (and of course I do not speak Thai or any other language besides French) answer: No Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunsanuk Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 Hi, In a word: "Pathetic" Sanuk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 Is this a sign of actual disrespect of the monarchy or just disinterest in a trivial convention? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooNoi Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 "If people filing lese majeste complaints were genuinely loyal to the monarchy, they would stop using it as an excuse to spawn hatred and aggravate polarization in Thai society," Kritaya Archavanitkul of Bangkok's Mahidol University said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lazyphil Posted June 19, 2008 Report Share Posted June 19, 2008 what the thais need is a sex pistols tribute band. god save the king!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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