100 young writers join forces calling for change in lese majeste law
By The Nation
Published on May 21, 2011
One hundred writers have joined a growing chorus in the call to amend the lese majeste law and stop the use of the law as a "political tool" to suppress political opponents and freedom of political expression.
Signatories include well known younger generation mainstream writers such as Probed Yoon and Waning Prasertkul. In an open letter issued yesterday, they urged other writers, irrespective of their political ideology, to defend freedom of expression as a fundamental aspect of a free society.
"We believe you agree that enjoying freedom of expression and freedom of expression is a fundamental part of being writers in a democratic society, disregarding whatever genre of writing one subscribes to," part of the open letter reads.
It also called on the army to stop using the monarchy institution as an excuse to crush its opponents.
The move came months after other groups, including Awareness 112 - a reference to penal code section 112, which is another name for the lese majeste law - got together well known movie directors, advertising creatives, academics, journalists and students to commit themselves to the campaign to raise the public's awareness about the draconian nature of the lese majeste law and its undemocratic effect on freedom of speech, particular freedom of political expression in Thailand.
The latest move highlights the fact that as more and more people are being incarcerated under the lese majeste law, opponents of the law are now longer limited to leftists, republicans or those sympathetic to red shirts. Now, mainstream writers are joining the fray.
The turning point may have come last week, when Thammasat University historian Somsak Jiamteerasakul was charged by the Royal Thai Army for alleged lese majeste remarks made through writings that first appeared on prachatai.com online newspaper. The open letter mentioned the case of Somsak.
On Thursday, Red Power magazine editor Somyos Prueksakasemsuk was refused bail for the second time, making it more likely now that he will spend months if not more, at Bangkok Remand Prison while fighting lese majeste charges against him.
Then there is the issue of the lack of transparency regarding the number of people incarcerated under the law, with estimates that could top one hundred.
Last week, the International Herald Tribune, the international edition of the New York Times, highlighted the growing use of the law and Somsak's case on its front page.
Source - The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2011/05 ... 55861.html
