Japanese author convicted in Thailand

Japanese author convicted in Thailand

THAILAND: A Thai court has convicted a Japanese author of insulting the monarchy under the kingdom's strict lese majeste laws and handed him an 18-month suspended sentence, a court official said on Wednesday.

Koshi Takahashi, 69, was charged with lese majeste against Queen Sirikit and Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn in May, the official said.

According to the Nation newspaper, Takahashi was charged over his 2001 Japanese-language book on rural life in the northern city of Chiang Mai, which insulted the Queen and Crown Prince. The book was distributed in Thailand and Japan.

The royal family is highly revered in Thailand and the lese majeste laws are strictly enforced, although violations of the law are rare. Insulting the monarchy can carry a penalty of three to 15 years in jail. --AFP