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Defendant
Case Status
Case Started
Complainant / Plaintiff
Table of Content
The defendant was accused together with an unknown number of others on 12 August 2009 of putting up banners, on which violent situations from the deep south were described, next to the portraits of the queen on a flyover. The action was regarded as an insult to the queen which brought damages to her reputation and honour.
Defendant Background
The defendant in this case is from Pattani and is a Thai of Malay descent. He works for general hire and his status is poor. The defendant can communicate in central Thai but not fluently. He has no previous history of participating in any activist group, movement or political activities.
Offense
Allegation
The defendant was charged that on 12 August 2009, with other unknown persons, he placed 2 cloth banners, containing statements about violent incidents in the three southernmost provinces and other conflicts in the country together with portraits of HM the Queen, on a pedestrian bridge. This action defames the Queen to third parties by damaging her reputation and subjected her to insult and loathing.
There are also a lot of banners on that day but they were removed in a short time.
Circumstance of Arrest
Trial Observation
Black Case
Court
Additional Info
The defendant in this case was under pressure because this case concerns the monarchy. Additionally, there is also pressure from the insurgency in the three southernmost provinces. The situation in the area where state officials have full powers under the Martial Law Act 1914 and the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations to detain any person, and detention can last for many weeks. This causes great fear in the defendant who does not wish to reveal his name. The documentation center therefore cannot publicize his given name and surname.