Royal revelations: King’s son unveils his visit to ‘Faces of 112’ exhibition curated by fugitive academic

Vacharaesorn Vivacharawongse, the second eldest son of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his second wife, Sujarinee Vivacharawongse, shared his experience of visiting the Faces of Victims of 112: An Exhibition, curated by Pavin Chachavalpongpun, an academic and a fugitive from a Section 112 case.

The exhibition, held at Columbia University, was visited by Vacharaesorn, a Thai resident residing in New York, who voiced his thoughts on Facebook.

Vacharaesorn holds a deep love and respect for the institution, but he strongly believes that being “knowledgeable” is better than being “ignorant.”

The 42 year old, who is estranged from his parents, stated that every individual has their own opinion based on their personal experiences. Vacharaesorn expressed that ignoring someone’s opinion doesn’t make it disappear. Therefore, it is beneficial to be informed and listen to the reasoning and perspectives of various parties. Vacharaesorn wrote on Facebook that whether one agrees or disagrees is a different matter, as long as the discussion is driven by reason.

“Today, there is an exhibition about Section 112 opening at Columbia University. As a Thai person living in New York, I went to see.

“I love and respect the institution but I believe knowing is better than not knowing. Everyone has their own opinion based on their experiences.

“If we do not listen to their views, it does not make their perspectives disappear. Therefore, it’s good to know and listen. Understand the reasons and views of many parties. Whether you agree or disagree is another story. Let’s talk reasonably.”

Lèse-majesté, as defined in Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, constitutes a criminal offence. This statute prohibits the defamation, insult, or threat towards any member of the Thai monarchy, including the king, queen, heir-apparent, heir-presumptive, or regent. The origins of the modern Thai lèse-majesté law trace back to as early as 1908, making it a long-standing legal provision.

Thailand stands out as the sole constitutional monarchy to have fortified its lèse-majesté legislation since the conclusion of World War II. Under this law, offenders face severe penalties, ranging from three to 15 years of imprisonment for each violation. Consequently, it has earned notoriety as the “world’s harshest lèse-majesté law, abc.net reported, and possibly holds the distinction of being the most stringent criminal defamation law in existence.

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