A Thai court on Wednesday acquitted five anti-government protesters who faced the death penalty on charges of attempted violence against the country’s queen during a 2020 demonstration.
The case stemmed from an event at the height of pro-democracy demonstrations in 2020 where a motorcade carrying Queen Suthida was harassed as it drove past a group of protesters.
Protesters had called for royal reforms, including an amendment to the controversial lèse-majeste law, which makes any alleged royal insult punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
The monarchy is officially above politics and is constitutionally enshrined to be held in “revered worship.”
The five activists had been charged under a law that punishes violence or attempted violence against the Queen, heir to the throne or regent with a minimum sentence of 16 years in prison. More serious violations of the same law can result in life imprisonment or the death penalty.
“I’m really happy…we fought this and maintained our innocence,” activist Bunkueanun “Francis” Paothong, 23, told Reuters by phone after the ruling.
Student activist Bunkueanun Paothong, right, with activist Ekachai Hongkangwan talk to reporters before leaving a criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, June 28, 2023
Queen Suthida, wife of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, looks shocked as her motorcade drives through a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok on October 14, 2020
Hundreds of anti-government protesters take to the streets during mass protests on the 47th anniversary of the 1973 student uprising, in Bangkok, Thailand, October 14, 2020
Video footage of the October 2020 incident showed authorities pushing activists away from the convoy.
“The court saw that the police did not clear the way for the royal motorcade… there was no announcement for the procession,” Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said on Wednesday.
“Witness accounts were different and not even the police in the area knew there was going to be a royal motorcade,” the group said.
The court did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hundreds of criminal cases have emerged from student-led protests in recent years, but the five protesters were the only ones charged with violating Article 110 of the Penal Code and risking the death penalty as a result.
This Thai law prohibits an ‘act to damage the liberty of the Queen, the heir to the throne and the regent’. It is uncertain whether that part of the law was used in a previous case.
The incident followed an anti-government rally in Bangkok on Oct. 14, 2020 — the anniversary of a 1973 popular uprising that led to the fall of a decade-long military dictatorship.
As hundreds of protesters marched to the Prime Minister’s offices at Government House, a royal motorcade with a limousine carrying Queen Suthida, King Maha Vajiralongkorn’s wife, and his son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, then 15, appeared on the same route.
Footage from the day shows no apparent threatening behavior towards the Queen’s car, although several people in the crowd hold up the three-fingered salute of the pro-democracy movement.
Loud but mostly indistinct screams can be heard from the crowd as the motorcade, surrounded by police officers, slowly makes its way.
A royal motorcade is usually highly secured, with routes closed to the public well in advance.
Student activist Bunkueanun Paothong, commonly known by his nickname Francis, is most famous for his eagerness to speak out on the case.
The indictment accused Francis and his co-defendants of breaking away from the march to urge fellow protesters to block the motorcade. It also claimed that they clashed with police officers who were securing the car’s path.
Protesters hold up a banner and salute with three fingers at an anti-government rally in Bangkok, October 14, 2020
A police officer responds to clashes between pro-democracy protesters and royalists during a massive anti-government protest in Thailand
Student activist Bunkueanun Paothong, commonly known by his nickname Francis, is one of the defendants.
Demonstrators line up around the Democracy Monument as they take part in the anti-government rally
Protesters remove potted plants from an area around the Democracy Monument in an attempt to occupy the area
The demonstrators marched from the Democracy Monument to the Government House in Bangkok
Protesters give a three-finger salute as they drive a car during a mass anti-government protest in Thailand
Francis denied knowing there would be a royal motorcade nearby and said he urged people to move away from the Queen’s car as soon as he saw it.
He said the charge alleged that he conspired with the four others to harm the Queen’s freedom, “but if anyone had seen the evidence, if anyone had been there on that day, they would realize that what I did there was nothing was less than trying to avoid that same outcome. I have to say it again now: I didn’t mean to hurt her.’
Francis later surrendered to police two days after the incident and was charged under Section 110.
Critics have argued that the lèse-majeste or royal libel law – commonly known as Section 112 – is often used to quell political dissent. Charges have been brought against many pro-democracy activists who, like Francis, have been protesting Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha’s military-backed government.
Devotion to the monarchy has long been a pillar of Thai society and was considered untouchable until recent years. Sharp political schisms that began appearing two decades ago tarnished reputation, and public debate on the subject has become louder, especially among young people seeking change.
Acquittals are rare for those charged with crimes against the monarchy, and Thai judges have a reputation for serving as a conservative bulwark protecting the royal institution, making the acquittal of the five defendants a landmark one.