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A30 world news
Diaranson 20 Januari 2021

Thai leader threatens punishment for false vaccine news

been a thorn in the side of Ministry has been working to ber, Thailand had 4,008 cas-
Prayuth’s government. His obtain vaccine supplies since es. Following an initial wave
party made a strong third- last February, but has taken of cases that began in March,
place showing in the 2019 time to evaluate which are almost all new infections had
general election, but he was appropriate. been found among people
forced out of Parliament who were quarantined after
when a court ruled that he He said the government has arriving from abroad.
had broken an election law. targeted having enough vac-
His party was later dissolved cines to cover 50% of the On Tuesday, 171 new cases
on a similar technicality. population by the end of this were announced, bringing
year, and is attempting to se- the total to 12,594, including
There also have been allega- cure more supplies to cover 70 deaths.
tions that well-connected everyone.
companies stand to profit Most of the cases since mid-
unfairly from government A first batch of 200,000 doses December have been linked
contracts to produce a vac- of Sinovac vaccine from Chi- to migrant workers from
cine, charges denied by the na is scheduled to arrive next neighboring Myanmar em-
(AP) — Thai Prime Min- apparent reaction to charges government and the compa- month. After that, 26 million ployed in seafood markets
ister Prayuth Chan-ocha that his government has done nies involved. doses of a vaccine developed and factories in a province
warned Tuesday that his too little to acquire adequate by Oxford University and next to Bangkok. A second
government will pros- supplies of vaccines. The “Do not blame me for threat- AstraZeneca, a British-Swed- cluster was found among
ecute anyone who shares criticism took on a sharp po- ening legal action,” Prayuth ish pharmaceutical company, itinerant gamblers who fre-
false information about litical tinge after a popular said. “I need to keep people’s to be manufactured in Thai- quented illegal gambling
coronavirus vaccines in politician aired such allega- confidence and trust in gov- land will start being distrib- dens.
social or mass media. tions in an internet broadcast ernment.” uted in May.
Monday night. Officials said Tuesday they
The government already has Health officials at a news Public concern about the were encouraged by a down-
the power to impose punish- Thanathorn Juangroongru- conference Tuesday defend- vaccine situation shot up last ward trend in new cases but
ments under a state of emer- angkit, former leader of the ed the effort to procure vac- month after Thailand experi- would continue implement-
gency that was declared last dissolved Future Forward cines. enced a surge in its relatively ing tighter safety restrictions
March to deal with the health Party, accused the govern- modest number of confirmed until the end of the month
threat. ment of acting too slowly to Supakit Sirilak, director gen- coronavirus cases. before considering lifting
inoculate the country’s pop- eral of the Medical Science them.
Prayuth’s warning was an ulation. Thanathorn has long Department, said the Health At the beginning of Decem-

Thai court gives record 43-year sentence for insulting king

(AP) — A court in Thailand on been used to punish things as simple and keep him within the bound of cause she had only shared the audio,
Tuesday sentenced a former civil as liking a post on Facebook but also constitutional rule. Thailand’s politi- not posted or commented on it, she
servant to a record prison term because anyone — not just royals or cal tensions will now go from bad to told local media Tuesday on her ar-
of 43 years and six months for authorities — can lodge a complaint worse,” he said. rival at court.
breaching the country's strict that can tie up the person accused in
law on insulting or defaming the legal proceedings for years. After King Maha Vajralongkorn took “I thought it was nothing. There
monarchy, lawyers said. the throne in 2016 following his fa- were so many people who shared this
During Thailand's last 15 years of po- ther's death, he informed the govern- content and listened to it. The guy
The Bangkok Criminal Court found litical unrest, the law has frequently ment that he did not wish to see the (who made the content) had done it
the woman guilty on 29 counts of been used as a political weapon as lese majeste law used. But as the pro- for so many years," Anchan said. “So
violating the country’s lese majeste well as in personal vendettas. Actual tests grew last year, and the criticism I didn’t really think this through and
law for posting audio clips to Face- public criticism of the monarchy, of the monarchy got harsher, Prime was too confident and not being care-
book and YouTube with comments however, had until recently been ex- Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha warned ful enough to realize at the time that
deemed critical of the monarchy, tremely rare. a line had been crossed and the law it wasn’t appropriate.”
the group Thai Lawyers for Human would be used. She said she had worked as a civil
Rights said. That changed during the past year, servant for 40 years and was arrested
when young protesters calling for The protest movement has lost steam one year before retirement, and with
The court initially announced her democratic reforms also issued calls since the arrests and since new re- a conviction would lose her pension.
sentence as 87 years, but reduced it for the reform of the monarchy, strictions on public gatherings were
by half because she pleaded guilty to which has long been regarded as an implemented following a surge in What is believed to have previously
the offenses, the group said. almost sacred institution by many coronavirus cases. been the longest lese majeste sen-
Thais. The protesters have said the tence was issued in 2017, when a
The sentence, which comes amid an institution is unaccountable and Thai Lawyers for Human Rights military court sentenced a man to 35
ongoing protest movement that has holds too much power in what is identified the woman sentenced years in prison for social media posts
seen unprecedented public criticism supposed to be a democratic consti- Tuesday only by her first name An- deemed defamatory to the monarchy.
of the monarchy, was swiftly con- tutional monarchy. chan and said she was in her mid-60s. The man, a salesman, had initially
demned by rights groups. been sentenced to 70 years, but had
Authorities at first let much of the Her case dates back six years, when his sentence halved after pleading
“Today’s court verdict is shocking commentary and criticism go with- anti-establishment sentiment was guilty.
and sends a spine-chilling signal that out charge, but since November have growing after a 2014 military coup led
not only criticisms of the monarchy arrested about 50 people and charged by Prayuth. She was held in jail from
won’t be tolerated, but they will also them with lese majeste. January 2015 to November 2018.
be severely punished,” said Sunai
Phasuk, a senior researcher for the Sunai said Tuesday's sentence was She denied the charges when her
group Human Rights Watch. likely meant to send a message. case was first heard in military court,
where lese majeste offenses were
Violating Thailand's lese majeste law “It can be seen that Thai authorities prosecuted for a period after the
— known widely as Article 112 — is are using lese majeste prosecution as coup. When her case was transferred
punishable by three to 15 years’ im- their last resort measure in response to criminal court, she pleaded guilty
prisonment per count. The law is to the youth-led democracy uprising with the hope that the court would
controversial not only because it has that seeks to curb the king’s powers have sympathy for her actions, be-