Thai Historian Accused of Lèse Majesté

Thai authorities last week charged Somsak Jeamteerasakul, a prominent historian at Thammasat University in Bangkok, with lèse majesté, a serious crime in the country, punishable by up to 15 years in jail, AFP reported. Jeamteerasakul has openly called for reforms of the Thai monarchy, but he maintains that by calling for reform (as opposed to elimination), he is not violating the law.