American jailed over comments about king

[preahko]

All I will say here is that there is an amazing Facebook page--all in Thai--which contains the ongoing saga of a fish company and how the supposedly "beloved owner" who is "loved by all his employees" in reality tramples on the rights of his employees and deceives them at every turn...I will not post the name/link here, but those interested (who can read Thai, and can read between the lines) can find it easily enough.

 

This page, completely in Thai, is "liked"/followed/commented upon by thousands and thousands of Thais...which goes to show that they are not all stupid sheep who swallow all the crap they're taught by the government, in school, etc...that's all I'll say.

[Flashermac]

Yep, I'm aware of how "brilliant" the Thais are, including the 3rd year uni student who told me ex-Pres Gerald Ford was very rich, since his family owns the Ford Motor Corporation. Or the 4th year student who told me Swedes had it so good because their government did everything for them and they didn't even have to pay taxes! Or the uni students who decided I was a Communist because I had them read Orwell's "1984", which was pro-communist. Or the 3rd year student who had just discovered a wonderful book by Karl Marx that we should all follow. Etc etc.

 

 

[WorldFun]

well don't blame the government for neither failing to make all thais swallow crap nor attend government education institutions - at least there's a the choice to pay top dollar for a copycat us/uk/euro/aussie/asian private education programme

[Gadfly]

I'm comfortable with being a product of the West and bringing that perspective. And I don't believe in cultural relativism to the extent that one can't 'judge' other cultures.

 

I agree with this whole heartedly. I have been here since 1994 and there is still plently I don't know or don't properly appreciate. But we are talking about the people who live here. Should they have access to differing opinions? Should they people to decide their own fate by electing their own governments?

 

It's imperfect and I have no doubt that there are Thais that have some absolutely looney ideas. I know Americans, right here in Thailand, that have ideas I consider crazy (e.g., birthers). But I still think they are entitled to voice their crazy opinions and vote.

[ThaiHome]

Name me one Thai that cannot vote or express an opinion about anything other then the monarchy?

 

TH

 

[Flashermac]

 

How about those 2,000+ Thais killed in Takky's drug wars, or the 85 killed at Tak Bai?

 

 

[Gadfly]

Name me one Thai that cannot vote or express an opinion about anything other then the monarchy?

 

In brief answer, Thailand also has aggressive criminal defamation laws, and they are used to intimidate and silence political and business rivals. Both the prior government and have employed them aggressively. Recall what happened to Supinya Klangnarong under Thaksin?

 

Since the coup, speech crime charges are pursued much more aggressively by bringing in LM charges. Since the coup, the number of LM charges filed has gone up an amazing 1,500%.

 

And doesn't your question miss the point if we all question the legitimacy of LM laws? But if you or anyone else does buys into the notion that the LM charges are legitimate or that this is a legitimate national security issue, it's still troubling. The evidence cannot be seen and cases are tried in secret trials. We really don't know if these cases concern the monarchy or if they are driven to suppress dissenting political opinions. The evidence is secret and the trials are secret.

 

During the same period that LM cases have skyrocketed by 1,500%, there has been a deep and sometimes violent division in Thai society. This is not coincidence. It's obvious that this is a clear attempt by one side of the divide to muzzle the other.

 

As for Facebook and social media generally, all that they do is provide an outlet for people to more easily express their opinions on the internet. They don't cause people to criticize an institution or anything else. What you largely see in social media is more people posting opinions and views they already had.

 

If that is creating a problem, the problem is not social media. It's something much more fundamental.

 

Incidentally, just tried to Google "Reporters without Borders" with the word "Thailand". Several hits were blocked by the MICT. Did the blocked sites say anything about the monarchy? No idea since I can't see them from within Thailand.

 

And this a fundamental problem for Thailand. Unless these this ham-fisted and largely ineffective attempts to muzzle speech end, there will be no reconciliation in Thailand. It's not Western bias. It's a point also made by Thais. Ending the over-criminalization of speech in Thailand is not a sufficient condition for ending the divide, but it is necessary one.