A man in Thailand has been sentenced to two years in prison for violating the country’s law against insulting the royal family.
The man was arrested in 2020 for selling calendars with pictures of yellow ducks, which were a symbol of Thailand’s pro-democracy protest movement.
Prosecutors say the calendars ridiculed King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
Thailand has some of the world’s harshest laws against insulting the monarchy, known as lese majeste, with a conviction carrying a sentence of up to 15 years in prison for each perceived insult.
The law has been the focal point of Thailand’s youth-led pro-democracy movement since 2020, which has called for its abolishment.
The legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights says more than 200 people have been charged with violating the lese majeste law since 2020.
Two young pro-democracy activists have staged a hunger strike for the past six weeks against the lese majeste law. – gb
