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| Image: Flickr User - U.S. Department of State |
By Prashanth Parameswaran
Glyn Davies reportedly in hot water with the junta just months after taking up new post.
The new United States ambassador to Thailand is under investigation for royal defamation over comments he made last month criticizing long and tough jail sentences resulting from the kingdom’s lese majeste law, media outlets reported Wednesday.
According to Section 112 of Thailand’s criminal code, anyone convicted of defaming, insulting or threatening the king, queen, heir or regent faces up to 15 years in prison on each count – one of the strictest punishments in the world for such an offense. While the law has long been criticized for being used to target political enemies of the state, prosecutions have surged and sentences have increased since the junta took power last May following a coup.
On November 25, Glyn Davies, who had just taken up his post nine weeks earlier, had raised concerns about the lese majeste law in a speech at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand (FCCT).
“We are also concerned by the lengthy and unprecedented prison sentences handed down by Thai military courts against civilians for violating the lese majeste law,” he told a sell-out crowd at the FCCT event.
“We believe no one should be jailed for peacefully expressing their views and we strongly support the ability of individuals and independent organizations to research and to report on important issues without fear of retaliation.”
Nonetheless, Davies appears to be under investigation for his comments. FCCT president Jonathan Head confirmed that the club had been asked by the Thai police to assist with the probe.
Read the full story at The Diplomat