Thai man faces prison for doubting story about ancient king
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A prominent 85-year-old Thai social critic is facing up to 15 years in prison for offending the monarchy after questioning whether a duel on elephant-back, fought more than 400 years ago by a Thai king against a Burmese adversary, ever took place.
Sulak Sivaraksa was sent to a military court in Bangkok on Monday after reporting to a police station to hear whether the case against him, first lodged in 2014 by a military officer, would go ahead.
The complaint was filed under Thailand's draconian lese majeste law, meant to protect top members of the royal family from defamation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The law specifically excludes dead kings, but in practice the rules are often more widely interpreted.