Thai society has mixed reactions over sentence handed to Somyot Prueksakasemsuk | Bangkok Post: news

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Mixed reaction over Somyot sentence

Thai society is split over the reaction that has emerged from the jail sentence of 10 years handed down to the editor of a pro-Thaksin Shinawatra magazine.

A group of about 50 people has voiced their discontent at the European Union's statement of "deep concern" over the lengthy sentence given to Somyot Prueksakasemsuk.

The group said some European countries had constitutional monarchies and therefore they might not fully understand the importance of the monarchy to Thailand.

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  • android

    BangladeshPost : 2,237

    Send message

    Discussion 7 : 01 Feb 2013 at 08.197

    Penalty of a convicted offence is weighed against the seriousness it actually made. An exagerrated penalty is not counted as a law of justice.

  • paullane

    ThailandPost : 84

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    Discussion 6 : 01 Feb 2013 at 00.396

    @laopao D5. Here here! Thailand signs many agreements, accords etc to "look good" but rarely sticks to them, indeed rarely has any intention to do so. In addition to the Human Rights declaration look at the International Convention on the right of the child. Thailand requested to join many years ago, did so and ratified it finally in aroud 2004. In 2005 it was told it had to outlaw the beating of children in schools or be removed from the Convention, which it duly did in the childrens Act of 2005. All forms of corporal punishment in school have been criminal offences now for over 7 years..............the rest is history!

  • laopao

    ThailandPost : 3

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    Discussion 5 : 31 Jan 2013 at 23.345

    It may well be that the majority of Thai people are happy with the Lese majeste law and Section 119 of the computer crimes act. If this is the case, Thailand should retract its ratification of the UN declaration of Human Rights as whether it likes it or not Thailand is in clear breach of its obligations pursuant to that declaration.
    It's really as simple as that.

  • democrazy

    ThailandPost : 519

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    Discussion 4 : 31 Jan 2013 at 21.354

    In early 2005, PM Thaksin Shinawatra promised Thai voters that he would support press freedom.
    On Sept.30 2005, Thaksin filed a lawsuit, in both criminal and civil courts, against Sondhi Limthongkul, his co-host Sarocha Pornudomsak and Thaiday Dot Com, a sister company of Manager Media Group and producer of the Thailand This Week political talk show, seeking 500 million baht for defamation. He has defended the lawsuit on the ground that it's an exercise of an individual's right to protect his reputation and privacy. This was the first time that a Thai PM had sued the media for defamation. How in 8 years times have changed.

  • peterd

    BelgiumPost : 678

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    Discussion 3 : 31 Jan 2013 at 21.273

    "The group noted that lese majeste laws were common in some countries such as the Netherlands where royal defamation brings three to five years imprisonment". Not true... a man who more than seriously insulted the Queen Beatrix was fined €400.

  • felixqui

    ThailandPost : 631

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    Discussion 2 : 31 Jan 2013 at 20.372

    What it does is enforce, entrench and exacerbate the Thai tradition of strict ignorance. All censorship does this.

    Sometimes ignorance is a very good thing - we do not want terrorists knowing how to build nukes, so that information is strictly censored to ensure that opinion on the topic is largely worthless.

    But why do so many want Thai law to strictly enforce ignorance that necessarily renders largely worthless the opinion of all law-abiding Thai citizens on topics that surely matter to them?

    Irrespective of whether it's just or democratic, can this be rational?

  • facts_only

    ThailandPost : 497

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    Discussion 1 : 31 Jan 2013 at 20.201

    "The statement differed from that made by Thai Journalists Association...who has said the court's ruling in Somyos's case should not be linked with the issue of freedom of expression since the constitution has ensured Thai people's freedom of expression, but not without limit or exception." - above

    "The Thai Journalists Association...said in its statement that the gatherings of the soldiers outside the ASTV office were tantamount to intimidation of the media. The statement included a reminder that the right of the media to present news and opinion was guaranteed by the constitution." - Jan 13, 2013

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