Aussie writer Harry Nicolaides isn't exactly a best selling author. A novel he wrote three years ago titled Verisimilitude has sold seven copies. The reason we are even hearing about Nicolaides is because he included a brief passage in his novel that referred to an unnamed crown prince, and for that 'crime' he now sits in a Thai jail serving a three year sentence.
Fiction writers and journalists in Thailand who include critical commentary about the monarchy, could well be setting themselves up for consequences because the monarchy in Thailand is protected by some of the world's most stringent lèse majesté laws. Ignorance is no defense either. Nicolaides claimed he was unaware he was committing a crime - but was found guilty nonetheless.
The judge told the court: "He has written a book that slandered the king, the crown prince and Thailand and the monarchy."
In a different time Nicolaides' might have been treated more leniently, but in the current political climate, the authorities are on high alert watching for what they believe to be a rising tide of anti-monarchy sentiment.
Harry Nicolaides isn't the first westerner to fall foul of lèse majesté laws in Thailand.
New York based Committee to Protect Journalists has come to the defense of BBC journalist, Jonathan Head, who has been accused of slandering Thailand's 81 year old King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
Complaints against Head were lodged by police Lt.Col. Wattanasak Mungkandee, who claims he is acting in a 'personal capacity'.
BBC has described the allegations as "completely unfounded".
Bob Dietz of the Committee to Protect Journalists said - "It is time for prosecutors and investigators in Thailand to immediately drop these outrageous and punitive charges against our colleague Jonathan Head ... Head's reporting has raised important questions about Thailand's deteriorating political situation and he should be allowed to report without fear of official reprisals."
King Bhumibol is protected by lèse majesté laws which can result in critics being jailed for three to fifteen years. These laws have been exploited for political purposes. Former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his political opponent Sondhi Limthongkul both filed charges of lèse majesté against each other during the 2005–2006 political crisis. The Thai miltary coup of 2006 was provoked to some extent by Thaksin's alleged lèse majesté.
The repressive nature of these laws were also demonstrated by the YouTube ban in April, 2007. Thailand blocked access to YouTube because a clip allegedly insulted the monarchy.
Lèse majesté charges can be filed by anyone. A Swiss national named Oliver Jufer was sentenced to 19 years in jail for daubing black paint on a portrait on Bhumibol. It is claimed that Jufer was drunk at the time. He received a pardon a month after his conviction.
Other insults that could result in criminal complaints of lèse majesté include placing photos of any other person above the king on websites and refusing to stand when the Royal Anthem is being played in public venues.
Link here for Harry Nicolaides BBC video.
Cartoon - Thai priorities.
