Thailand’s former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is facing indictment on charges of insulting the monarchy, a move that highlights the ongoing political tensions in the country. The attorney-general has announced that Thaksin will be charged over comments he made in an interview with a Korean newspaper nine years ago, making him the most high-profile figure to be targeted under Thailand’s strict lese majeste law.
Thaksin, who returned to Thailand last year after 15 years in exile, had seemed to have reached a political compromise with his opponents, allowing his party to form a coalition government. However, this latest development shows that he still has enemies within the royalist establishment.
The charges stem from comments Thaksin made about the king’s privy council allegedly being involved in the 2014 military coup that ousted his sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, from power. While the privy council is not explicitly covered by the lese majeste law, it has been broadly interpreted to protect the royal family from any perceived criticism.
Thaksin’s legal team is confident in their ability to defend him in court, but the indictment may force him to scale back his political activities in the meantime. With over 270 people charged under the lese majeste law in recent years, the case against Thaksin is just the latest example of the challenges facing those who dare to criticize the monarchy in Thailand.
