Man faces jail for Thai royal snub

A man in Thailand is facing prosecution for failing to stand in a cinema at the playing of the anthem to honour King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Activist Chotisak Onsoong says requiring the practice violates his freedom of choice, and he is willing to risk a 15-year jail term to make his point.

Police said they are pressing ahead with an investigation of Mr Chotisak on a complaint of lese majeste – insulting the monarchy – for his failure to stand for the Royal Anthem in an incident last September that prompted an angry confrontation with fellow filmgoers.

The case is apparently the first deliberate challenge to the strict lese majeste law in a country where the 80-year-old king is almost universally revered as a selfless and hardworking benefactor of the people.

Mr Chotisak and his girlfriend were summoned to hear the formal complaint against them this week, said Colonel Wallop Patummuang, the officer in charge of the case.

“We are now collecting evidence to see if there is enough to prosecute them,” Mr Wallop said.

Mr Chotisak said it should be a matter of free choice whether he sits or stands during the music, and his failure to stand up has nothing to do with disrespecting the king.

“Thai society tells everyone in the world that this is a democratic society,” he said. “I think everyone in Thailand should respect differences, the way of other people’s thinking.”

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy, but has severe lese majeste laws, mandating a jail term of three to 15 years for, “whoever defames, insults or threatens the king.” Actual prosecutions are relatively rare – usually a handful a year.

The issue was highlighted last year when a Swiss man was given a 10-year prison sentence for defacing images of the revered monarch. He was pardoned by the king after serving about a month behind bars.