Lese majeste case postponed in Thailand

Mar 5, 2009, 4:52 GMT

   Bangkok - A widely watched lese majeste case was postponed Thursday by Thailand's attorney-general, opposition politician Jakrapob Penkair said.

   Jakrapob told reporters his pre-trial hearing on whether to go ahead with his prosecution on charges of insulting the monarchy had been put back by 30 days.

   A noisy crowd of about 300 opposition 'Red Shirt' followers of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra chanted 'fight, fight' outside the Attorney-General's Office where Jakrapob was told of the postponement.

   On Wednesday more than 50 international scholars and dignitaries unveiled a petition calling for the reform of laws designed to protect the monarchy which they claim are being abused for political reasons. Several cases of lese majeste are pending in the Thai courts.

   Jakrapob, a former minister in the prime minister's office, faces a possible jail sentence of between three and 15 years under the lese majeste law for comments made in the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand in August 2007.

   Politicians and activists for and against controversial former prime minister Thaksin, overthrown in a bloodless September 2006 military coup, have accused opponents of being disloyal to the widely revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej or other members of the royal family.

   A well-known Anglo-Thai university lecturer, Giles Ji Ungpakorn, recently fled to Britain after being charged with insulting the monarchy in an academic criticism of the coup published in 2006.

   Social critic Chotisak Onsoong is in trouble for refusing to stand for the royal anthem, which is played before movies at Thai cinemas.

   The Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology has closed down well over 2,000 web sites in recent weeks for posts deemed offensive to the monarchy. The Justice Ministry said it will demand court orders to shut down a further 3,000 to 4,000 'insulting' web sites.