4 replies to this topic

[Sydney08]

The New Mandala, which is a website devoted to mainland ASEAN matters, but originating in Australia, well beyond the Thai laws on lese majeste, has published what it says are excerpts from the court's opinion convicting the Thai lady known as "DaTorpedo" last year, sentencing her to 18 years in prison for lese majeste. It would be illegal for the press to repeat or print these startling charges in Thailand, but extracts of the contents from the official court judgment have been published by the Australian site.

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2...nst-da-torpedo/

[Harold]

I can see why they call the lady a torpedo. She is certainly no faded flower. One has to wonder how many Thais may secretly shares her views but are afraid to voice them in a country where "lese majeste" has taken on all the trappings of a police state.

[Bob]

If she actually said what the judges' opinion indicates she said, she had a lot of balls to say those things (and a fair amount of stupidity too); however, until somebody I trusted relayed her exact words, I don't trust anything the Thai government/judiciary says. They've threatened to file lese majeste charges over other statements that a normal person wouldn't view as saying anything negative about the king.

[Danny]

There's a long piece today in Prachatai,outlining the terrible treatment that this poor lady has been receiving since being imprisoned for lese majeste for 18 years, including the denial of needed medical treatment. It really does read like the Thai version of Les Miserables and makes the entire Thai judicial system look vindictive and corrupt.

http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/1594

[B.I.G.]

For legal eagles or other interested people, a complete English translation of the court's 32 page opinion finding this lady guilty and sentencing her to 18 years in jail, can be found at the link below.

http://www.sameskybooks.org/pdf/DARANEE.pdf