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| Emojis satirising Thai royal family removed from messaging app | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A set of emojis satirising Thailand’s royal family has been removed by the messaging app Line, in a country where discussion of the monarchy is tightly controlled by a draconian royal insult law. | A set of emojis satirising Thailand’s royal family has been removed by the messaging app Line, in a country where discussion of the monarchy is tightly controlled by a draconian royal insult law. |
| Cached web pages of Line’s “sticker store” seen on Thursday showed the cartoon images were available on Tuesday afternoon, but have since been deleted. | Cached web pages of Line’s “sticker store” seen on Thursday showed the cartoon images were available on Tuesday afternoon, but have since been deleted. |
| Thailand’s lese-majesty legislation is the one of the world’s harshest, carrying a 15-year jail sentence for an offence. | Thailand’s lese-majesty legislation is the one of the world’s harshest, carrying a 15-year jail sentence for an offence. |
| It outlaws criticism of the king, queen and his anointed successor, but is broadly interpreted to silence even tangential references to members of the family and the institution. | It outlaws criticism of the king, queen and his anointed successor, but is broadly interpreted to silence even tangential references to members of the family and the institution. |
| Most of the emojis referenced scandals and rumours that have trailed the monarchy despite efforts to control its image inside Thailand. | Most of the emojis referenced scandals and rumours that have trailed the monarchy despite efforts to control its image inside Thailand. |
| Other more benign stickers showed royals partaking in hobbies often publicised by the palace’s media arm, such as King Bhumibol Adulyadej playing a saxophone. | Other more benign stickers showed royals partaking in hobbies often publicised by the palace’s media arm, such as King Bhumibol Adulyadej playing a saxophone. |
| Line, which is similar to Whatsapp or Viber, is the most popular messaging platform in Thailand. The country’s ministry of information did not immediately respond to requests for comment. | Line, which is similar to Whatsapp or Viber, is the most popular messaging platform in Thailand. The country’s ministry of information did not immediately respond to requests for comment. |
| Japan-owned Line has its own animated stickers that users can send each other, but it also allows people to make their own and sell them through its online store. | Japan-owned Line has its own animated stickers that users can send each other, but it also allows people to make their own and sell them through its online store. |
| The royal family stickers were created by a user, not the company. | The royal family stickers were created by a user, not the company. |
| On its website, Line said it “reviews (sticker) submissions against our sales criteria” before they go live. | On its website, Line said it “reviews (sticker) submissions against our sales criteria” before they go live. |
| The number of lese-majesty prosecutions has soared under the ultra-royalist junta that seized power in a 2014 coup, with many Thais targeted for social media postings deemed defamatory. | The number of lese-majesty prosecutions has soared under the ultra-royalist junta that seized power in a 2014 coup, with many Thais targeted for social media postings deemed defamatory. |
| The royal family has become an increasingly sensitive topic as 88-year-old Bhumibol, the world’s longest reigning monarch, has spent months in hospital in poor health. | The royal family has become an increasingly sensitive topic as 88-year-old Bhumibol, the world’s longest reigning monarch, has spent months in hospital in poor health. |