New book about lese majeste by David Streckfuss

Lèse majesté is a topic that I have often written about on this blog. A post I wrote about David Streckfuss and lese majeste is also one of the most frequently read posts on this blog. David is one of the foremost experts on this topic which many people are afraid to even discuss. His opinions are authoritative and he has recently published a new book. I haven't had the chance to read Truth on Trial in Thailand: Defamation, Treason, and Lèse-Majesté (Rethinking Southeast Asia) yet, but C.J. Hinke at FACT has written a review of the book. He writes:

David Streckfuss, a human rights expert on Thai political and cultural history, finds that the heart of the longstanding and ongoing lèse majesté debate rests in the country’s defamation law. This truism concerns not only academics who are constrained from speaking freely but also ordinary citizens.

Truth on Trial in Thailand details a 110-year trajectory of lèse majestéprosecutions, “sedition and treason, the press and cinema, anti-communism, contempt of court”, and libel since 1900. This censorship centres on the legal and cultural concept min phraboromdechanuphap––หมิ่นพระบรมเดชานุภาพ.

Also of interest is an interview with David Streckfuss recently published on Prachatai (also on New Mandala). A quote from the interview:

2) Some Thais claim foreigners do not and cannot really understand Thai society. Is your book yet another example of a portrayal of Thai society from a 'naive' outsider's perspective?

These days, I’m not so sure that anyone really understands what’s going on in Thai society—Thai or foreigner. The discourse on Thailand and Thai-ness has drifted into terra incognita and as such perhaps no one has a privileged perspective any more. As for the book, I think it does pretty well in appreciating and characterizing the historical roots of “Thai” perceptions of the truth. The conclusions the book draws are a descriptive analysis of this very “Thai” system confronting modern, largely universal legal norms and human rights discourse. I wouldn’t argue that the book’s perspective is “the right one.” It is merely one perspective, but one that I hope will resonate for some who live in Thailand—both Thai and foreigner—and who sincerely want the best for this country and its people.

The number of lese majeste cases has increased dramatically in recent years. According to Hinke's review, "765 persons were prosecuted for lèse majesté between 2006 and 2009—an average of almost 191 per year—a spectacular increase over the immediate previous decade when there was an average of just five new cases per year." As I have noted previously major international human rights NGOs such as Amnesty International have been reluctant to speak out about the issue. It is essential that journalists, bloggers and human rights activists continue to shine a light on this issue, especially as lese majeste is being used as a political tool to suppress freedom of speech in Siam.

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