Jatupat "Pai Dao Din" Boonpatararaksa, 25, is the latest anti-junta activist to be hit with the country's draconian lese majeste law which bans any criticism of the monarchy. The law, which carries up to 15 years in jail per charge, has been wielded with increased ferocity under Thailand's military rulers. On Tuesday he changed his plea to guilty, his legal team said, a stance that usually trims the sentence of alleged offenders. Those charged with lese majeste in Thailand are almost always convicted, often behind closed doors. Use of the lese majeste law has generated widespread international criticism, including from the United Nations.

Source: The Nation Bangkok August 15, 2017 07:41 UTC