Is this what Obama’s new “information” czar will be tasked with? U.S. citizen charged with Thai royal insult

U.S. citizen charged with Thai royal insult

BANGKOK (Reuters) – Thai authorities have arrested and charged a U.S. citizen with insulting the country’s revered monarchy, the latest of a growing number of people accused of breaching the world’s toughest lese-majeste laws.
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI), Thailand’s equivalent of the FBI in the United States, said Thai-born Lerpong Wichaikhammat, 55, had translated an article deemed offensive to the monarchy and posted it on his blog.
He was also accused of providing a web link to a controversial biography by an American author of 83-year-old King Bhumibiol Adulyadej, a book banned in Thailand.
Lese-majeste, or insulting the monarchy, is a very serious offence in Thailand, where many people regard King Bhumibol as almost divine. Each offence is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The latest alleged offences also contravened the country’s Computer Crimes Act, the DSI said.