King Bhumibol Adulyadej pardons a Swiss man who was sentenced to 10 years in jail for defacing images of him
Thailand’s king has pardoned a Swiss man who was sentenced to 10 years in jail for defacing images of him. Oliver Jufer was sentenced last month, after he admitted spray-painting images of the revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej in the city of Chiang Mai. Mr Jufer has been ordered to leave the country and was due to be deported by the end of the day, according to the news agency AFP.
The King of Thailand has seen it fit to pardon Mr Jufer. I admire the King of Thailand and I acknowledge the people’s reverence for him. It was the best decision under the circumstances.
It is similar to the case of the boy in Holland who held back the flood waters by sticking his finger in the leak. The case had gone international and one does not expect the world community to hold the king in similar reverence. All kinds of unkind things were being said and in the process even more harm was being done to the country’s image and the king’s international image.
Thailand’s tourism industry is flourishing and this dispute with youtube would have cost it dearly in terms of hard currency not to mention bring hardship to the lives of the people who are directly or indirectly involved in the tourism industry.
It is already a miracle the monarchy has survived this long when we compare it to the other royal households all over the world. The latest casualty of course is the case of the Kingdom of Nepal.
The royal family itself has held itself above scandal and is noted for its neutrality and contributions to society. It also has to tread a thin line to remain relevant to modern Thai society. The king is widely loved in Thailand and often treated as a virtual god. This act of compassion will only enhance his image still further in this predominantly Buddhist country where Buddhist teachings teach compassion and humility.
The case against Jufer highlights the strict laws in Thailand that forbid any criticism of the monarchy. These laws have remained virtually unchanged since the creation of the country’s first criminal code in 1908.
“The royal family itself has held itself above scandal and is noted for its neutrality and contributions to society.”
the king supported the military coup against a democratic elected government, did the king return democracy to thai ppl as promised? NO!
Thank you abc. I do have Thai friends too. What you say has basis but there are always two sides of a coin.On my last visit I too had heard of dissenting voices but it is very much below the surface. The daughter is still much admired as well as the King. If you look at it from another angle, life in bangkok didn’t change much after the coup. The people accepted it calmly without much violence.
Even as I reply to yr comment, I have left some comments I want to mention here unsaid too.
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