Arnon Nampa speaking at the Harry Potter-themed protest on August 3, 2020, demanding monarchy reform. Photo and caption from Prachatai. Used with permission.
Thai lawyer Arnon Nampa was handed down his sixth conviction in connection to a speech he made in a pro-democracy protest in August 2020, in violation of the lèse-majesté law, a law that makes it illegal to insult the Thai royal family.
Arnon has faced a total of 12 royal defamation charges for speaking out about the need to reform the monarchy. He spent 337 days in prison until he was released on February 28, 2022. He was arrested again on September 26, 2023, and remains in detention to this day. His cumulative prison sentence is now 18 years, 10 months, and 20 days with eight more lèse-majesté cases still pending.
The Thai army grabbed power in 2014, which led to the imposition of media censorship and the curtailment of civil liberties. In 2020, youth activists energized the pro-democracy movement by organizing massive protests and creative acts of civil disobedience. The military-backed government cited the pandemic during that time to ban public assemblies. It also aggressively used Article 112 of the criminal code (the lèse-majesté law) to punish critics and opposition forces.
According to the monitoring of the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, at least 1,959 people have been prosecuted for being involved in activities related to political expression from July 2020 to September 2024. Around 307 cases were linked to alleged violations of lèse-majesté.
Arnon’s August 2020 speech was significant since it advocated public discussion about the role of the monarchy in society. Here’s an excerpt of his speech which was published by PEN International, a US-based freedom of expression advocacy group, in a booklet titled “The Monarchy and Thai Society.”
Today, we are a democracy with the king as head of state. But the monarchy exercises royal prerogative in excess of that permitted in a democracy. With respect for the monarchy, there is no way to solve this problem without talking about it.
This kind of discussion is not the toppling of the monarchy. But it is talking about it so that the monarchy will exist in Thai society in a manner that is correct and legitimate for a democracy with the king as head of state.
Cartoon by Stephff: 4-year sentence for Anon Nampa pic.twitter.com/WFF5vcQoM6
— Prachatai English (@prachatai_en) October 2, 2023
The tweet above features Arnon who once wore a Harry Potter costume in a cosplay-themed democracy protest in 2020.
The opposition, which endorsed youth activists’ calls for democratic reforms, won the popular vote in 2023 but failed to form a government because of opposition from military-backed parties. The new government did not reverse the use of Article 112 to silence dissent. Arnon’s arrest in 2023 and the court convictions against him reflected the continuing crackdown on critical voices.
In August 2024, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for the urgent release of Arnon and to “accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.”
After Arnon’s sixth sentencing in December 2024, PEN America pointed out the irregularities in his case, such as the court's refusal to summon crucial evidence involving the activities of the monarchy, the order to hold a secret trial without sufficient basis, and the defendant’s petition to change the judge due to alleged bias. PEN America also highlighted the political impact of Arnon’s continued incarceration.
Nampa’s speeches, letters, and poems have inspired countless other Thai citizens to envision a more just and equitable society, making his imprisonment a broader assault on the right to free expression for all people in Thailand.
Despite his imprisonment, Arnon has remained defiant based on the letters he has been sending to family and friends. In a letter to his children in November 2023, Arnon wrote about the necessity of resistance.
Daddy wants you both to know that it is not only our family that has been impacted by the political struggle. We are simply little people, a little family, in the big picture of the struggle this time. Everyone is doing their duty in this era.
In another letter, he enjoined his friends and supporters to continue the struggle.
The fire of struggle has not yet been extinguished. The seeds of freedom have been sown in people’s hearts already. We now wait for them to grow.
