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Thai man sentenced to two years in prison for selling satirical calendars with rubber ducks dressed in royal regalia

A Thai man who sold satirical calendars with rubber ducks wearing royal regalia was given a two-year prison sentence. People used the yellow bath toys to shield themselves from police tear gas and water cannons during the pro-democracy rallies in Thailand in 2020, and the large inflatable ducks quickly became a symbol of the demonstrations.

Dec. 2020 saw the arrest of Narathorn Chotmankongsin for selling the calendars on the pro-democracy Facebook group Ratasadon.

The 26-year-old Chotmankongsin was found guilty of insulting the Thai king after a six-day trial that finished on Tuesday. Thailand has some of the strictest legislation in the world outlawing king-disrespect.

The prosecution said that the calendars were disrespectful to the monarchy in its case. Thailand’s lese-majeste law bans any insult to the monarchy. Almost 200 individuals have been detained under lese majeste laws since 2020. The political opposition in Thailand claims the laws to be an assault on free expression.

The political satire included contentious text and drawings of ducks dressed in royal garb.

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