Aljazeera, Dec. 3, 2020
At least 30,000 prisoners in Thailand have been pardoned, and 200,000 others will have their sentences reduced following a royal decree issued on the eve of the birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
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The Royal Gazette announced on Friday that the current King Maha Vajiralongkorn issued the pardons and amnesties nationwide to mark his father’s date of birth on Saturday.
According to the Bangkok Post, newsman Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda, red-shirt protest leader Nattawut Saikuar and former commerce minister Boonsong Teriyapirom are among those whose sentences will be cut short.
Sorrayuth was sentenced to eight years in prison earlier this year, after an associate reportedly failed to disclose excess income from TV commercials during his news programme in the early 2000s.
In full: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/5/thai-king-to-pardon-cut-jail-sentence-of-tens-of-thousands
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The Asean Post, Sept. 12, 2020:Why Are Thais Criticising Their Monarchy Now?
After a long silence, Thailand’s pro-democracy opposition has returned. Although not clad in red nor do they share allegiances to ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, they have taken aim at Thailand’s ruling power structures. It began to emerge during the 2019 elections where a number of alleged interventions dissolved the Future Forward Party, which had a large youth following, personified by its charismatic leader, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the billionaire scion of an auto parts manufacturer.
Thanathorn was targeted by pro-government elements, banned, and still faces criminal charges for criticising the junta and assisting anti-junta protesters. Later, as the COVID-19 pandemic caused governments to issue lockdowns to contain the spread of the virus, 2014 coup leader and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha faced public criticism for using the crisis to rehabilitate his political image, as well as for his prolonged lockdown, alcohol ban and his failure to jumpstart Thailand’s economy.
Thailand’s political instability is well-documented, but it has entered unchartered territory, as some students and activists have directed their protests squarely at the monarchy, an institution previously held as sacred. The Thai monarchy is fiercely guarded by a draconian law punishable by years in prison for the slightest criticism.
In full: https://theaseanpost.com/article/why-are-thais-criticising-their-monarchy-now
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