Taken from the Bangkok Post today, full article here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/09Jun2008_news23.php

Mr Khan, who accompanied Pol Lt-Col Watanasak to an interview with the Bangkok Post, said he could not sit back and watch Mr Jakrapob show disrespect to the monarchy and looking down on the Thai attitude towards the monarchy.

"I have been living in Thailand for 20 years. I have never heard any Thai speak like Mr Jakrapob before. Worse, he spoke in front of foreign reporters who are ready to write it and spread it out to the world," he said.

Mr Khan said Mr Jakrapob's speech was not only offensive to the monarchy, "but also insulting to Thais, their culture, society".

"Mr Jakrapob is a Thai national. He should not have made such a remark, which I find really disgusting," said Mr Khan, who works as a freelance translator and reporter.

Mr Khan said it was hard to convince any police he knew to take legal action against Mr Jakrapob. This was probably because they were afraid of political influence.

But Pol Lt-Col Watanasak eventually agreed to do it.


From reading this my initial thought was did Mr Khan have a right to stick his nose into Lese Majeste affairs of another country's citizens? Does being here for 20 years somehow make it allowable to report these things when there have been no similar laws in Britain for hundreds of years?

My personal opinion is that Mr Khan may have found it startling, possibly unacceptable to Thai citizens, but he seemingly pushed and pushed the matter until someone acted on this when it was not necessary. Why did he feel so strongly, possibly more strongly than Thais? He translated the speech into Thai for Pol Lt Col Watanasak to digest, but first gave copies to many other "contacts" in the police force and appealed for them to act on it. How accurate was his translation? K.Watanasak was acting on the translation and not on the speech itself.

Did Mr Khan have a moral right to instigate this charge against a Thai politician using a Thai policeman and a very Thai law. If he didn't instigate it, it seems highly probably that no Thai citizen would have complained or even noticed it. Busybody perhaps? A British Indian considering himself over-protective towards his adoptive nation? Any political hidden agenda?

You already answered your question.

I"m wondering if this is more a personal agenda, than political? Is it possible that Khan is trying to secure something for himself? I'd also be interested to know if he is involved in the allegations against Jonathan Head. He's certainly not a person you'd invite to dinner, being a grass and an advocate of oppression of free speach.

Using an foreign proxy to instigate lese majeste against a Thai national is probably one way to make sure the charges don't stick.
Especially from an Indian guy, it wouldn't exactly be a rallying call for much public outcry from Thais..?

Having read the full transcript of Jakrapob's speech, I don't see what the fuss is about. Apart from a Thai politician being unusually candid.

Due to the danger to Thaivisa this topic is closed as the previous topics of this nature. Admin's decision and a correct one.

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