In recent weeks, Thailand has witnessed a surge in convictions and arbitrary detention of pro-democracy activists and human rights defenders, underscoring the authorities’ continued reliance on restrictive laws to silence dissent.
On 3 and 5 September 2025, courts upheld or handed down heavy prison sentences against seven prominent activists. Jatupat “Pai” Boonpattararaksa and Atthapon “Kru Yai” Buapat had their convictions under Article 112 of the Criminal Code (“lèse-majesté”) confirmed, receiving three- and two-year prison terms. In a separate ruling, five others — including well-known defenders Ekachai Hongkangwan, Boonkueanoon “Francis” Paothong, and Suranat Panprasert were sentenced to between 16 and 21 years in prison for allegedly obstructing a royal motorcade during a 2020 protest. The Supreme Court denied bail in both cases, leaving all seven in detention.
Shortly after, on 8 September 2025, the Bangkok Criminal Court convicted Chonthicha Jangrew, a Member of Parliament from the Move Forward Party and long-time women’s rights and pro-democracy activist. She was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison under Article 112 and the Computer Crime Act for a Facebook post critical of the monarchy, though she was granted temporary bail pending appeal. This marks her second lèse-majesté conviction; in total, she has faced around 30 politically motivated charges since 2015. Her case illustrates both the criminalisation of women human rights defenders and the widespread misuse of lèse-majesté, under which at least 284 people, including 20 minors, have been prosecuted since 2020.
In parallel, Anchana Heemmina, a woman human rights defender advocating for peacebuilding in Thailand’s Deep South, is facing new charges under the Computer Crime Act for a social media post about an unpaid military water bill. Despite correcting her post and thanking the military for clarifications, she now faces prolonged proceedings alongside earlier defamation charges. This continues a long pattern of reprisals: in 2016 she faced defamation charges for documenting torture, later dropped under international pressure, and in 2019 she was targeted by an online smear campaign linked to the military. Her case highlights how defamation and computer crimes laws are weaponized as tools of harassment and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP).
Together, these cases reveal a broader crackdown on fundamental freedoms in Thailand, where pro-democracy activists, parliamentarians, and human rights defenders alike are criminalised under vague or abusive laws. The systematic use of lèse-majesté, sedition, defamation, and computer crimes legislation against peaceful dissenters poses a direct threat to freedom of expression, association, and assembly, and perpetuates a climate of fear and repression.
