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Home › Politics

Freedom of Speech in Thailand | 08/28/2009 10:05 am

Female Thai Political Activist Known as 'Da Torpedo' Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Criticizing Royals

Court says Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul seriously violated Thailand’s lèse majesté laws with her political speeches.
By The Staff at wowOwow.com
© Shutterstock

There’s no shortage of public complaints against our elected leaders here in the United States. But in some countries, publicly criticizing leaders brings prison — or worse.

That’s exactly the case for Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, a 46-year-old journalist turned political activist who has been sentenced to 18 years in prison in Thailand for insulting the monarchy during anti-government rallies last year. Daranee, a supporter of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was convicted Friday. She’s also known as "Da Torpedo" for her powerful anti-government speeches. Thailand’s lèse majesté law mandates a jail term of three to 15 years for anyone who "defames, insults or threatens the King, the Queen, the Heir-apparent or the Regent."

"Although the defendant testified that she did not intend to insult the monarchy or make the public believe her, she could not escape her wrongdoing," the verdict said, according to AFP.

Daranee’s lawyers are expected to appeal the ruling. Her case has garnered the attention of Amnesty International and other human rights groups.

Tell us, reader: Do you believe we take for granted our freedom of speech rights in this country?

Read more about: Appeal, crime, Da Torpedo, Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, Freedom of Speech, Lese Majeste, News, Politics, Prison, Royals, Thailand, Verdict, World

24 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Grande Camper

Do you believe we take for granted our freedom of speech rights in this country?

NO we fought for it.  The fight for this right was hard but worth it.  The federal courts will not let this one be over turned.  It is written in our Constitution!

By Grande Camper on 08/28/2009 10:35 am
F P

Do I believe we take freedom of speech for granted?  Yes we do when we allow political candidates like Rex Rammell of Idaho to joke about hunting President Obama and do nothing about it. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/27/rex-rammell-idaho-goper-j_n_270…

Or we allow sites like this to portray liberals in this light:

http://patriotshop.us/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=584

 

Many people find s*** like this funny, but I don’t.  

 

By F P on 08/28/2009 10:52 am
F P
I should have added:  things like the above fall under inciting to violence and are equivalent to yelling fire in a crowded theater when there is none. 
By F P on 08/28/2009 10:57 am
Maggie W

"I’m probably safe," Rammell said. "I’m not the one that started the whole thing."

Atta boy, Rex.  When caught in the act, blame someone else.  How very typical.

By Maggie W on 08/28/2009 11:43 am
F P
Dude’s a real piece of work.
By F P on 08/28/2009 11:47 am
deber B

Ahh, how soon the liberals forget…..please click on the link to refresh your memory…. caution this may jolt your memories!

Liberal Media Didn’t Care About Protest Signs Threatening Bush’s life. So Why do they care only for Obama? Lots of threatening posters below along with burning life size dolls of PRESIDENT Bush. In recent weeks, the media have focused a lot of attention on anti-Obama signs showing up at town hall meeti… Lots of threatening posters below along with burning life size dolls of PRESIDENT Bush.
In recent weeks, the media have focused a lot of attention on anti-Obama signs showing up at town hall meetings and Tea Parties from coast to coast. Without a doubt, some of them cross the line of decency. However, the press’s outrage is quite different than what happened when protesters carried offensive signs threatening former PRESIDENT George W. Bush. To refresh the memory of the conveniently amnesiac news media, Zombietime dug up a number of posters from demonstrations past which didn’t garner the press’s ire like those harped on in recent weeks.
http://www.sodahead.com/question/581257/liberal-media-didnt-care-about-protest-signs-threatening-bushs-life-so-why-do-they-care-only-for-obama/
By deber B on 08/28/2009 11:53 am
Maggie W
No, of course it wasn’t acceptable behavior then, and it isn’t now.  Threatening the president can be a felony punishable by five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Prison for a sign is a bit of a stretch , but perhaps a few fines during Pres. Bush’s two terms as well as the current President’s would jolt a few bank accounts and stop such nonsense. 
By Maggie W on 08/28/2009 12:27 pm
F P
Exactly and no one got within 2 blocks of Bush anyway.
By F P on 08/28/2009 12:37 pm
deber B
It’s wrong for both presidents but we have our "loonies" and it spares no political party.
By deber B on 08/28/2009 1:41 pm
Maggie W
I don’t think most people think about freedom of speech in the USA.  I agree with civil dissent, or there would never be needed change or progression. Unfortunately, there will always be that segment of the population who believes his/her opinion is fact and will impose that view in a loud, obnoxious and obscene manner.   It’s bad enough it happens here , but I understand why we are often referred to as " ugly Americans" in other countries.
By Maggie W on 08/28/2009 11:52 am
deber B

I believe our freedom of speech is the envy of many countries.   As liberals exercised their freedom of speech for eight years when Bush was president, republicans, independents AND democrats are exercising their freedom of speech with President Obama’s administration.   After all, politicians work for US and we expect them to do what is right for our country.   For example, if our current administration thinks that the following is in some way balancing a budget….we have every right to throw calculators at the White House until they learn how to use them.

 
Obama’s ‘Path Toward Fiscal Discipline’ Paved With Average Annual Deficits of $900 Billion
(CNSNews.com) - A budget review released by the White House on Tuesday says that President Obama has “reoriented the Nation back to a path toward fiscal discipline.” It then reveals that the administration is planning for the federal government to run cumulative deficits over the next decade of $9.05 trillion, meaning that the average annual federal deficit will be $905 billion — almost twice as large as the largest deficit the United States ever ran before Obama entered office.

 

By deber B on 08/28/2009 11:59 am
F P
When was Bush threatened with being hunted? When did someone take out a Bushghunting tag on him?
By F P on 08/28/2009 12:38 pm
deber B
That’s not the issue, F P, and you know it.  It’s about the lunatics in both political parties.   Loons.   They don’t represent the heart of America.
By deber B on 08/28/2009 1:43 pm
F P
NO that is precisely the issue—when did you see morons with guns at a Bush rally?  Never. The loonies are being pandered to by FOx and the rest of the TV media.
By F P on 08/28/2009 2:51 pm
Rachel F

I donno about Bush being "hunted", but I do remember someone setting up a station where you could take shots at (representations, of course, of) Sarah Palin and one of her daughters. That was a "joke" too.

You’re right, it’s not funny and it is an abuse of freedom of speech. But it is in BOTH cases. Funny how some people didn’t see that before…

By Rachel F on 08/31/2009 1:19 pm
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