Thai man jailed for selling duck calendars that ‘mocked’ king

‘Tonmai’, 26, given two-year sentence over cartoons of yellow ducks that became symbol of democracy protests

A 26-year-old man in Thailand has been sentenced to three years in prison, reduced to two years, for selling satirical calendars featuring pictures of cartoon ducks that officials say insult the monarchy.

The man, a legal officer known by the nickname Tonmai, was arrested on 31 December 2020 after police raided his home and confiscated desk calendars that included images of yellow ducks – one of the symbols of youth-led pro-democracy protests that began more than two years ago. Officials said the calendars, which were being sold through a Facebook protest group, defamed the king.

Tonmai was sentenced to three years but, when his testimony was taken into account, the court reduced the sentence to two years. He has appealed against the verdict and posted more than 70,000 baht (£1,680) for bail.

At least 1,890 people, including 284 young people under 18, have been charged under various laws after authorities cracked down on youth-led mass protests that began in July 2020.

Among those charged, at least 228 people face cases under Thailand’s lese-majesty law, breaches of which carry sentences of between three and 15 years. Individuals, mostly young people, have been targeted for political speeches and online posts, as well as for more satirical forms of protests such as wearing fancy dress.

During Tonmai’s case, it was alleged that several pages of the calendar were intended to mock the king. This included images of a cartoon duck pictured alongside dogs, a duck flying a VIP plane while two other ducks walked alongside, and of a duck with a condom on its head.

The dogs were intended to mock people loyal to the royal family, and the image of the plane was intended to relate to the king, queen and consort, a prosecution witness alleged.

The defence argued that Tonmai had not produced the calendars, and only helped to deliver them. The duck was not an impersonation of the king, but its own character, the defence said.

Rubber ducks became an unlikely symbol of the 2020 pro-democracy movement after some protesters used inflatable ducks as a shield against water cannon.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement that the case “sends a message to all Thais, and to the rest of the world, that Thailand is moving further away from – not closer to – becoming a rights-respecting democracy”.

The protests that gathered pace in 2020 rocked Thailand by calling for political change, including reforms to the country’s powerful monarchy – a taboo subject that had not previously been addressed in public. The mass protests dwindled the following year, partly because of a legal clampdown.

However, calls for change persist in other forms. Two women, Tantawan Tuatulanon, known as Tawan, 21, and Orrawan Phoopong, known as Bam, 23, have been on hunger strike since 18 January to call for legal reform. Both face lese-majesty charges and, despite being granted bail, are calling for the release of others facing various charges, who are being held in pre-trial detention.