Arnon Nampa, Thailand

I am Arnon Nampa, a human rights lawyer and human rights defender from Thailand. I have been representing individuals facing judicial harassment for exercising freedom of expression and peaceful assembly since the military coup in 2006.

In 2014, another military coup occurred. Two days after the military coup, my colleagues and I founded Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a legal organisation that provides legal assistance to individuals who were detained or facing judicial harassment for criticizing the military junta.

When the youth-led pro-democracy movement swept the country in late 2020, I decided to become a part of this movement and took on the role as one of the protest leaders alongside student-activist leaders. I delivered speeches at peaceful protests, calling for democratic reforms and reforms of the Thai monarchy. I insisted that the government must stop using the draconian lèse-majesté law (royal defamation), which imposes jail sentences of between three to 15 years of imprisonment for criticism of the monarchy.

Unfortunately, speaking truth to power can be a crime in my country. Between 2020 and 2022, I was arrested and detained several times for my human rights advocacy. In fact, I was subjected to pretrial detention for more than 300 days during that period, despite the fact that no court had found me guilty of breaking any laws. By the end of 2022, I had more than 20 criminal cases against me for my peaceful activism.

Since 2023, when I was first convicted under the lèse-majesté law, I have been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment in four different cases. I still face 10 more lèse-majesté cases in which the court has not delivered its verdict.

I call on the international community to not turn a blind eye to what is happening in Thailand, for injustice against the Thai people is a threat to justice everywhere.