The US State Department on Wednesday reacted to the arrest of a leading American academic based in Thailand, saying it was “alarmed” at his detention for alleged infringement of the country’s hardline royal insult law.
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Paul Chambers, a political analyst at the Naresuan University who has written several books on the Thai military and the kingdom’s complex power arrangements, was arrested on Tuesday after reporting to police to face charges of lèse-majesté – or royal defamation – and violating the Computer Crime Act, both serious criminal offences in the country.
Each conviction under the lèse-majesté law is punishable by three to 15 years in prison.
Foreigners are rarely arrested under Thailand’s royal defamation law – known locally as “112” after its section in the criminal code – but bail is often denied in such cases, reflecting how seriously Thai authorities regard the protection of the monarchy, the country’s apex institution.
The US Department of State “takes its responsibility to assist US citizens abroad seriously and we are in communication with Thai authorities regarding this case,” it said in a statement shared by the US Embassy in Bangkok.
Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn and Queen Suthida review the guard of honour during a trooping of the colours ceremony to mark the king’s 72nd birthday in Bangkok on December 3, 2024. Photo: Reuters
“This case reinforces our long-standing concerns about the use of lèse-majesté laws in Thailand. We continue to urge Thai authorities to respect freedom of expression and to ensure that laws are not used to stifle permitted expression,” it said, adding the embassy was providing support to Chambers.
