The list of people facing allegations of insulting Thailand’s royal family – a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison – is growing rapidly.
These include a popular opposition figure who this week questioned the process by which a company owned by the king to manufacture Covid-19 vaccines was selected, and a 16-year-old boy who was the king at a fashion show satirize. crop leaf revealing a reference to the king scratching over his skin. The teenage protester declined to comment.
Since November, at least 54 people have faced criminal charges under the Reading Majesty Act, which according to the legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights prohibits any alleged insult to the Thai monarchy. A number of them were called by police and investigations launched, the group said.
Most of them are protesters who in recent months have changed the political landscape of Thailand by defying long-standing social taboos and openly questioning the role and influence of the crown. The palace has traditionally had an almost sacred status in Thai society. But many in the new protest movement see the crown as part of the royalist-military elite who, according to them, are holding back democratic progress in their country, shaken by frequent coups and political unrest.