Thai officials arrested three social media influencers on Thursday for insulting a member of the royal family in an e-commerce video commercial.
A trio named Aniwat Prathumthin, Thidaporn Chaokuwiang, and Kittikhun Thamkittirath was arrested in a TikTok video promoting last month’s e-commerce platform Lazada sales campaign. ThaiPBSWorld report.
In the video, Chaok Wian is sitting in a wheelchair in traditional Thai costume, and Aniwat plays the role of a daughter who accuses her of stealing her clothes. The video was deleted after it was spread by word of mouth in May.
The monarchists resented the video as the Chaokwian character seemed to use a wheelchair to insult Princess Chulabhorn of Thailand, who is suffering from an autoimmune disease.
Netizens have begun boycotting Lazada, criticizing the video as offensive to people with disabilities.
Royal Thai Army Banned Lazada Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-Ocha said of the commercial video, “The law will go that way.”
Lazada, a Singapore-based company owned by Alibaba Group in China, Apology statement “We do not tolerate the ridicule of others, including people with disabilities,” he said on May 6.
“We are fully aware that the content was hurting people and hurting human dignity. We demanded that we be dismissed as soon as we noticed the incident,” he said.
According to local reports, each of the three influential people was released on bail of THB 90,000 ($ 2,551). They were charged with blasphemy. Lèse-major is sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.
The profane provisions of Thai criminal law prohibit people from insulting, insulting or threatening the royal family. Human rights groups have repeatedly expressed concern about the law, claiming that the law limits the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
Between November 24, 2020 and June 16, 2022, about 201 people in Thailand, including 16 children, were charged with blasphemy. Thai lawyer for human rights.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) said some of the blasphemy defendants faced numerous prosecutions and imprisonment ranging from 120 to 300 years.
FIDH Secretary-Adilur Rahman Khan statement He called on the government to immediately end the blasphemy law and comply with its international human rights obligations.
“Given the current pace of prosecution and the traditionally high conviction rates in blasphemy trials, Thailand may soon become one of the most political prisoners in the region,” Adilur said. Stated.
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Aldgra Fredly is a Malaysia-based freelance writer featuring the Epoch Times Asia Pacific News.