(RTTNews) – Police in Thailand have arrested a 40-year-old computer programmer on charges of insulting the country’s monarchy on Facebook, officials said Tuesday. Surapak Puchaieseng is accused of creating a Facebook profile with defamatory pictures, audio clips, and messages believed to be insulting to the royal family. But Puchaieseng insists that he is innocent and has denied the allegations of insulting the monarchy. He is currently being held at a prion in Bangkok. Police have confiscated Puchaieseng’s desktop and laptop computers. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the charges pressed against him. The monarchy is highly revered in the mainly Buddhist country, and is considered to be above politics. The country’s law prohibits any criticism of the monarchy, and is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Thailand’s lese-majeste law covers anyone who “defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir to the throne or the regent.” However, critics allege such laws are being increasingly used for political purposes. Puchaieseng’s case is the first under the new Thai government headed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. She has also promised that her government will crackdown hard on websites with content deemed insulting to the country’s monarchy. by RTT Staff Writer For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com
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