A brew of palace propaganda and a harsh lese majeste law burnished the king’s reputation throughout his reign. Bearers in bright coloured traditional garb, flanked by pipers and drummers, carried a symbolic Royal Urn on a palanquin to a temple, an artillery-salute setting the tempo. Thailand’s royal defamation law shields the monarchy from criticism and scrutiny, carrying 15-year jail sentences for each charge. In effect it means the monarchy “has monopolised the way the Thai public can think about its own political story,” historian David Streckfuss told AFP. Thais have donned black for much of the last year in a remarkable outpouring of grief, which officially ends on October 30.

Source: Manila Times October 26, 2017 03:56 UTC