Thai intellectual faces lese majesty charge

May 11, 2011, 6:34 GMT

Bangkok - A well-known Thai intellectual on Wednesday reported to police to hear charges of offending the monarchy lodged against him by the military.

Thammasat University professor Somsak Jiamteersakul appeared at Nang Lueng police station in Bangkok to hear a lese majesty charge brought against him by the army's advocate general for an article that the academic had allegedly posted on his website.

'The people who brought this charge against me were the military, not ordinary people,' Somsak said, emerging from the police station where about 50 of his supporters had gathered.

Under Thailand's lese majesty law, anyone found guilty of publicly offending the monarchy can face three to 15 years in jail.

Somsak, a former student activist, claimed he had been targeted by the Thai military which has gone on offensive against any show of disrespect for the monarchy since the appointment of General Prayuth Chan-Ocha as Army Commander-in-Chief.

'People who express anything different from the official version of the monarchy face being charged with this obsolete law,' Somsak said.

He said the lese majesty charge had been brought against him for an article he had recently written about Princess Chulaporn that was picked up by other websites.

Chulaporn is the youngest daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. Thailand's lese majesty law only covers the king, queen and heir-apparent or a regent.

Somsak expressed confidence that his lawyers would be able to beat the charge.

The academic is the latest of scores of people to be charged or threatened with lese majesty charges in recent years when Thailand has entered a period of unprecendented political instability.

The lese majesty law has been widely criticized by human rights groups for its excessive penalties and for being prone to abuse.

'We should abolish this law because it is too often used for political purposes,' said Chitla Kotchasarn, a labour union leader who showed up to support Somsak.

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