The Thai police summoned an American academic to appear before them on Friday, accusing him of insulting Thailand’s monarchy. This is a rare instance of a foreigner being charged with a crime under the strict lese majeste laws of the country. The army has filed a complaint over comments made by Paul Chambers, who is a respected expert on Thai politics and a lecturer at Naresuan University in northern Thailand.
Thailand’s Lese-majeste Law protects King Maha Vajiralongkorn, his family, and close friends from criticism. Any offense is punishable by 15 years of imprisonment. The number of charges under this law has increased in recent years, and critics claim it is being misused to suppress legitimate debate.
Chambers, according to a summons from the police dated Friday, seen by AFP, is accused of “insulting, showing malice, towards the king or queen, heir or regent, as well as introducing counterfeit computer data which could threaten national safety.”
Chambers said to AFP that the accusation stems from comments he made last year during a webinar in which he addressed the relationship between Thailand’s military and monarchy as part of a question-and-answer session.
He said that he believed he was the first non-Thai in many years to be charged with this crime. The U.S. Embassy and his colleagues at the University supported him, even though he felt intimidated by the situation.
Sunai Phasuk of Human Rights Watch confirmed to AFP that the police in Phitsanulok Province had agreed to not detain Chambers right away. He was instead summoned on Tuesday to officially acknowledge the charges at a local police station.
When contacted by AFP, the Phitsanulok Police declined to comment on the case.
Human rights groups have criticized the royal defamation laws, also known as Article 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code, for their broad interpretation and harsh punishments.
Watchdogs from around the world have expressed concerns over its increased use against academics and activists. The number of charges under 112 increased dramatically after the youth-led 2020 protests that demanded reforms in the role of the monarchy in public life.
One man in northern Thailand was jailed for at least 50 years for lese-majeste last year, while another woman got 43 years in 2021. And in 2023 a man was jailed for two years for selling satirical calendars featuring rubber ducks that a court said defamed the king.
