posted January 21, 2021 at 12:50 am
“Criticism can be the fuel that drives governments to do better.”
A 65-year-old woman was sentenced to more than 43 years in prison this week by a Bangkok criminal court. Ms. Anchan Preelert, a former civil servant, was meted this harsh sentence, not because she committed murder, treason, kidnapping or any other heinous crime, but because the authorities say she shared online posts criticizing the Thai royal family.
Anchan was originally sentenced to 87 years, but her prison term was cut in half because she agreed to plead guilty. Still, it was the longest sentence yet for violating Thailand’s draconian lèse-majesté law, which makes it a crime to defame senior members of the royal family, the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said. Under this law, each violation carries a 15-year penalty.
Anchan pleaded guilty to 29 separate…
