Red webmaster charged for lèse majesté-MCOT
17-04-10
[FACT comments: Forgive us if we’re dense but we don’t see what this man’s income has to do with lèse majesté. Do police expect us to believe he was paid to post lèse majesté content?!? Utter nonsense! The first report of this incident stated he was charged with lèse majesté under the Computer Crimes Act which not only affords lighter penalties but has a court precedent for granting bail until the case is heard; in Thailand, that’s often some years. Do any readers have information on where this webmaster is being held and more specifics of his case?]
Thai man arrested for posting internet messages insulting monarchy
Mass Communication Organization of Thailand: April 1, 2010
http://www.mcot.net/content/40274
Police arrested a man for allegedly posting messages insulting Thailand’s monarchy on websites.
Thanthawut Thaweewarodomkul, 38, was arrested at a condominium in Bangkok’s Bangkapi area and was charged with lese majeste, an offence which is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
Police searched his living place and found quantities of documents with political content which were deemed insulting to the monarchy. His computer was seized for further investigation to find other associates.
Mr Thanthawut confessed to posting messages received from a person using a pseudonym on eight websites.
He said no one hired him but he did it out of his own political ideology to fight for democracy and said he thought that it benefitted people.
Mr Thanthawut said his action was not connected with the current movement of the anti-government Red Shirt protesters.
However, preliminary police investigation found he received 100,000 baht (about US$3,000) per month from undisclosed sources and consequently he was charged with lese majeste. (TNA)
