Truth on Trial in Thailand: Defamation, Treason, and Lse-Majest (Rethinking Southeast Asia)

With defamation now back in the center of debate on press freedom of Thailand, following some high profile cases, this book examines how defamation, first codified in a more modern sense in 1899, later became known as Thailand's national security laws, covering lese majesty, sedition, rebellion by word, insult of national symbols, press laws, and insult of the courts and religion. It was only a few years ago that Thailand was celebrated as having the 'freest press in Asia.' Now, the Press Association of Thailand, human rights watchers, and progressive voices are calling on the government to review the way the defamation charge is used and prohibit being used as a political tool. Based on an award-winning dissertation on Southeast Asian studies, this book explores the basics of the defamation law as it applies to private-sphere defamation and looks at the peculiar permutations created by the use of public-sphere defamation laws in Thailand, particularly in terms of creating and protecting a nationalist identity.Streckfuss, David is the author of 'Truth on Trial in Thailand: Defamation, Treason, and Lse-Majest (Rethinking Southeast Asia)', published 2010 under ISBN 9780415414258 and ISBN 0415414253.