Thai lese majeste prisoner, Da Torpedo, sentenced to 15 years

Thai lese majeste prisoner, Da Torpedo, sentenced to 15 years
Bangkok Post, December 15, 2011

The Criminal Court has convicted Daranee "Da Torpedo" Charncherngsilapakul on three counts of committing lese majeste and sentenced her to 15 years in prison.

Presiding judge Chanathip Muanphawong, who recently read the 20-year verdict for "Uncle SMS", said on Thursday morning that Daranee committed the crime of royal defamation under the Criminal Code's articles 112 and 91 and therefore deserved a five-year sentence for each of the three offences -- committed in June 7 and 13 and July 18, 2008 - for a total of 15 years.

Political activist Daranee said after hearing the verdict that there was no point in fighting on under such circumstances.

Political activist Daranee "Da Torpedo" Charncherngsilapakul (Photo by Surapol Promsaka Na Sakolnakorn)

"If they forgive, I'll also forgive, so our country can continue to prosper," she said before the verdict. A few sympathisers gathered at the court in a show of solidarity.

Security at the court strict for the reading of the verdict and passing of sentence.

Her lawyer Prawais Praphanukul said he would consult with his client about applying for a royal pardon.

"There are two channels open, normal procedure by simply allowing the 30-day appeal limit to lapse, or a quicker way, by sending a document to the court indicating that the defendant abandons the right to appeal. After that, we will have to go through the proper channels for a royal pardon," said Mr Prawais.

He said that it was a normal royal pardon process like other criminal cases, and would have nothing at all to do with the annual Dec 5 or Aug 12 royal clemency announcements.

Late last month, the Criminal Court gave a 20-year jail term to a 61-year-old man, Ampon Tangnoppakul, known as Uncle SMS, after it established that his cell phone had been used to send four SMS messages insulting the monarchy to the personal secretary of then prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva last year. Ampon denied the phone was in his possession at the time and said he did not know how to send an SMS message.

The court found him accountable, because it was his phone, and convicted and sentenced him to five years on each of four counts of lese majeste under the Computer Crimes Act, a crime punishable by a prison term of three to 15 years.

Thai lese majeste prisoner, Da Torpedo, sentenced to 15 years