The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has been contacted to help track down lese majeste suspects.
Justice Minister and Deputy Supreme Commander Paiboon Koomchaya said yesterday he met with DSI chief Suwanna Suwanjuta on Thursday to discuss ways to bring lese majeste suspects still on the run to justice.
Gen Paiboon said the issue has been brought to the attention of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. He said a communication channel must be opened with countries where lese majeste fugitives are in hiding to try and arrange extradition. However, talks alone might not be enough to see the return of the fugitives.
Foreign countries must be briefed so they understand the crimes of lese majeste and what the fugitives have done to damage the monarchy.
"We have seen prosecutors send letters to every country where people fled to, but no progress has been made," Gen Paiboon said. "We do not see this as a political issue," the minister said.
The fugitives try to politicise the lese majeste issue and after committing an offence, they flee the country and claim their crime was politically motivated, he said.
The justice minister said the foreign minister must help explain the matter to the international community. Gen Paiboon said there was no need to put the issue on the national agenda as it is a matter of moral conscience.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who is in charge of national security, said the Justice Ministry has been assigned to play a key role in boosting understanding overseas that the lese majeste offence is not a political one, but the violation of Section 112 of the Criminal Code.
Investigations are under way to track down the lese majeste violators, he said. He insisted he has set no deadline on bringing the fugitives to justice.