Thailand to investigate BBC over profile of new king

BANGKOK — Thailand’s Defence Minister said on Tuesday (Dec 6) that the authorities will investigate the BBC on suspicion of insulting the monarchy in connection with a Thai-language profile of the new king that has stirred social media anger.

“The authorities have to pursue the matter. It is their duty to pursue anything that is against the law,” Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters.

“Whatever is illegal will be processed accordingly — no exceptions,” he added.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha said that because “a news agency has a branch in Thailand staffed with Thai reporters, if they violate Thai laws, they have to be prosecuted. Just like when we go to other countries and violate their laws, we are also prosecuted”.

“It doesn’t matter whether they are part of the press or not, a crime is a crime,” the Premier told reporters. “So please be careful with what you do. Don’t violate other people’s personal lives to the point of causing disorder and confusion.”

The BBC declined to comment.

Offending the dignity of a reigning monarch, known by the French term “lese-majeste”, is a serious crime under Thai law and offenders can be punished with up to 15 years in prison.

The constitutional monarchy has been in the international spotlight since King Bhumibol Adulyadej died on Oct 13 at the age of 88, after seven decades on the throne.

His son was proclaimed King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun last Thursday and BBC Thai, the BBC’s Thai-language service, published a profile of him online.

The piece was widely shared on social media and some Thais have said its content was insulting to the new king.

The article sparked outrage among Thai royalists. Social media groups, such as the Facebook group “V for Thailand”, have been vigorously criticising the BBC, and posted the BBC’s Bangkok phone number on their Facebook page, encouraging their followers to call and harass people who work there.

The Thai Ministry of Digital Economy blocked a link to the profile on the BBC’s Thai website on Tuesday and it remained blocked on Wednesday. A message on the site said it was blocked for “inappropriate content”.

Anyone can file a lese-majeste complaint against another person and police always investigate such cases, rights groups say.

Plainclothes police and some soldiers in uniform went to the BBC’s office in Bangkok on Tuesday, witnesses said. No BBC staff were there at the time and the officers later left.

“Officials were just doing their jobs when they searched this news agency,” Mr Prawit said.

The BBC’s television coverage of Thailand has been repeatedly blocked since the death of King Bhumibol. Police said they would investigate the content of the profile of the new king.

“Then we will proceed according to the law,” senior police official Chayapon Chatchaidej told reporters.

He said nobody had filed a complaint against the BBC.

Police on Saturday arrested a Thai democracy activist opposed to the military government, which has been in power since a 2014 coup, for sharing a link to the BBC profile.

It was the first arrest under the lese-majeste law in King Vajiralongkorn’s reign.

The activist, who is a student, was later released on bail.

The military government has zealously pursued cases of alleged criticism of the monarchy since it took power.

International rights groups say the lese-majeste law leave too much room for interpretation and that the penalties are too severe. AGENCIES