US envoy ‘unconcerned’ by Thai probe into comments

By CS Thana

BANGKOK

U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Glyn Davies told reporters Friday that he has not been notified about police investigating him after a complaint was filed against his recent comments on Thai laws.

He told reporters that he is not concerned by reports of a police probe into his speech last month at the Foreign Correspondent Club for possible violations of the country’s lese-majeste law, according to the Bangkok Post.

On Nov. 25, Davies had hit out at the "the lengthy and unprecedented prison sentences handed down by Thai military courts against civilians" for breaching Section 112 of the Criminal Code, and for breaking the country's harsh lese-majeste law.

A member of the public found offense in the comments and filed charges with Pathum Wan Police in Bangkok.

Royalist monks and other ultra-nationalists had also responded to the speech by holding a protest outside the U.S. Embassy on Nov. 28.

Under Thai law, lese-majeste complaints are automatically investigated, which police confirmed was underway Wednesday, while also underlining that Davies would be protected by his diplomatic immunity.

The confirmation sparked widespread media coverage and condemnation from several rights groups including Amnesty International.

“The fact that allegations of lese majeste can be made for raising legitimate concerns highlight the current absurd extremes of Thailand’s restrictions on freedom of expression,” the group’s senior director of research said in a statement Wednesday.

“The fact that the case against Glyn Davies has even entered the criminal justice system shows the shocking state of freedom of expression in Thailand, where citizens can face prosecution and many years in prison for any manner of innocuous ‘offences’ under this vaguely defined law,” Audrey Gaughran added.

Davies’ comments had also brought a rebuke from Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who advised Davies to "think carefully before he speaks," while junta leader-cum-Prime Minister Prayut Chanocha hinted that trade ties between the two nations could be affected if Davies repeated such remarks.

For years, the Kingdom was one of America's staunchest military allies, but ties between the two have diminished following the 2014 coup.