UN human rights office urges Thailand to amend royal insult law News
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UN human rights office urges Thailand to amend royal insult law

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) called on Thai authorities Friday to amend a Thai criminal code provision that punishes insulting the country’s monarchy. The OHCHR statement came in response to the arrest of as many as 35 protesters, including a 16-year-old student, in recent weeks.

Under section 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code of 2003, known as the lèse majesté law, individuals can be sentenced to between three and 15 years of imprisonment for defaming, insulting or threatening the Thai king, queen, heir apparent, or regent.

The UN Human Rights Office stated the law is not in consonance with Thailand’s international obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), besides being a blatant violation of rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. As per General Comment No. 35 of the UN Human Rights Committee, any arrest or detention carried out as a punishment for the legitimate exercise of the rights guaranteed by the ICCPR- including freedom of opinion and expression under Article 19 and freedom of assembly under Article 21- constitutes an “arbitrary” arrest or detention.

OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani expressed her concern over the arbitrary detentions: “We are particularly alarmed that the 16-year-old activist was yesterday presented by police to the Juvenile Court with a request for a detention order.”

The UN Human Rights Office also expressed its concerns over various other serious criminal charges against protesters engaging in peaceful protests in Thailand, including charges of sedition and offences under the Computer Crime Act, while urging Thai authorities to bring its Criminal Code in line with the ICCPR.

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