Latest news with #Chambers'
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
North Texan jailed in Thailand on monarch insult accusations reunited with family
The Brief American scholar Paul Chambers, jailed in Thailand for allegedly insulting the monarchy, has been released. Chambers was reunited with his family in Italy after the case against him was dropped. He plans to advocate for changes to Thailand's law that makes insulting the monarchy a crime. ITALY - A reunion took place in Italy on Sunday for an American scholar who was recently jailed in Thailand. Paul Chambers, a U.S. political science professor, was arrested in April while teaching at a university in Thailand, when he was accused of insulting the Thai monarchy. Now, the case has been dropped, and he is on his way home. The Latest Chambers was elated to see his family. He maintains his innocence, and now that his case has been dropped, he wants to work to change the law in Thailand that put him in prison. A hug between brothers that had been months in the making finally happened when Chambers was reunited with his loved ones. Chambers described the moment as a dream come true. The backstory Insulting the Thai monarchy is a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison within the country. Chambers had help from people in Thailand. He says the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights Group and global reach were instrumental in his release. The pressure from all sides made its way to the country's attorney general, who decided to drop the case against Chambers. He got his passport back at the airport to board a flight to Italy, where his family was waiting. What they're saying "I wasn't found guilty, put in prison on that accusation, which I continue to deny, taken to prison where I suffered some indignities," the professor said. From the start, Chambers' wife and family overseas worked hard to clear his name. They contacted state leaders, the U.S. Embassy, and even the president. "President Trump is going to be so glad not to get another letter from me," said Chambers' mother, Peggy. "This extended all the way, this travesty of justice extended all the way to when I was getting on the plane to leave Thailand," Chambers said. Chambers maintains that he did not insult the monarchy, and he says hundreds are sitting in prison for allegedly committing the same crime. "And it is a law that can easily be manipulated for political reasons. And so many people are in jail wrongfully because of this law," Chambers said. "And I think there needs to be attention focused upon changing this law for sure, and ending it to create justice in Thailand." Chambers and his family believe someone else was behind the accusation. "This case has proven to all at the global level that Paul has suffered, and also the families and friends and loved ones really suffered the mistreatment, and this should not happen in the first place," Chambers' wife, Napisa, said. "And we really would like to see whoever did this, the security sector, or whoever, to be held accountable." "I mean, it was just a huge effort on everyone's part," said Chambers' sister, Rhonda. "It really was. And yes, the Chambers, we're a force to be reckoned with." What's next And the family plans to see that justice is served, because if this case has proven anything else, it's that you don't mess with the Chambers family. Chambers has lived in Thailand for 15 years. He and his wife hope to return someday, but for now, they plan to soak in the family time together in Italy. The Source Information in this story came from the Chambers family and previous FOX 4 coverage.
NBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- NBC News
Thailand drops royal insult case against American academic
BANGKOK — A royal insult prosecution against an American scholar in Thailand that raised concerns in the U.S. government has been dropped, his lawyer said Thursday, as authorities confirmed the academic had left the country. Paul Chambers, 58, a political science lecturer, had been in legal limbo since his arrest last month on a lese-majeste charge, which led to the loss of his job, his work visa and the seizure of his passport. 'I am relieved that this situation has been resolved. I have always had great respect for the Thai royal family and anyone who knows me understands that these charges were always based on false allegations by unnamed parties in the military,' Chambers said in a statement issued by Global Reach, a non-profit dedicated to freeing Americans held abroad that worked with his family. Chambers, who first came to Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1993, said he was returning to the U.S. but 'will maintain my many friendships with the people of Thailand.' Thailand has one of the world's harshest lese-majeste laws, setting jail terms of up to 15 years for anyone convicted of defaming, insulting or threatening King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family. The prosecutor earlier this month dropped the case against Chambers but police appealed that decision. The attorney-general overruled the appeal earlier this week, said Chambers' lawyer, Wannaphat Jenroumjit. 'The case is now concluded,' she said, adding the legal team was appealing the revocation of his work visa. The U.S. State Department had expressed alarm at the arrest of Chambers, saying the case 'reinforces our longstanding concerns about the use of lese-majeste laws in Thailand.' The charges against him, which came after a complaint by the royalist army, had stemmed from a blurb for an online academic seminar at which he was a speaker, according to his lawyers. The blurb was posted last year on the website of a research institute based outside Thailand. Thailand's constitution enshrines the king in a position of 'revered worship' and royalists regard the palace as sacrosanct. A party that won the 2023 election was dissolved last year over its campaign to amend the lese-majeste law, under which more than 280 people have been charged since 2020, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights legal aid group, which also represented Chambers. Thai immigration police confirmed Chambers' passport had been returned to him and that he had left the country earlier on Thursday. 'The case is closed as the attorney-general decided to drop it,' Police Major General Sarawut Khonyai, a commander of immigration police in northern Thailand, told Reuters.
AsiaOne
4 days ago
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Thailand drops royal insult case against American academic, Asia News
BANGKOK — A royal insult prosecution against an American scholar in Thailand that raised concerns in the US government has been dropped, his lawyer said on Thursday (May 29), as authorities confirmed the academic had left the country. Paul Chambers, 58, a political science lecturer, had been in legal limbo since his arrest last month on a lese-majeste charge, which led to the loss of his job, his work visa and the seizure of his passport. "I am relieved that this situation has been resolved. I have always had great respect for the Thai royal family and anyone who knows me understands that these charges were always based on false allegations by unnamed parties in the military," Chambers said in a statement issued by Global Reach, a non-profit dedicated to freeing Americans held abroad that worked with his family. Chambers, who first came to Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1993, said he was returning to the US but "will maintain my many friendships with the people of Thailand." Thailand has one of the world's harshest lese-majeste laws, setting jail terms of up to 15 years for anyone convicted of defaming, insulting or threatening King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his close family. The prosecutor earlier this month dropped the case against Chambers but police appealed that decision. The attorney-general overruled the appeal earlier this week, said Chambers' lawyer, Wannaphat Jenroumjit. "The case is now concluded," she said, adding the legal team was appealing the revocation of his work visa. The US State Department had expressed alarm at the arrest of Chambers, saying the case "reinforces our longstanding concerns about the use of lese-majeste laws in Thailand". The charges against him, which came after a complaint by the royalist army, had stemmed from a blurb for an online academic seminar at which he was a speaker, according to his lawyers. The blurb was posted last year on the website of a research institute based outside of Thailand. Thailand's constitution enshrines the king in a position of "revered worship" and royalists regard the palace as sacrosanct. A party that won the 2023 election was dissolved last year over its campaign to amend the lese-majeste law, under which more than 280 people have been charged since 2020, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights legal aid group, which also represented Chambers. Thai immigration police confirmed Chambers' passport had been returned to him and that he had left the country earlier on Thursday. "The case is closed as the attorney-general decided to drop it," Police Major General Sarawut Khonyai, a commander of immigration police in northern Thailand, told Reuters. [[nid:716627]]
5 days ago
- Politics
US scholar leaves Thailand after charges of insulting monarchy are dropped
BANGKOK -- Thailand's attorney general's office has confirmed that it will not prosecute an American academic arrested in early April on a charge of royal defamation, his lawyer said Thursday. The offense is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Paul Chambers, who had been employed as a political science lecturer at Naresuan University in the northern province of Phitsanulok, departed Thailand after the ruling, said his lawyer, Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, who declined to reveal his destination. The attorney general's office had already announced on May 1 that it did not intend to press charges against 58-year-old Chambers, an Oklahoma native, due to lack of evidence. But it had allowed the police in northern Thailand, which originally handled the case, to review its decision. The group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, which aided Chambers' defense, said on its website that police contested the decision, which was then referred back to the attorney general, who in turn reaffirmed his own office's decision to drop charges. An appeal of the revocation of Chambers' Thai visa, and another contesting his firing by Naresuan University are still pending, Akarachai said. Chambers' arrest drew concern from the academic community, especially from Asian scholars around the world, as well as from the U.S. government over free speech restrictions. Thailand's lese majeste law calls for 3-15 years imprisonment for anyone who defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir apparent or the regent. Critics say it is among the harshest such laws anywhere and has also been used to punish critics of the government and the military. The monarchy has long been considered a pillar of Thai society and criticizing it used to be strictly taboo. Conservative Thais, especially in the military and courts, still consider it untouchable. Chambers has specialized in studying the power and influence of the Thai military, which plays a major role in politics. It has staged 13 coups since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932, most recently 11 years ago. He was arrested on a complaint made by the northern regional office of the army's Internal Security Operations Command. One of its officers told a parliamentary inquiry that it filed the complaint based on a Facebook post that translated words from a website operated by ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, a think tank in Singapore, about a webinar on Thai politics that included as Chambers as a participant.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
US scholar leaves Thailand after charges of insulting monarchy are dropped
BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand's attorney general's office has confirmed that it will not prosecute an American academic arrested in early April on a charge of royal defamation, his lawyer said Thursday. The offense is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Paul Chambers, who had been employed as a political science lecturer at Naresuan University in the northern province of Phitsanulok, departed Thailand after the ruling, said his lawyer, Akarachai Chaimaneekarakate, who declined to reveal his destination. The attorney general's office had already announced on May 1 that it did not intend to press charges against 58-year-old Chambers, an Oklahoma native, due to lack of evidence. But it had allowed the police in northern Thailand, which originally handled the case, to review its decision. The group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, which aided Chambers' defense, said on its website that police contested the decision, which was then referred back to the attorney general, who in turn reaffirmed his own office's decision to drop charges. An appeal of the revocation of Chambers' Thai visa, and another contesting his firing by Naresuan University are still pending, Akarachai said. Chambers' arrest drew concern from the academic community, especially from Asian scholars around the world, as well as from the U.S. government over free speech restrictions. Thailand's lese majeste law calls for 3-15 years imprisonment for anyone who defames, insults or threatens the king, the queen, the heir apparent or the regent. Critics say it is among the harshest such laws anywhere and has also been used to punish critics of the government and the military. The monarchy has long been considered a pillar of Thai society and criticizing it used to be strictly taboo. Conservative Thais, especially in the military and courts, still consider it untouchable. Chambers has specialized in studying the power and influence of the Thai military, which plays a major role in politics. It has staged 13 coups since Thailand became a constitutional monarchy in 1932, most recently 11 years ago. He was arrested on a complaint made by the northern regional office of the army's Internal Security Operations Command. One of its officers told a parliamentary inquiry that it filed the complaint based on a Facebook post that translated words from a website operated by ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, a think tank in Singapore, about a webinar on Thai politics that included as Chambers as a participant. Chambers' supporters said that the blurb for the webinar, which was cited in his charge sheet as evidence, was not written by him.
