UK Labour Party's Shadow Minister raises questions about Thai political prisoner Somyot | Asia Provocateur

UK Labour Party's Shadow Minister raises questions about Thai political prisoner Somyot |  Asia Provocateur

The UK's Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, Kerry McCarthy MP (Labour Party) has raised questions with the UK government regarding the recent imprisonment of Thai journalist and trade unionist, Somyot Pruksakasemsuk. 

Somyot, the editor of the "Voice of Taksin" magazine received a 10year prison sentence from a Bangkok court last week for the crime of "lese majeste" - or defaming the monarchy - in relation to two articles that appeared in his publication. The sentencing, while extremely draconian, was also controversial as the articles in question didn't actually contain direct references to the Thai monarchy but made allegorical and fictional representations which the court then determined were defamations. 

An international campaign, involving trade unions and other activists to free Somyot is now emerging. Before sentencing the UK's Trade Union Congress General Secretary, Frances O'Grady, also raised concerns regarding Somyot's prosecution.  

Kerry's first question was

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the trial and conviction of Somyot Prueksakasemsuk in Thailand under that country's lèse majesté laws; and what recent representations he has made to the Thai government to support the promotion of human rights in that country. 

The response from the UK govt was

Our embassy in Bangkok has been following closely the case of Somyot Prueksakasemsuk. Three representatives of the embassy attended the trial on 23 January, and the embassy subsequently reported details of the outcome to me. Following the verdict, the European Union issued a statement expressing deep concern at the decision to sentence Somyot to 10 years imprisonment. The statement noted that the verdict seriously undermined the right to freedom of expression and press freedom. Our ambassador has also raised the issue with the Thai authorities.  The Government frequently raises human rights concerns with Thailand, both at ministerial and official level. For example, the then Minister of State, Mr Browne, raised human rights issues when he met Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung during his visit to Thailand in July 2012. That discussion included an exchange of views on lèse majesté. 

Kerry's second question was 

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2012, Official Report, column 454W, on Thailand, what recent representations he has made to the government of Thailand in support of freedom of expression and reform of the lèse-majesté laws. 

The UK govt's response was

The Government frequently raises the issues of freedom of expression and the lèse-majesté law with Thai interlocutors, both at ministerial and official level. The then Minister of State, Mr Browne, raised lèse-majesté among other human rights issues when he met Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung during his visit to Thailand in July 2012.

Thailand sentences editor to 10 years in jail for royal insult | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent

Thailand sentences editor to 10 years in jail for royal insult | Asia News – Politics, Media, Education | Asian Correspondent
AP News, Jan 23, 2013

BANGKOK (AP) — A prominent Thai activist and magazine editor was sentenced to a decade in prison Wednesday for defaming Thailand’s monarchy, a verdict rights groups condemned as the latest affront to freedom of expression in the Southeast Asian country.

Somyot Pruksakasemsuk was convicted of publishing two articles in an anti-establishment magazine that made negative references to the crown.

The verdict came despite repeated calls by rights groups to free Somyot, who has been jailed since 2011. It also underscored the harsh nature of Thailand’s lese majeste laws, which critics say have frequently been abused by politicians’ intent on silencing rivals.

The articles in question were published under a pseudonym in Somyot’s now-defunct Voice of Taksin magazine, which he launched in 2009 to compile political news and anti-establishment articles from writers and contributors.

Judges found both pieces contained content that defamed the royal family and argued that Somyot, as a veteran editor, knew that and chose to print them anyway. The court announced two five-year jail terms — one for each story.

“(Somyot) should have better judgment than ordinary journalists. He must have understood that the articles contained lese majeste content, but chose to publish them anyway,” one of judges said in the sentence.

Somyot said he would appeal the verdict but would not seek a royal pardon.

Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said the ruling “appears to be more about Somyot’s strong support for amending the lese majeste law than about any harm incurred by the monarchy.”

Although the articles were published in 2010, Somyot was only arrested the following year — five days after launching a petition drive to revoke Article 112 of the nation’s criminal code, which mandates three to 15 years in jail for “whoever defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir to the throne or the regent.”

Human Rights Watch said the author of the articles, who penned them under pseudonym, has never been charged with any crimes and is living in Cambodia.

The European Union also weighed in on the verdict, saying it “seriously undermines the right to freedom of expression and press freedom” and “affects Thailand’s image as a free and democratic society.”

More than 100 observers, including Thai and international scholars and journalists, diplomats and Somyot’s supporters, were in court to hear the verdict.

Somyot, who was brought in with his legs shackled, joked to a friend that he would no longer need books to read in prison because he thought he would be freed.

In addition to the 10-year punishment, Somyot was also sentenced to a one-year term in a separate criminal case in which he was charged for alleging a Thai general was behind the country’s 2006 army coup.

The coup ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and sparked years of sometimes violent political unrest from which the nation has yet to fully recover. Somyot was also a leader of the so-called Red Shirt movement, which supported Thaksin.

“His guilty verdict and sentence should be viewed as a sign that Thailand’s deep political schisms are far from healed,” Adams said.