Thai MP Receives Six-Year Sentence for Insulting Monarchy

Thai MP Rukchanok Srinork, a member of the Move Forward Party, has been sentenced to six years in prison for posting defamatory remarks about the monarchy on social media. She was convicted under Thailand's strict lese-majeste law and the Computer Crimes Act. Srinork denies the charges and has applied for bail. If her appeal is unsuccessful, she may face disqualification as a member of parliament. Critics argue that the lese-majeste law has been used to suppress dissent, and there has been a surge in charges since pro-democracy protests in 2020. At least 262 people have been charged with insulting the monarchy since then.