King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand

Having lived in Canada and the United States, my trip to Thailand was an interesting experience.

Thailand’s a relatively free country.  A democracy and Constitutional monarchy.  With a delightful king who loves Jazz, Sailing and even holds a patent for a type of waste water aerator.

And Thai’s love the king:

• “He’s brought the country into the modern age.”
• “The king has made Thailand a free country”
• “The king is a great man”  

are some of the things you’ll hear.

Expect for one problem. Criticizing the King of Thailand is a punishable offense that carries a minimum prison sentence of 3 years.

Recently an Australian writer was sentenced to prison for insulting the King. Sentenced for mere words, that he wrote.

For a monarch who loves his country, couldn’t he do even more “wonderful work” with a little constructive criticism from the people?

And doesn’t it undermine the complements the king gets if the people giving them are under a constant threat of prison time?

Criticizing, commenting and even insulting the powerful are a cornerstone of any true democracy. 

Just as Arab countries will never be “free” until they learn that Islam can (and should be) criticized,  the Thai people and the King himself will never be free until they shed the childish fear of accountability and face reality.