Thai web editor gets suspended sentence

2012-05-30 11

A Thai website editor was found guilty of insulting the monarchy, but she was given a suspended jail sentence.

Chiranuch Premchaiporn is the editor of the Prachatai website.

The judge said at least one post that had been offensive to the royal family remained on the website for 20 days after being ordered by the court to remove them.

Although her jail sentence of eight months has been suspended for one year, the award-winning editor is not happy.

(SOUNDBITE) (Thai) CHIRANUCH PREMCHAIPORN, EDITOR OF PRACHATHAI WEB MASTER SAYING:

"I'm not satisfied with the point that I was found guilty. I'll discuss with my lawyer whether to appeal or not."

The Computer Crimes Act is used along with a law on lese-majeste to penalise insults against the royal family.

The number of cases has soared in recent years, coinciding with a period of political turbulence.

Sophia Soo, Reuters.

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