Thai human rights lawyer sentenced to additional prison time on charges of insulting the royal family... Imprisoned for a total of 38 years

Defense lawyer: “The crime of insult to the royal family has been reduced to a political tool to suppress opposition.”

(Jakarta = Yonhap News) Correspondent Son Hyeon-gyu = A famous human rights lawyer who led anti-government protests in Thailand six years ago, calling for royal reform, was recently sentenced to an additional prison sentence on charges of insulting the royal family, and has been imprisoned for a total of 38 years.

According to EFE·AFP news agencies and the Thai media Bangkok Post on the 1st (local time), a Thai court recently sentenced human rights lawyer Anon Nampa (41), who was indicted on charges of insulting the royal family, to two years and eight months in prison.

Accordingly, Anon, who has been sentenced to prison several times on the same charge and has been incarcerated since 2023, has received a total of 38 years in prison for insulting the royal family.

Anon was charged with insulting the royal family while leading anti-government protests in Bangkok in 2020.

At the time, he publicly raised monarchy reform, which was a taboo in Thailand, a constitutional monarchy.

The Korea May 18 Memorial Foundation recognized Anon as a leading figure in the Thai democratization movement and selected him as the winner of the Gwangju Human Rights Award the following year.

Anon's lawyer criticized AFP after the sentencing hearing, saying, "The lese majeste law has been reduced to a political tool to oppress the opposition."

Article 112 of the Criminal Act, known as the crime of insulting the royal family in Thailand, stipulates that anyone who insults or portrays negatively the achievements of members of the royal family, including the king, queen, and crown prince, and the royal family can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

According to the Thai Lawyers' Association for Human Rights, 285 people, including minors, have been indicted on charges of insulting the royal family since November 2020.

Thailand's anti-government protests in 2020 began centered around university areas in February of the same year after the opposition Future Forward Party (FFP), which enjoyed widespread support from young people, was forcibly disbanded by a decision by the Constitutional Court.

It was later suspended due to the spread of COVID-19, but after resuming in mid-July of the same year, demands erupted not only for monarchy reform but also for the resignation of the prime minister and constitutional amendment.