A ten-year prison sentence imposed on a Thai journalist accused of insulting his country’s “royal” family is another demonstration of the viciousness of monarchy and a blow to the claim of monarchists that their feudal institution is compatible with democracy.
Somyot Prucksakasemsuk’s “crime” is to have published magazine articles “defaming” Thailand’s “king”. The publication was contrary to the country’s “lese-majeste” law. Wikipedia describes “lese-majeste” as “is the crime of violating majesty, an offence against the dignity of a reigning sovereign or against a state”.
In Britain republicans are not imprisoned for their beliefs but they are banned from the legislature, the armed forces, the judiciary and other public offices. It has also been revealed recently that Britain’s Windsor clan can sometimes forbid legislators to make legislative change that clan members object to.