“I’m not Thai, I’m American. I was just born in Thailand. I hold an American passport. In Thailand there are many laws that don’t allow you to express opinions, but we don’t have that in America.”
— Joe Gordon, a U.S. citizen sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for translating and posting links online to a banned biography of King Bhumibol Adulyadej — who under Thai law must be revered. Gordon was born in Thailand and had lived in the United States for more than 30 years before he was detained in May during a visit to his native country, the Associated Pressreports. He will seek a royal pardon, according to CNN. Other ways Thailand — which is known for its strict enforcement of lese majeste laws — has dealt with the technology age include passing the Computer Crime Act, according to the BBC. A couple of weeks ago, a Thai court handed down a 20-year prison sentence to a man who sent four text messages that were deemed insulting to the monarchy. Shortly after that, a Thai official warned against “liking” anti-Thai monarchy groups on Facebook.
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