The hysteria around the lese-majeste law continues at an unabated pace.
The Senate has resolved to set up an extraordinary committee to strictly enforce laws to better protect the monarchy following an increasing number of websites found to be offensive to the royal institution.
The Senate yesterday voted 90 to 17 to set up an extraordinary panel to follow up on the enforcement of laws and articles relating to the protection of the monarchy as proposed by appointed senator Khamnoon Sitthisamarn.
Wait a minute ? 17 have voted against ? That’s lese-majeste ! In a good banana african country like Thailand, an appropriate result should be 100 %. Nothing less. Goddamnit, what are they learning at school ? 
The committee, to be headed by national police chief Patcharawat Wongsuwan, will comprise 30 members – 19 senators and 11 outsiders.
Currently, there are over 10,000 websites deemed offensive to the monarchy. The Information and Communication (ICT) Ministry has been able to block only 2,000 sites.
Now it’s 10000. Before it was 400 or 1200.And then 2000. Why not 5 millions ? They are so stupid they couldn’t even count buffaloes in a rice field.
The Justice Ministry will coordinate with the Foreign Ministry to launch a campaign among foreigners to educate them about lese majeste laws.
Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga said he would coordinate with the Foreign Ministry to instruct all Thai embassies abroad to launch public relations campaigns about lese majeste laws which impose harsh punishments on those who insult the Thai monarchy. (Bangkok Post)
It’s good to laugh. Can you see the intellectual level of those people ? It’s scary.
Do you imagine …. PR campaigns organized in UK, France, USA, Germany… to explain, calmly, that anybody risks 15 years in jail if he dares to criticize one man… ?
The Peter Principle (the whole thai establishment is totally dumb) mixed to the Streisand Effect could be the grave of this law if they continue.
They don’t understand that the more they use like a toy and talk about the lese-majeste law, the more substance they are taking out of it.
They are endangering the monarchy, as an institution, and the King as a person.
Because of them, one day, Rama IX could be remembered as “The King Who Needed A Law To Be Respected”.
In 2007, KBH publicly stated that he was not a supernatural being and that if he did do anything wrong, he wanted to hear criticism so he could improve himself!
Reporters Without Borders worldwide press freedom index 2008 ranked Thailand 124 out of 173 countries dropped from 59th in 2004.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reporters_Without_Borders
We said it before : it’s the proof that the King is instrumentalized by those maniacs. They don’t even listen the King, and obey him.
They are indeed endangering the monarchy.
They should attach a consent form to every ticket sold to Thailand, and every Visa issued stating that the person understands the Lese-majeste laws and has read the required 10 page pamphlet on the subject.
Than wait for the tourism numbers to crash further.
“Amazing Thailand 2009 See our prisons, See beachside beatings and 96% airport open rate”
Oh boy, what a laugh…
Common sense is so tangible right now, that it can actually be seen thrown out the window.
There is a real danger here, for the Monarchy, it is untested territory.
What happens when it is no longer the law to respect the King?
What happens when it is no longer the law to believe the fictions?
There is more at stake here than just a very stupid law. With its demise also passes the shibboleth of the elite, and with that passes their regime of fear and oppression.
I agree with TC, the clock is ticking, and the demise of more than a law is coming steadily closer.
Bedwyr
Giles’ interview on Real News :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4GHbZCI2P0
What the Thai authorities don’t seem to understand is that with recent events shedding a partial light on the monarchy and it’s considerable support of the activities of the PAD – the number of anti-monarchy websites is bound to grow. Add to that the not-so-secret acts of torture and murder by the military and you have a recipe for disaster for Thailand. The websites are a reflection of the international media and public’s attitude towards Thailand.
The big problem the Thais face is that in Thai culture you can’t talk about these sorts of problems directly. The widespread results of the Crown Prince’s habits and actions in his younger days have not endeared him to the Thai public. This is not going to go away – but it cannot be discussed either.