A progressive Thai MP has been sentenced to six years in prison for insulting the country’s powerful monarchy on social media.
Rukchanok Srinork, 29, a former activist, also known as “Ice”, was found guilty of breaching Thailand’s strict lese-majesty law and its computer crimes act, according to the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). The case related to comments posted or reposted on X, including criticism of a decision to hand a contract for manufacturing Covid-19 vaccines to a company owned by King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Rukchanok, who pleaded not guilty, plans to appeal against the sentence, according to reports. She was granted bail for 500,000 baht, (£11,150) on the condition that she does not engage in similar activities.
One of the posts accused the government of using the Covid vaccine distribution to boost the monarchy’s image, which the court considered defamation, according to a report by Reuters. The court also accused her of showing “great malice” towards the king for sharing a separate, graphically worded post, Reuters reported.
Thailand has one of the world’s strictest lese-majesty laws, under which criticism of the monarchy can lead to up to 15 years in prison on each charge. Cases can be filed by anyone, and the law is interpreted broadly – previously, activists have been found guilty of breaching the law for sharing satirical cartoons or fancy dress.
Rukchanok’s party, Move Forward, which won the most votes in this year’s election but was blocked from taking power, was the only party to pledge to reform the law.
Rukchanok was previously an activist involved in youth-led protests that erupted in 2020, and that called for changes to make the country more democratic, including reforms to the extremely wealthy and powerful royal family.
She went on to join Move Forward, and after grassroots campaign on a limited budget, was elected to parliament this year. One Thai media outlet called her a “giant killer” for stealing a seat from the Pheu Thai, the opposition party.
Move Forward won the most seats and the most votes in May’s election, but it was blocked from forming a government by the unelected senate, which was appointed by the royalist military and objected to its policy to reform the lese-majesty law.
Move Forward, and its former leader Pita Limjaroenrat, face a court case alleging its promise to reform lese-majesty is tantamount to seeking to overthrow the constitutional monarchy. Pita is also accused in a separate case of violating election rules by owning a 0.0035% share in a defunct media company.
At least 259 people have been charged with insulting the monarchy since 2020’s protest movement emerged, according to data tracked by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
In a social media post the night before the verdict was announced, Rukchanok wrote that she was willing to move forward with the judicial process, “even though it has been shown that section 112 of the criminal code is problematic in terms of both the law and enforcement”.
She added that she was one of the voices that supported her party’s policy to reform the law “in accordance with international democratic principles”.
