Bangkok (AsiaNews) – An American academic has been indicted in Thailand for lèse-majesté, an offence used in Thailand to crack down dissent.
Police said Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok in northern Thailand, appeared in court in the northern province of Phitsanulok after an arrest warrant was issued last week following a complaint filed by the army.
Until now, legal proceedings against foreigners under Article 112 of the country's Penal Code had been rare. Anyone found guilty of defaming, insulting or threatening the king, queen, the heir apparent or the regent is punishable with imprisonment from three to 15 years.
The allegations stemmed from a blurb for an online academic seminar Chambers attended as a speaker last year. According to Chambers's attorney, Wannaphat Jenroumjit, the blurb was posted on the website of a research institute based outside Thailand.
“He has denied all charges,” said Wannaphat, who works with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, adding that Chambers was not granted bail.
Since student-led anti-government protests in 2020, which called for the abolition of the law, 279 people have been charged with lèse-majesté, according to data compiled by the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights group.
Several prominent student leaders who have called for the abolition of the law have been jailed.
Asked about Chambers’s case, the US State Department said it was concerned about the arrest of a US citizen. "We regularly urge Thai authorities, both privately and publicly, to protect freedom of expression in accordance with Thailand's international obligations," a State Department spokesperson said.
