IPS News reports that Suwicha Thakhor, who was arrested on January 14, was sentenced on April 3 to ten years in prison.

On Apr. 3, the criminal court sentenced the 34-year-old father of three children to 10 years in jail for posting an image on the Internet that was deemed to have insulted the Thai royal family. Suwicha’s sentence – initially for the maximum of 20 years but reduced to half – has pushed this South-east Asian nation to join the ranks of countries where bloggers can be imprisoned for expressing their views, such as Thailand’s western neighbour, military-ruled Burma.

The verdict also saw the three judges who presided over this groundbreaking case take measures that went against the grain of an open trial, which is often the case in other criminal cases. Reporters present in the wooden panelled chamber were ordered not to take notes of the proceedings. The court also did not say how the defamatory photos were doctored. 

The anti-free speech laws passed in 2006′s military coup helped ease the way for this sentence, as did Thailand’s asinine¬† l√®se majest√© law. In addition to pandering to flag-waving Thai low-brows, this law is primarily used not to protect the good name of the Thai royal family, but as a weapon by its political parties.

The country’s information and communications ministry has confirmed that 2,300 websites have been blocked for comments that insult the monarchy and 400 more are on a possible ban list.

The justice ministry has revealed that over 10,000 websites are being monitored for similar comments that defame the monarchy. The authorities have also reportedly invested 1.28 million U.S. dollars to establish an Internet firewall to block websites that have anti-monarchy remarks.

The country’s 2007 constitution, which was drafted by a committee chosen by the junta that was in power, has language to ensure that the monarchy is protected. It states: ”The King shall be enthroned in a position of revered worship and shall not be violated. No person shall expose the King to any sort of accusation or action.”

Suchiwa, an oil engineer, is the father of three children.