Writer Released in Thailand
Australian writer Harry Nicolaides has been released from prison in Thailand after having been jailed for insulting the monarchy in his novel. Although his self-published book ‘Verisimilitude’ only sold 7 copies – of a print run of 50 – he was sentenced for the minimum three years in January 2009 for allegedly negatively portraying a Thai prince. As has been the trend, he was pardoned after a few months.
There is speculation that the lese majeste laws – which prohibit libel against certain heads of state – have been used in Thailand by the military-backed government to prop up the monarchy. These laws are distinct from censorship in that they focus on personalized written or verbal attacks on leaders, rather than prohibiting a broader range of speech.
It is striking how the act of imprisoning someone for a violation of lese majeste is rarely directly associated with the monarch in question. Rather, the minions or servants of the king are seen as the perpetrators blindly carrying out their duty. But when the person is pardoned, it is perceived as an act of clemency by the monarch himself. Win-win for the monarch, it seems.
Anyway, read here for an excellent article about lese majeste laws and recent censorship trends, especially as they pertain to journalists.
Also visit Reporters Without Borders.
–D.O.
Photo by Apichart Weerawong
