BANGKOK: A well-known actress who is one of the most high-profile supporters of Thailand’s pro-democracy protest movement answered a police summons on Monday charging her with violating the country’s harsh law against defaming the monarchy, even though she is not known to have spoken publicly about the royal institution.

Inthira Sai Charoenpura, who is also a singer, has drawn both praise and criticism for giving material support and raising funds for the student-led movement. Along with seven protest leaders, she presented herself at a police station in Bangkok to hear charges that they had violated the country’s lese majeste law, which calls for a prison term of three to 15 years for defaming the king or members of his immediate family.

The law, known as Article 112, has long drawn criticism for its harshness and terms that let anyone file a complaint, allowing its use for partisan political purposes. Its use against Inthira appeared to be unprecedented since she was not directly tied to any comments about the monarchy. She has helped provide food, protective gear and other equipment for the protest rallies over several months that have attracted thousands of people.

Charging Inthira sets a very disturbing precedent, said Sunai Phasuk, a researcher for New York-based Human Rights Watch, adding that it now seems that being an accessory to any actions that Thai authorities consider to be offensive to the monarchy are punishable. So now the net is being cast very wide, much wider than ever before,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2020