Reporters Sans Frontières

Published on 6 February 2009

When you ask Giles Ji Ungpakorn what he teaches in his political science course at the University of Chulagongkorn in Bangkok, he replies that he deals with “several questions, including democracy, the monarchy in Thailand, as well as social movements”. He was charged with the crime of lese majeste on 20 January 2009 because of the publication of his book, “A Coup for the Rich”, which was published in 2007, shortly after the September 2006 military coup. This book, which sold 1,000 copies can also be downloaded from his blog. The outcome of his case is not yet known.

Shortly after publication, the book was only withdrawn from sale in the university library, which gave it to the Police. However, it was available in other academic librairies. The accusation came from the institution itself, which denounced the author to the police, objecting to eight paragraphs pointing a finger at the role of the monarchy in the 2006 military coup that toppled Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.

Ji Ungpakorn has called himself a “socialist” for more than 30 years. He started the “Turn Left” movement that opposes PAD, calls for the abolition of the crime of lese majeste and the establishment of welfare state in Thailand. After he was summoned by the police following publication of the book, on 11 January 2009, he launched a petition calling for its abolition which attracted 1176 signatures so far .

In “A Coup for the Rich”, he wrote that “the major forces behind the 19th September coup were anti-democratic groups in the military and civilian elite, disgruntled business leaders and neo-liberal intellectuals and politicians The coup was also supported by the Monarchy. What all these groups have in common is contempt and hatred for the poor. For them ‘too much democracy’ gives ‘too much’ power to the poor electorate and encourages governments to ‘over-spend’ on welfare. For them, Thailand is divided between the ‘enlightened middle-classes who understand democracy’ and the ‘ignorant rural and urban poor’”.

Giles Ji Ungpakorn was born and raised in Thailand. He went to the United Kingdom at the university. His father, Dr Puey Ungpakorn, was an economist who opposed Thailand’s successive military regimes from the 1950s onwards. At a time when he was president of the University of Thammasat in Bangkok, the authorities forced him to leave the country following the 1976 military coup.

Political science professor at the University of Chulalongkorn in Bangkok since 1996, Giles Ji Ungpakorn has published books in English and Thai such as “Social Movements in Thailand (in Thai) and “Debates around political questions in South-East Asia”.

Download “A Coup for the Rich"

A Coup for the Rich

Download the report "His untouchable Majesty - Censorhip and emprisonment : the abuses in the name of lese majeste"