Thai man jailed for insulting king over duck calendar

BBC News:

A Thai man has been jailed for two years for selling calendars which featured satirical comments and rubber ducks in royal regalia, which prosecutors said defamed the monarchy.

Narathorn Chotmankongsin, 26, has been convicted of insulting the Thai king.

He is among about 200 people who have been arrested under lese-majeste laws since 2020 in what critics say has been a crackdown on free speech.

The rubber duck has been a symbol of pro-democracy protesters in Thailand.

Activists widely used the symbol in demonstrations where they called for a democratic transition – a movement which also includes demands for reforms to the monarchy.

Narathorn was arrested in December 2020 for selling the calendars on the pro-democracy Facebook page Ratasadon. The political satire featured illustrations of ducks in royal regalia, and controversial captions.

Prosecutors argued the images and descriptions ridiculed and defamed King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

A court on Tuesday sentenced Narathorn to three years, before commuting the sentence to two years.