Bangkok, 23 November 2011: At the Criminal Court, today, a Chinese descendant Thai, Mr. Amphon, aka “Arkong”, 61 years, who barely reads and writes Thai was convicted to 20 years of imprisonment. His crime: texting four messages to a phone belonging to Abhisit Vejjajiva’s personal secretary.

Each sms earns him five years (4 messages x 5 years) as per Section 112 of the Penal Code and the 2007 Computer Related Crime Act, Section 14(2) and (3). The texts he sent were allegedly considered defamatory to the HM the King and HM the Queen of Thailand. He has been suffering from laryngeal cancer and over the past one year, has been detained in prison and denied bail.

Full report is here.