Thailand’s authorities arrested three social media influencers on Thursday for allegedly insulting a member of the royal family in an e-commerce video commercial.
In the video, Chaokuwiang wears a traditional Thai costume and sits in a wheelchair, while Aniwat plays the role of her daughter, who accuses her of stealing clothes. The video was removed after it went viral in May.
Monarchists were outraged by the video because Chaokuwiang’s character seemed to insult Thailand’s Princess Chulabhorn, who uses a wheelchair and suffers from an autoimmune disease.
Netizens criticized the video for being offensive to disabled people and launched a boycott against Lazada.
“We fully recognize that the content was hurtful and demeaning to human dignity. As soon as we became aware of the incident, we immediately demanded the post to be taken down,” the company said.
The three influencers were released on bail of 90,000 baht ($2,551) each, according to local reports. They were charged with lese majeste, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The lese majeste provision of Thailand’s criminal code prohibits people from defaming, insulting, or threatening the royal family. Human rights groups have repeatedly expressed concern over the law, claiming that it restricts the right to freedom of opinion and expression.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) stated that some lese majeste defendants face numerous prosecutions and prison sentences ranging from 120 to 300 years.
“At the current pace of prosecutions, and given the traditionally high conviction rates in lese-majeste trials, Thailand may soon become one of the countries with the highest number of political prisoners in the region,” Adilur said.
