Royal defamation convict’s hunger-strike protest results in hospitalisation

A woman from Phitsanulok convicted of royal defamation is protesting against the decision to deny her bail by staging a hunger strike while she appeals.

Exhaustion has driven the 30 year old woman, named Warunee, sentenced for royal defamation, to the Correctional Hospital. The cause of her condition is a hunger strike that she instigated ten days prior as a form of protest against the court’s denial of her bail application, as reported by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).

Warunee, a local from Phitsanulok, began her strike on August 21, consuming only soy milk for the first three days and water ever since. Her health has started to deteriorate, with her loss of 4 kilogrammes being noted by the TLHR.

Her detention at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution began on June 28, following her sentence of three years under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lese-majeste law. This sentence was a result of her Facebook post, an edited photo that was found to be offensive towards His Majesty the King, Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua. However, her sentence was halved to one year and six months due to her confession.

Warunee’s legal team has made repeated attempts to secure her bail during her appeal process, with all five applications being denied. The Court of Appeal dismissed her as a flight risk and disregarded the claims of her suffering from bipolar disorder.

The charges against Warunee were initiated in December 2021 following a complaint lodged by Nopadol Prompasit, a representative of the Thailand Help Centre for Cyberbullying Victims. This organisation has been responsible for numerous lese-majeste charges against activists, including Parit Chiwarak, Anon Nampa, and Panusaya Sithijirawattankul.

In an act of solidarity with Warunee, another inmate, Weha Saencholchanasuk, initiated his hunger strike at the Bangkok Remand Prison. Weha has been imprisoned since May 18, following his sentence of three years and 18 months for violating Section 112 with a Twitter post. His attempts to secure bail have also been unsuccessful.

TLHR data, accurate to July 31 of this year, reveals that since the onset of the Free Youth protests in July 2020, a total of 1,918 individuals have faced prosecution for political participation and expression. Of these, at least 253 are confronting charges under Section 112, the lese-majeste law, while 130 are charged with sedition under Section 116.