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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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smurfystew
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Seoul, ROK
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 Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:10 pm Post subject: Time For a Change to Thailand's Lese Majeste Law? |
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| Thailand�s lese majeste law, which makes it a crime to insult the Thai monarchy, has been used to put American national Joe Gordon in prison. Last week, Gordon was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in Thai prison for translating parts of the book The King Never Smiles. Gordon translated parts of the book while living in the United States as an American citizen and posted them on a blog. The book, which is banned in Thailand, paints a negative portrait of the world�s longest reigning monarch and casts doubt over the king�s image as a benevolent leader. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Mr. Gordon was quoted as saying, �In Thailand they put people in jail without proof, I was born in Thailand, but this does not mean I am Thai. I am proud to be an American citizen.� |
- Full commentary and analysis over at the blog -
http://www.asiapundits.com/regions/se-asia/time-for-a-change-to-thailands-lese-majeste-laws/ |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 3:15 am Post subject: |
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Was Joe Gordon in any way a Thai citizen? Like, did he have dual citizenship or something? If not, it's pretty gauche of the Thais to arrest him for denigrating their king.
Having said that, I guess he did have the option of NOT going to Thailand after commiting lese-majesete, and should have seen the advisability of that option, given that he had just translated a whole book about the Thai monarchy, and must have known what the laws were like.
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| Time For a Change to Thailand's Lese Majeste Law? |
Probably, but for the benefit of the Thai people themselves. I'm not too concerned about foreigners who break the law while in Thailand, or even those like Mr. Gordon who break the law on the internet and then waltz over to Thai jurisdiction. |
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NovaKart
Joined: 18 Nov 2009
Location: Iraq
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| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 10:43 am Post subject: |
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| The law has the unintentional affect of making the King of Thailand look worse to non-Thais. How many people outside of Thailand are familiar with their king other than when someone is arrested for insulting him? |
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