The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has spoken out strongly about the sentences being handed down by Thai military courts in lèse majesté cases, according to this account. The sentences are definitely attention-getting:
Phongsak Sribunpeng to 30 years in prison for violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code by posting six comments on Facebook critical of the Royal Family.
The sentence was initially 60 years -- 10 years for each post he shared, but did not write -- but was reduced by half after he confessed.
On the same day, the Chiang Mai Military Court dished out a 28-year sentence to Sasiwimol Patomwongfa-ngarm, a hotel employee, for posting seven comments on Facebook critical of the monarchy. The sentence was reduced from 56 years because of her guilty plea.
Another lengthy sentence was set out in March, when the Bangkok Military Court convicted Thiansutham Suttijitseranee to 25 years in prison for posting five comments criticising the monarchy on Facebook.
"These are the heaviest sentences we have recorded since 2006, when we began documenting cases of individuals prosecuted for lese majeste offences for exercising the right to freedom of expression," said the UN's statement issued in Geneva.
The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said Tuesday it is appalled at the long prison sentences given to people convicted in Thailand of insulting the monarchy, and is calling for the immediate release of all people jailed for exercising freedom of expression.
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