The Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) has refuted claims linking lese-majeste charges against an American academic to the delayed US-Thai trade talks.
An Isoc spokesperson clarified that the filing of the complaint by the security agency against Paul Chambers, coinciding with Thailand’s efforts to negotiate lower tariffs with the US, was merely coincidental.
On Saturday, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra disclosed that he was informed legal actions against specific American citizens were among the reasons for the postponement of the scheduled negotiations on April 23 in Washington.
While Thaksin did not elaborate, attention swiftly shifted to the Chambers case, especially after the US State Department expressed concerns about the case’s impact on academic freedom in Thailand.
Maj Gen Thammanoon Maison stated that Isoc Region 3 and the Third Army lodged lese-majeste and computer crime charges in Phitsanulok province following a pertinent petition and an act that potentially breached the lese-majeste law under Section 112 of the Criminal Code.
Isoc is committed to safeguarding national institutions and prosecuting any behavior by Thais or foreigners that insults the monarchy, he explained.
The complaint primarily focuses on an announcement for an academic webinar hosted by the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, discussing Thailand’s military and police reshuffles, and featuring Mr. Chambers as a speaker.
Mr. Chambers has denied authoring or publishing the content, which has since been removed from the Institute’s website.
Maj Gen Thammanoon emphasized that the prosecution of Mr. Chambers adheres to standard legal procedures and the rule of law, urging the public to await and respect the judicial system’s verdict.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, responsible for security, noted that the handling of the Chambers case was meticulously considered to maintain international relations.
He added that if the academic is found innocent, he will be exonerated, but if guilty, he will face legal consequences.
This month, Mr. Chambers, a lecturer and special adviser on international affairs at Naresuan University in Phitsanulok, faced lese-majeste charges, which carry a potential prison term of three to fifteen years.
After spending a night in detention, he was released on bail with the condition of wearing an electronic monitoring device.
On Monday, he petitioned the Phitsanulok court to remove the device, arguing there was no indication of his intent to flee. However, the court denied the request, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.
Mr. Chambers, who holds a PhD in political science from Northern Illinois University, is well-known in academic circles as a commentator on civil-military relations and democracy in Asia, with a special focus on Thailand, where he has resided since 1993.
