Thailand’s lese majeste law: A weapon to silence dissent?

Earlier this week, hundreds of Thai protesters shouted at the royal motorcade of King Maha Vajiralongkorn in a show of unprecedented open dissent towards the monarchy as anti-government sentiment is on the rise across the country. The continuing protests have prompted the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to declare a state emergency on Thursday, and order the arrest of activists and their supporters. For months, the demonstrators have been demanding the resignation of Prayuth, a former military general and coup leader, and reforms to the country’s centuries-old monarchy, including an amendment, if not the abolition of the controversial lese majeste law. So, what is Thailand’s lese majeste law, and is it being used by the government to silence dissent? Section 112 The Thai monarchy is protected by Section 112 of the country’s Penal Code, which says whoever defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir-apparent or the regent shall be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years. The law against royal insults has been present in Thai criminal codes since the early 1900s when Thailand was known as Siam. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">