En Thaïlande, le cannabis dépénalisé

LE MONDE : Cette mesure était une promesse de campagne du partenaire de coalition des généraux thaïlandais qui dirigent le gouvernement qui a succédé à la junte militaire en 2019.

Une vendeuse de produits à base de cannabis à l’occasion du salon « Thailand : 420 Legalaew ! », organisé par Highland dans la province de Nakhon Pathom, en Thaïlande, le 11 juin 2022. LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA / AFP
A quelques encablures du quartier des temples et du palais royal, Khao San Road, la Mecque du touriste étranger à Bangkok, avec ses bars, ses guest houses et ses boutiques de souvenirs, a vu apparaître ces dernières semaines un nouveau type de commerce : celui du cannabis, connu sous le terme de ganja en Thaïlande, sous toutes ses formes et variétés, ou presque.

Frame, 31 ans, sa sœur Fen et un troisième frère, qui n’ont pas donné leur nom, ont investi 400 000 baths (12 000 euros) de leurs économies dans un weed truck, camion à herbe baptisé Good Gets (les bons plans), dont l’étal réfrigéré expose une demi-douzaine de variétés de fleurs rangées dans des bocaux. Ils en font pousser chez eux et en achètent à un fournisseur dans leur province natale, à Surat Thani, dans le sud du pays. Moyennant une obole journalière versée à la police, ils occupent depuis le 20 juin cet emplacement un peu à l’écart de la rue principale, celle où les bars rivalisent de puissance sonore pour attirer le chaland : « On n’a pas osé se mettre là-bas, on ne parle pas assez bien anglais », dit l’un des frères. » | Par Brice Pedroletti (Bangkok, correspondant en Asie du Sud-Est) | lundi 11 juillet 2022

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Birmanie : L'émissaire de l'ONU n'a pas pu rencontrer Suu Kyi
20MINUTES.ch: Un haut responsable de l'ONU a quitté Rangoun vendredi après une visite de cinq jours consacrée aux droit humains en Birmanie. Il a évoqué sa profonde déception de s'être vu refuser par le régime militaire une rencontre avec l'opposante Aung San Suu Kyi.

L'Argentin Tomas Ojea Quintana, rapporteur de l'ONU sur les droits de l'homme en Birmanie, n'a pu que constater son échec à convaincre la junte au pouvoir d'assouplir sa position, à quelques mois d'élections aux dates encore inconnues et dont la crédibilité est plus que jamais sujette à caution.

«Je suis déçu de n'avoir pas pu rencontrer Mme Aung San Suu Kyi cette fois-ci, en cette période cruciale d'année électorale, les premières élections en vingt ans», a déclaré l'émissaire de l'ONU avant de partir pour Bangkok. >>> ats | Vendredi 19 Février 2010

Woman Jailed for 18 Years for Insulting Thai Royals
THE TELEGRAPH: A Thai woman has been jailed for 18 years for insulting the country's revered royal family during anti-government rallies.

Daranee Charncherngsilapakul. Photo: The Telegraph
Daranee Charncherngsilapakul, 46, a supporter of Thailand's ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was found guilty of making speeches considered insulting to the Thai royal family.

The judge at Bangkok's main criminal court said her speeches at Sanam Luang park in the capital during three pro-Thaksin rallies attended by his "Red Shirt" supporters" in June and July last year were against the law of lese majeste, a court official told AFP.

"The court convicted the defendant on three counts and sentenced her for six years on each count," she said.

"Although the defendant testified that she did not intend to insult the monarchy or make the public believe her, she could not escape her wrongdoing," the verdict said. >>> Foreign Staff at The Telegraph | Friday, August 28, 2009

Burma Generals 'Sign Aung San Suu Kyi Release Order'
BBC: Reports are coming out of Burma saying the military authorities have signed an order authorising the release of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Nobel laureate has been detained for 15 of the past 21 years, and her house arrest term expires on Saturday.

There has been increased police activity outside her house in Rangoon, but as yet no official confirmation.

However, Ms Suu Kyi is not expected to accept a conditional release if it excludes her from political activity.

She was originally due to be released last year, but a case involving an American who swam across Inya Lake to her home, claiming he was on a mission to save her, prompted the latest 18-month detention.

'Significant impact'

The BBC's Alastair Leithead in Bangkok says a number of sources inside Burma have told the BBC that documents authorising Ms Suu Kyi's release have been signed.

There has been increased police activity outside her home in University Avenue in Rangoon, Burma's biggest city.

Her supporters, who have been publicly counting down the days to the end of her current term of house arrest, have been gathering at the headquarters of her political party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), in anticipation of her release. >>> | Friday, November 12, 2010

LE TEMPS: Aung San Suu Kyi est libre >>> | Vendredi 12 Novembre 2010

LE TEMPS: Aung San Suu Kyi, icône de l’espoir démocratique : Sa frêle silhouette symbolise depuis plus de vingt ans la résistance à la junte. Mais si son aura a résisté au temps en Birmanie comme à l’étranger, l’opposante Aung San Suu Kyi n’en est pas moins devenue une figure marginalisée, une icône à l’avenir politique incertain >>> AFP | Vendredi 12 Novembre 2010

John Yettaw, American Jailed in Burma, Released to US Officials
THE SUNDAY TIMES: The American man jailed in Yangon for swimming to the house of Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has flown out of Burma after being released to US officials earlier today.

Authorities in Burma handed over jailed American citizen John Yettaw to US embassy officials earlier today, ahead of his departure from the country with US senator Jim Webb.

The US embassy said Mr Yettaw is now headed to Bangkok, Thailand, on a military plane with Senator Webb.

The senator secured his release on Saturday with a plea to Myanmar's ruling junta.

Mr Webb thanked the government for the release of Mr Yettaw at a brief news conference just prior to their departure this morning. Mr Yettaw was sentenced last week to seven years at hard labour for breaking the terms of Ms Suu Kyi's house arrest in early May.

Senator Webb met Myanmar’s top military leader Than Shwe and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday, and announced the release of the American who was jailed for visiting the Nobel peace laureate.

Mr Webb, a Democrat who is chairman of a Senate subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific, is the first member of Congress to travel in an official capacity to Myanmar in more than a decade and is also believed to be the first senior American official ever to meet Than Shwe. >>> | Sunday, August 16, 2009

A Singapour, un homme a été pendu pour le trafic d’un kilo de cannabis

LE MONDE : La cité-Etat assume sa politique de tolérance zéro face aux affaires de drogue et le recours à la peine capitale, dans un contexte régional d’assouplissement des sanctions.

L’exécution à Singapour, mercredi 26 avril, de Tangaraju Suppiah, un Singapourien d’origine tamoule de 46 ans, pour trafic d’un peu plus d’un kilogramme de cannabis, confirme que la cité-Etat de 5,5 millions d’habitants n’a aucune intention de réformer sa justice, particulièrement sévère face au trafic de drogue. Onze personnes ont été pendues en 2022 – toutes pour des affaires liées aux stupéfiants – après deux ans sans exécution. » | Par Brice Pedroletti (Bangkok, correspondant en Asie du Sud-Est) | jeudi 27 avril 2023

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LIRE AUSSI À PROPOS DE SINGAPOUR :

Singapour révoque une loi pénalisant l’homosexualité : Le texte, qui n’était toutefois plus appliqué, prévoyait une peine maximale de deux ans d’emprisonnement. Son abrogation « met la législation en accord avec l’évolution des mentalités », avait estimé le premier ministre, Lee Hsien Loong, fin août. »

Thai Foreign Minister: ‘Thaksin Shinawatra Is a Terrorist’
TIMES ONLINE: Thailand’s Foreign Minister has described the former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, as a “bloody terrorist” who can be compared to Stalin, Mussolini and Hitler. The comments are likely to further inflame Mr Thaksin's Red Shirt supporters, who are engaged in a bloody stand-off with the Government.

Speaking on the fringes of the nuclear summit in Washington, Kasit Piromya denounced foreign governments, including Russia and Germany, as well as the Interpol police agency, for not co-operating in returning Mr Thaksin to Thailand, where he has been convicted in absentia for corruption.

“Everyone is washing their hands but he is a bloody terrorist,” Mr Kasit said. “There is this act of interference by third countries – how can the Russians allow him there for two days or the Germans before that? Everyone is playing naive, closing their eyes and so on, simply because he was once an elected leader.” >>> Richard Lloyd Parry, Bangkok | Tuesday, April 13, 2010

'Obedient Wife Club' Set Up to Curb Divorce

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A group of Malaysian Muslim women is to launch a new platform called The Obedient Wife Club that aims to curb social ills like divorce, domestic violence and prostitution.

Wives who sign up will be given instruction in how to "obey, serve and entertain" their husbands to promote marital harmony and cut the risk their spouses will stray or misbehave.

The club's inaugural meeting on Saturday in Kuala Lumpur will get the proceedings rolling with speeches and a show to illustrate how women can keep their husband's happy and contented.

One of the club's founders Maznah Taufik – who also set up the Polygamy Club two years ago – said much marital discord was the result of disobedient wives failing to bring joy to their husbands.

"Domestic abuse happens because wives don't obey their husband's orders," said Mrs Maznah. "A man must be responsible for his wife's wellbeing, but she must listen to her husband." She also said the group would stress that wives had to provide husbands with a fulfilling sex life to prevent them straying to prostitutes.

"To entertain their husbands is compulsory," she said. "If she doesn't do this the husband will look for another woman ... and the house will break down. » | Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok | Friday, June 03, 2011

Thailand Pride Celebrations Kick Off in Bangkok - BBC News

Jun 4, 2023 | Pride celebrations have begun in Thailand. Thailand is open to LGBTQ+ communities but has never passed the same-sex marriage law. However, the winner of the recent election, the Move Forward party, has said that adopting this law is part of its main agenda.

A Feared Law to Protect the Monarchy Returns Amid Thailand’s Protests

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The country’s lèse-majesté law, which makes insulting the king punishable by years in prison, is being used against the protesters’ leadership for the first time.

BANGKOK — The number 112 strikes fear in Thailand. It refers to Section 112 of the country’s criminal code, which makes insulting or defaming the king and his close kin an offense punishable by three to 15 years in prison.

On Tuesday night, a leader of the protest movement that is calling for changes to Thailand’s monarchy and political system received a summons to face multiple charges of lèse-majesté, as the crime is known. It was the first time that Section 112 had been applied during the protests, which have brought thousands of people onto the streets since July.

The protest leader, Parit Chiwarak, commonly known as Penguin, must report to a police station by Dec. 1 to face the charges, which stem from speeches he gave in September and this month. In those speeches, Mr. Parit and others called for the monarchy to come under the Thai Constitution and for the public to be allowed to scrutinize its considerable wealth. » Hannah Beech and Muktita Suhartono | Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Malaysia Muslims Call for 'Immoral' Elton John to Be Banned
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A Malaysian Muslim political party is demanding that Elton John be barred from performing in the country later this week because he is homosexual.

Nasruding [sic] Hassan Tantawi, head of the youth wing of the opposition Pan-Malaysian Islamic party (PAS), said the concert "must be cancelled".

"Artists who are involved in gay and lesbian activities must not be allowed to perform in Malaysia as they will promote the wrong values," he said.

Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia, where almost two-thirds of the 28 million population are Muslim, and is punishable by caning and up to 20 years in prison.

Mr Nasrudin said that the PAS "will demand that the authorities cancel this immoral performance to protect our society from social degradation." » | David Eimer, Bangkok | Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Thai Woman Awaits Verdict in Royal-insult Trial
A Thai woman is facing 20 years in jail for comments posted online criticising the Thai king, who is revered as God in the Southeast Asian country. Chiranuch Premchaiporn, a web master, was initially arrested in 2009, charged with being too slow to remove 10 comments from a forum on her website. The postings were made by other people, but under tough computer crime laws enacted after the military coup in 2006, the website's host can also be prosecuted. Chiranuch's verdict was delayed by a month because the judge needed more time. The Thai royal family is, by law, above criticism. Anyone who is caught breaking the rules is more often than not, thrown in jail. Earlier this month, an elderly man died less than six months into a 20-year prison sentence for sending four text messages that were deemed insulting to the monarchy. The death of Amphon Tangnoppakul, also known as Uncle SMS, has shone a light on the country's strict lèse-majesté laws, legal stipulations which criminalise the violation of the royal family and which were designed to prevent criticism of them. Family members of prisoners, also a growing portion of the public, are trying to push for changes to the lèse-majesté laws. Yingluck Shinawtra, the Thai prime minister, admitted to Al Jazeera in a recent interview that the law is sometimes misused. Al Jazeera's Wayne Hay says from Bangkok.

Atheist Indonesian in Protective Custody After Being Beaten by Mob
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: An Indonesian civil servant who posted a Facebook message asserting that God did not exist was taken into protective custody after being badly beaten by a mob, some of them his colleagues.

The atheist identified as Alexander, who goes by just one name, now faces five years imprisonment for blasphemy after police officially arrested and charged him on Friday.

The Indonesian Council of Ulema, the Islamic religious authority, reported him over his remarks on a Facebook page he moderated which said: "God does not exist" Mr Alexander, 31, turned up at his government planning offices in Dharmasraya, western Sumatra, on Wednesday to be confronted by a group of men who beat him and then took him to the police. » | Ian MacKinnon in Bangkok | Friday, January 20, 2012

Thailand: Bangkoks Innenstadt gleicht einem Schlachtfeld
DIE PRESSE: Bei den immer heftigeren Zusammenstößen zwischen Oppostion und Exekutive in Bangkok starben bisher mindestens 22 Menschen. Die Innenstadt wurde zur Sperrzone erklärt. Dort wird scharf geschossen.

Foto: Die Presse
In der von den Streitkräften deklarieren Sperrzone wurden Demonstranten und Anrainer auf Schildern in Thai und Englisch vor Schusswaffengebrauch gewarnt. In mehreren Teilen Bangkoks gab es auch am Samstag wieder Zusammenstöße zwischen Oppositions-anhängern und Sicherheitskräften, vereinzelt waren Explosionen zu hören. Demonstranten beschuldigten Scharfschützen des Heeres, drei Oppositionsanhänger mit Kopfschüssen gezielt getötet zu haben.

"Die Lage kommt minütlich einem Bürgerkrieg näher", sagte einer der Führer der Proteste, Jatuporn Prompan. Zugleich erklärte er, die Regierungsgegner seien entschlossen weiterzukämpfen. >>> APA | Samstag, 15. Mai 2010

Verbunden / Related: hier / here

Thai Facebookers Warned Not to 'Like' Anti-monarchy Groups

THE GUARDIAN: Country's strict laws against insulting the monarch have been used to jail a man for 20 years for sending text messages

A government minister in Thailand has warned Facebook users that anyone pressing the "like" button on posts that might be offensive to the monarchy could be prosecuted under the country's strict lèse-majesté laws.

The warning was given two days after a Thai criminal court sentenced Amphon Tangnoppaku, 61, to 20 years in prison for sending text messages deemed insulting to the country's queen.

Amphon was found guilty on four counts and sentenced to five years' consecutive jail on each charge.

Thailand's laws against lèse-majesté (insulting a monarch) are the most severe in the world. Even repeating the details of an alleged offence is illegal.

A report in the Bangkok Post quoted the information technology minister, Anudith Nakornthap, saying that anyone who had pressed "like" on items related to lèse-majesté on Facebook should go back and delete all their reactions and comments. Such material could end up being copied by people who set up fake pages to insult the monarchy, he said.

"If they don't delete them, they can end up violating the computer crime act for indirectly distributing inappropriate content," Anudith said. » | Staff and agencies | Friday, November 25, 2011

Related »

Aung San Suu Kyi erklärt sich für nicht schuldig: Auch US-Besucher verteidigt sich im Prozess gegen die Bürgerrechtlerin
Anhänger demonstrieren für Aung San Suu Kyi in Bangkok. Bild dank der Neuen Zürcher Zeitung
NZZ Online: Burmas Friedensnobelpreisträgerin Aung San Suu Kyi hat in dem gegen sie laufenden Prozess für nicht schuldig erklärt.

Im Prozess gegen Burmas Friedensnobelpreisträgerin Aung San Suu Kyi hat sich die Angeklagte für nicht schuldig erklärt. «Ich bin nicht schuldig, weil ich keinerlei Straftat begangen habe», sagte sie gemäss ihrem Anwalt im nicht-öffentlichen Prozess.

Dieser wird im Foltergefängnis Insein in Rangun hinter verschlossenen Türen abgehalten. Burmas Militärjunta wirft Suu Kyi vor, während ihres Hausarrestes Besuch von einem US-Amerikaner erhalten zu haben und damit gegen die Arrest-Auflagen verstossen zu haben. >>> sda/dpa/afp | Freitag, 22. Mai 2009

Thai Red Shirts Call Off Protest As Thai Government Troops Storm Barricades
TIMES ONLINE: Thai protest leaders formally called off their anti-government sit-in and surrendered to police today after a bloody army assault on their camp left at least four dead.

Three foreign journalists were shot, one of them fatally and at least three anti-government protesters were killed in Bangkok today as Thai soldiers and armoured vehicles stormed the barricades of the Redshirt encampment.

Seven Red Shirt leaders went on stage in the core protest zone to announce their decision which was greeted with shouts of dismay from the men and women gathered there.

Protest leader Natawut Saikua said "we have done our best." Weng Tojirakarn said: "we want to prevent further losses of our Red Shirt brothers and sisters."

He said "let us first prevent further losses of lives," and urged supporters to leave the area. Red Shirt protesters have now fled the area. >>> Times Online and Richard Lloyd Parry | Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Thaïlande: l’état d’urgence décrété à Bangkok
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: TROUBLES POLITIQUES | Le premier ministre Abhisit Vejjajiva a déclaré l’état d’urgence dans la capitale, donnant de larges pouvoirs à l’armée pour mettre fin aux manifestations des «Chemises rouges».

Les «Chemises rouges» se sont "frottés" aux forces de l'ordre protégeant l'entrée du Parlement. Photo : Tribune de Genève
M. Abhisit a annoncé la mesure à la télévision après l’irruption d’opposants au Parlement et l’évacuation de responsables du gouvernement par hélicoptère. Certains députés ont escaladé les murs de l’enceinte parlementaire pour s’enfuir.

L’état d’urgence autorise l’intervention de l’armée pour rétablir l’ordre public, la suspension de certaines libertés publiques et l’interdiction de toute rassemblement public de plus de cinq personnes. >>> AFP | Mercredi 07 Avril 2010

Lady Gaga Takes On Malaysia's Censors
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The controversial pop star Lady Gaga thumbed her nose at Muslim-majority Malaysia's conservative culture and urged its young people to fight the censorship of her hit song promoting acceptance of gays.

She said youth in Malaysia – where homosexuality is taboo and sodomy illegal – must peacefully protest the crackdown against her song "Born This Way" if they wanted to be free in their own society.

The largest group of non-government radio stations has been rendering song's line "No matter gay, straight or bi, lesbian or transgendered life, I'm on the right track, baby" unintelligible by garbling the lyric.

Pop acts from the West regularly fall foul of the authorities or conservative Islamic groups in Malaysia. Numerous concerts have been cancelled, dramatically toned down or the promoters fined afterwards for contravening laws governing modesty.

But the outspoken Lady Gaga refused to hold her tongue when asked about the Malaysian censorship when she visited the headquarters of Google, in Mountain View, California.

"What I would say is for all the young people in Malaysia that want those words to be played on the radio, it is your job and it is your duty as young people to have your voices heard," she said in an interview posted on YouTube. » | Ian MacKinnon, Bangkok | Thursday, March 24, 2011

Thailand Attack: 22 Children among 34 Killed in Nursery Mass Shooting

THE GUARDIAN: North-east region preschool centre attacked by gunman who also killed himself and his family

Thirty-four people have been killed, including 22 children, in a mass shooting at a preschool centre in a north-eastern province of Thailand, police have said.

The attacker, a former policeman, also killed his wife and child before shooting himself dead.

About 30 children were at the centre when the gunman entered the building at 12.30pm (0530 GMT), during the children’s nap time, police and local officials said. The victims were as young as two years old. With video » | Rebecca Ratcliffe and Navaon Siradapuvadoli in Bangkok and agencies | Thursday, October 6, 2022