• A Thai activist allegedly insulted the country’s Queen.
• She participated in an anti-monarchy demonstration.
• She is sentenced to two years in prison.

A Thai activist who allegedly insulted the country’s Queen by participating in an anti-monarchy demonstration while dressed traditionally has been sentenced to two years in prison.

A fellow protester held an umbrella over Jatuporn “New” Saeoueng as she went down a red carpet in Bangkok two years ago while she appeared in a faux fashion presentation.

According to a legal aid organization, she was given a three-year prison term and a 1,000 baht (£23.58) punishment on Monday.

The sentence was swiftly lowered to two years in prison, but rights organizations have criticized the way the case was handled after she was found guilty of purposefully making fun of the monarchy.

A fashion display for Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, daughter of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, is said to have prompted the initial rally’s planning.

Jatuporn claimed that she was dressing “for herself,” however the move was against rigorous Thai rules pertaining to the monarchy despite her assertions.

The activism was perceived as a slight against Queen Suthida, the King’s wife, who wears beautiful silk attire at formal events.

During festivities, members of the royal family are frequently covered by attendants holding ceremonial umbrellas.

In accordance with Thai tradition, protesters were required to sit on the ground in the presence of royalty.

According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights organization, Jatuporn, 25, was jailed by Bangkok’s Criminal Court for violating the Public Safety Act and perhaps of the strongest “lese majeste” regulations in the entire world.

The law makes it illegal to disparage the monarch or members of his close family, and each offence carries a 15-year prison sentence.

Jatuporn, a transgender person, was sent to the Central Women’s Correctional Facility.

She is awaiting a different court’s decision on her application for bail release.

The protest was part of a wave of unrest in 2020–21 that called for elections and a more democratic constitution, which grew into demands for monarchy reform.

According to activists, King Vajiralongkorn wields excessive power in what is ostensibly a democratic government under a constitutional monarchy.

The Thai monarchy is revered by a sizable portion of the public, who view it as an untouchable institution.

Later, as a result of the Covid crisis and lockdowns, the protest movement slowed down.

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