A Thai man has been sentenced to two years in prison for selling yellow duck calendars. This was decided by the court on Tuesday after a six-day trial.
The 26-year-old man was arrested on New Year’s Eve 2020 at his home in Bangkok. The calendars with the ducks were confiscated. According to authorities, selling the satirical calendar undermines the Thai monarchy.
Officials said the images and descriptions ridiculed Thailand’s King Rama X. The man was therefore charged with insulting the monarchy.
The man was previously sentenced to three years in prison. But because his testimony was seen as useful, the sentence was reduced to two years. He denies the allegations. He emphasizes that he only sold the calendars and, according to him, is not responsible for the content.
He sold the calendars through the pro-democracy Facebook page Ratsadon. Action groups want their country to become a democracy. The yellow rubber duck symbolizes the protest movement that wants to reform the monarchy in Thailand.
Law is used to suppress criticism of monarchy
According to Human Rights Watch, the conviction is another sign that freedom of expression is being restricted in Thailand. The human rights organization believes that the man should be released immediately. The United Nations Human Rights Committee also said in a statement that the government should not prohibit criticism of the monarchy.
The man was convicted under Article 112 of the Thai code. It states that “anyone who slanders, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir to the throne or the regent shall be punished with imprisonment from three to fifteen years”.
The law has long been used to quell criticism of the Thai monarchy. The number of people arrested for insulting the monarchy has increased significantly in recent years.
At least 1,890 people, including 284 minors, have been charged since July 2020. In that month, mass protests began, against which the police crack down hard. In at least 228 cases, it is an insult to the monarchy.
