By Panu Wongcha-um
BANGKOK (Reuters) – A Thai court has ordered a leading enemy of the government to remove allegations on social media that the state’s coronavirus vaccine policy is opaque and unfairly favored the company owned by the king. government said Sunday.
However, opposition politician Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit’s Progressive Movement denied the videos were illegal and called on YouTube and Facebook to preserve freedom of expression.
The tracks could still be viewed late Sunday.
The digital ministry of Thailand has said the Criminal Court has ruled that Thanathorn’s messages on social media and the website of his movement could violate national security.
In the videos, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s government is accused of a lack of transparency in allowing Siam Bioscience, which is owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, to deliver the most doses, despite a lack of vaccination.
Critics say former junta leader Prayuth set up a vote in a 2019 election to retain power – an indictment he denies – and break a national taboo by increasingly criticizing the monarchy.
SUBSIDY
Siam Bioscience has received a $ 600 million ($ 20 million) grant to develop capacity to manufacture AstraZeneca vaccines locally and across Southeast Asia.
The court did not comment to Reuters.
Thanathorn’s movement said the decision had not been received. “We continue to emphasize that the content is not false or a threat to national security,” tweeted Pannika Wanich, a prominent member of the Progressive Movement.
“We hope that YouTube and Facebook will stand by the rights and freedom of expression.”
Thanathorn has been banned from politics for ten years after a court dissolved his previous Future Forward Party last year over loans deemed illegal. He denied the charges.
Now the government has filed a case against him over the video, accusing him of insulting royals, a charge that could be up to 15 years in prison.
According to the government, the production of Siam Bioscience is on track to deliver a first batch of 61 million doses to the public by June.
There was no immediate comment from Thanathorn or Siam Bioscience on the court ruling. The palace traditionally does not comment on political disputes.
Relatively unharmed by COVID-19, Thailand on Sunday reported 829 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total to 18,782 cases and 77 deaths since the outbreak began in January last year.
(This story corrects the election date to 2019 from last year in the sixth paragraph)
(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Frances Kerry)