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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Swiss man admits Thai king insult | Swiss man admits Thai king insult |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A 57-year-old Swiss man has pleaded guilty in a court in Thailand to charges of insulting the king. | A 57-year-old Swiss man has pleaded guilty in a court in Thailand to charges of insulting the king. |
| Oliver Jufer was arrested last December after drunkenly spray-painting several portraits of the monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. | Oliver Jufer was arrested last December after drunkenly spray-painting several portraits of the monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej. |
| In court, Jufer pleaded guilty to five charges under Thailand's draconian lese majeste law. | In court, Jufer pleaded guilty to five charges under Thailand's draconian lese majeste law. |
| He is due to be sentenced later this month, and the maximum penalty he could face is 75 years in jail. | He is due to be sentenced later this month, and the maximum penalty he could face is 75 years in jail. |
| Jufer's lawyer said the minimum sentence he faced was seven-and-a-half years. | Jufer's lawyer said the minimum sentence he faced was seven-and-a-half years. |
| KING BHUMIBOL ADULYADEJ Born in 1927, ascended throne in 1946World's longest-serving current head of stateOfficial powers are limited, but wields enormous influence because of popular backingWidely believed to have given backing to 2006 military coup | |
| Police reports said Jufer was drunk when the portraits were defaced on 5 December, which as the day of the King's birthday is a national holiday. | Police reports said Jufer was drunk when the portraits were defaced on 5 December, which as the day of the King's birthday is a national holiday. |
| Jufer, who has lived in Thailand for more than 10 years, was recorded on surveillance cameras defacing the portraits. | Jufer, who has lived in Thailand for more than 10 years, was recorded on surveillance cameras defacing the portraits. |
| Carefully managed | Carefully managed |
| The BBC's Jonathan Head, who was outside the court in the northern city of Chiang Mai, says the case throws a rare spotlight on the strict lese-majeste laws in Thailand forbidding any criticism of the monarchy. | The BBC's Jonathan Head, who was outside the court in the northern city of Chiang Mai, says the case throws a rare spotlight on the strict lese-majeste laws in Thailand forbidding any criticism of the monarchy. |
| At one point the prosecutor tried to get the media to leave, saying the case had been postponed. | At one point the prosecutor tried to get the media to leave, saying the case had been postponed. |
| "We don't want the Thai people to know about this case," he said. | "We don't want the Thai people to know about this case," he said. |
| The image of the monarchy is very carefully managed, with local media only allowed to lavish praise on the king, our correspondent says. | The image of the monarchy is very carefully managed, with local media only allowed to lavish praise on the king, our correspondent says. |
| The popular reverence for him is genuine, but the draconian laws deter most Thais from even discussing the monarchy. | The popular reverence for him is genuine, but the draconian laws deter most Thais from even discussing the monarchy. |
| The king himself appeared to question this in a recent speech when he said it was wrong to put him above criticism. | The king himself appeared to question this in a recent speech when he said it was wrong to put him above criticism. |
| "I am not afraid if the criticism concerns what I do wrong, because then I know," he said. "If you say the king cannot be criticised, it means that the king is not human." | "I am not afraid if the criticism concerns what I do wrong, because then I know," he said. "If you say the king cannot be criticised, it means that the king is not human." |
| But without any public debate there seems no possibility of amending the law, which allows any Thai citizen to bring a charge against anyone else for insulting the king. | But without any public debate there seems no possibility of amending the law, which allows any Thai citizen to bring a charge against anyone else for insulting the king. |
| A handful of other foreigners have faced similar charges in the past. Most have eventually been allowed to leave the country. | A handful of other foreigners have faced similar charges in the past. Most have eventually been allowed to leave the country. |