Ex-protest leader Chinnawat gets suspended sentence for royal defamation

Chinnawat Chankrachang, better known as Bright, a former co-leader of pro-democracy demonstrations who later supported the United Thai Nation Party (UTN) linked with ex-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, has been given a suspended sentence for royal defamation.

This conviction is related to a rally held in February 2002. The details were revealed on Chinnawat’s Facebook page, where he shared that the Criminal Court had convicted him under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese-majeste law. He was sentenced to the minimum three-year term.

In his post, Chinnawat disclosed more about the situation.

“The court informed me that I have turned over a new leaf and done community work that benefits society. The court then suspended my jail term for two years and asked me to report to probation officials.”

Chinnawat was once a co-leader of the Rasadon group, which organised street protests against the military-backed government led by General Prayut. He later changed his stance, supporting the candidates of the UTN in the General Election in Nonthaburi in May this year.

By the end of November this year, as per Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), 1,935 individuals have been prosecuted for political participation and expression since the start of the Free Youth protests in July 2020. Out of these, a minimum of 262 are facing lese-majeste charges under Section 112, and 135 have been charged with sedition under Section 116.

In a related case, Jirawat, a 32 year old online clothing seller, was sentenced to nine years in jail, which was later reduced to six years. This was for sharing three Facebook posts that were deemed damaging to the monarchy. He is currently working to secure bail pending an appeal, as per TLHR, reported Bangkok Post.

Arnon Nampa, a human rights lawyer and one of the most prominent individuals convicted of lese-majeste, has been denied bail pending an appeal. After his bail applications were rejected thrice, he instructed his lawyers to discontinue further attempts.

He is currently detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison following his sentencing on September 26 in relation to a speech he made at a pro-democracy rally in October 2020. He still faces 13 other charges under Section 112.

In a letter released through THLR, Arnon stated that bail should be a right for every individual until a case is finalised. He was not surprised by the Supreme Court’s rejection of his bail application, considering the political nature of his case. He added that his sentence does not indicate acceptance of the charges as he did not confess.