Don't use lese majeste as a political tool

One of Thailand's best known social critics, Sulak Sivaraksa, 76, has been arrested for insulting the country's revered monarchy. He was taken in late on Thursday for an alleged crime committed in Khon Kaen last December. The warrant was issued on September 22.

This is not the first time Sulak has faced charges of lese majeste. He has been accused of this crime at least fourteen times before, but never once has he served time. The charges were either dropped or a royal pardon was granted Indeed, the man has been at this juncture so often before, that he knows full well how far he can push the envelope.

It is because of his repeated run-ins with the law that many have accused this outspoken social commentator of chasing the spotlight and consistently trying to make a name for himself.

However, regardless of Sulak's hidden agenda, the decision by the police to press charges about one year after the alleged crime, has raised questions about the real motive.

Is Sulak, in line with the old Thai saying, the chicken that is being slaughtered to deter the monkey? Will his arrest really help defend the revered monarchy or end up having a reverse effect? Are the police just saving their own hides?

For months now, the military and law-enforcement officers have been on high alert for lese majeste cases. Hundreds of websites have already been shut down in the process.

Moreover, the issue is on the minds of so many people, especially in the aftermath of fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra's plea for the public to help him obtain a royal pardon to overturn his conviction.

Needless to say, this crackdown on alleged wrongdoers comes at a time when the political environment is not very conducive. There is a real concern that their efforts could go off the deep end, amounting to a wild goose chase or a witch-hunt of some sort.

Sadly, it appears that the wrath of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has come down on the authorities so hard that many appeared to be losing their sense of bearing. But pressure from the PAD should be understood for what it is - a political move. There is no need to get bent out of shape and go after all possible targets, much less easy ones like Sulak. This is not a race for political gain.

Ironically, for an institution supposed to be above politics and treated with utmost respect, too many people looking to justify their conduct have too often dragged down the monarchy.

If our law-enforcement bodies, military, civil society and what have you want to protect the institution, then there is a better way to go about it than running off on a wild goose chase just to shield themselves from possible criticism.

The same goes for the anti-government forces that don't seem to hesitate in using lese majeste as a convenient tool. Perhaps they get satisfaction from seeing the law enforcement side shoot itself in the foot. Sadly, at the end of the day, it is the monarchy as an institution that stands to lose if this sort of behaviour continues.

Like it or not there is no escaping from internal and external criticism if the "cover your own hide" attitude continues as the mode of operation. The end result would be putting the revered institution under unwanted spotlight. Didn't we learn anything from the YouTube.com incident?

There needs to be a better understanding of what constitutes an acceptable line when we make references to the monarchy. Tomes have been written about the role of the monarchy in relation to national politics and political institution. The academic works should shed a light on how we can move forward as a society on this sensitive topic that has for too long been exploited by politicians and political cliques for political gains.