A maid in Thailand faces prison sentence for saying"I see"

Patnaree Chankij's home on the edges of Bangkok is a confined, three-room house in which the 40-year-old dowager lives with two of her youngsters, and where she frequently does other individuals' clothing to bring home the bacon. At different times she acts as an easygoing cleaner in condo and workplaces. As in different houses in Thailand, there are representations of Lord Bhumibol Adulyadej on the dividers. Patnaree views herself as a dependable resident, and says she has never said anything negative in regards to the imperial family. However, not long ago she was kept by the police and accused of lese majeste, offending the government, a standout amongst the most genuine allegations in the Thai criminal code. It conveys a punishment of three to 15 years on every tally and its utilization has heightened after the military overthrow two years back. More than 60 individuals have been charged from that point forward. The greater part of the cases are presently heard in military courts, which limit the privileges of protection. Regularly they are heard in mystery, with writers getting some answers concerning them weeks after the fact, if by any stretch of the imagination. Sentences are unforgiving. A year ago a mother of two was given a sentence of 56 years for remarks she made on Facebook - later divided after she conceded. So what did Patnaree do to get charged? As indicated by her legal advisor, the main confirmation the police have delivered is a trade on Facebook amongst her and a political lobbyist, in which she reacted to remarks the police say are defamatory with the Thai word "ja", which interprets as "I see", or "alright". The police say she ought to have censured the remarks. Patnaree does not trust she has been charged over anything she said or composed. She trusts it is a direct result of her child, Sirawith (which interprets as New) Seritiwat. He is a political science understudy at Thammasat College, however in the course of recent years he has additionally developed as the best-known face of understudy difference against military principle. Directly after the overthrow, as a component of two gatherings called Safe Nationals and Thai Understudy Community for Vote based system, he joined dissents against the new government, utilizing images like the three-fingered salute from the film arrangement Hunger Diversions and perusing George Orwell's great novel 1984 out in the open. A year ago they held a false race outside a focal Bangkok expressions focus. At that point they sorted out a dissent train ride to a dubious imperial themed park, which had been worked by the armed force, supposedly through some degenerate contracts. The gatherings now call themselves the New Vote based system Development. In spite of the fact that their showings have been little, these activists are the main gathering transparently difficult the military in Thailand. The alleged "red shirt" mass development, which sponsored the administration removed by the upset, has to a great extent been quiet. The armed force has reacted by keeping the understudies and putting them through what it calls "state of mind modification", where they are influenced to change their perspectives. All the more as of late, the armed force has solidified its position, documenting criminal allegations against a portion of the activists. Sirawith has been kept a few times and charged twice, despite the fact that he has not yet been attempted. Presently the military government is get ready to present another constitution which will revere military predominance of legislative issues for some more years. It would permit races to happen as ahead of schedule as one year from now, however the contract debilitates the force of chose governments and gives more energy to a military-named senate, and to the moderate higher courts. The junta has guaranteed a submission on the constitution on 7 August, yet with supporters of the removed government liable to be threatening to a sanction which would more then likely square their gathering from coming back to control, the military has banned all crusading against it. The individuals who attempt to influence popular supposition are debilitated with 10-year jail sentences. In the meantime, a large number of government authorities are being prepared to go out and educate the general population about the constitution, and to induce them to vote. In that way the military plans to win the August vote. Losing it would be a genuine hit to the believability of a legislature which has dependably demanded that most Thai individuals bolster its arrangements to rebuild the nation. It is not an outcome the military will leave to risk. Activists like Sirawith Seritiwat are a danger to that technique, and in the weeks paving the way to the choice the officers are certain to try harder to smother disagreeing voices.