Since 2005, Thailand has been in crisis, with unprecedented
political instability and the worst political violence seen in the
country in decades. In the aftermath of a military coup in 2006,
Thailand's press freedom ranking plunged, while arrests for
lese-majeste have skyrocketed to levels unknown in the modern
world. Truth on Trial in Thailand traces the 110-year trajectory of
defamation-based laws in Thailand. The most prominent of these is
lese-majeste, but defamation aspects also appear in laws on
sedition and treason, the press and cinema, anti-communism,
contempt of court, insulting of religion, as well as libel. This
book makes the case that despite the appearance of growing
democratization, authoritarian structures and urges still drive
politics in Thailand; the long-term effects of defamation law
adjudication has skewed the way that Thai society approaches and
perceives "truth."
Employing the work of Habermas, Foucault, Agamben, and Schmitt
to construct an alternative framework to understand Thai history,
Streckfuss contends that Thai history has become "suspended" since
1958, and repeatedly declining to face the truth of history has set
the stage for an endless state of crisis.
This book will be of interest to students and scholars of South
East Asian politics, Asian history, and media and
communication.
David Streckfuss is an independent scholar who has lived in
Thailand for more than 20 years. His work primarily concerns human
rights, and political and cultural history.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!