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Bangkok. A 19-year-old student at Thailand’s Thammasat University who will be one of the youngest ever to be charged under the country’s lese majeste law has been refused admission into Silpakorn University, rejected by her family, had a shoe thrown at her, had to change her name and take a part-time job to pay her bills.

Abhinya Sawatvarakorn, a supporter of the ‘red shirt’ movement in defiance of her parents who attended royalist ‘yellow shirt’ rallies, will be charged with lese majeste next month over a comment she made on her Facebook page two years ago.

Abhinya is widely known by her nickname Kanthoop which means incense stick, but she said having her identity revealed made little difference to her now. “I am beyond being in trouble,” she said.

She was reportedly refused admission into Silpakorn University even after having passed a written admission examination. She also abandoned an attempt to enrol in Kasetsart University when royalists threatened to stage a protest against her the day she was to appear there for an oral examination. One night, a shoe flew from a group of students — some of them drunk — in her direction.

Thammasat University was more welcoming, and she lives on campus.

But her experience is a window into the sharp emotions aroused by the lese majeste law, or Article 112 of Thailand’s criminal code — a subject of increasingly shrill debate. The law states: “Whoever defames, insults or threatens the King, Queen, the heir-apparent or the Regent, shall be punished with imprisonment of three to 15 years.”

There has been an unprecedented surge in complaints and charges under the law since the royalist-backed military coup of 2006 which ousted then Premier Thaksin Shinawatra — partly on grounds that he was disrespectful of the King.

The attacks endured by Abhinya are typical of a debate which is often furious and bitter, especially on the Internet where pro and anti-112 groups hurl abuse at one another.

One royalist group calling itself Social Sanctions prowls the Internet looking for content that it deems insulting to the monarchy — and targeting those it believes responsible. A member declined to be interviewed. A government unit also monitors the Internet for content that could be deemed lese majeste.

Government officials in recent weeks have said clearly that the law will not be amended. The Yingluck Shinawatra government does not want to be tarnished by accusations of being anti-monarchy.

But opposing movements are gathering momentum regardless — and could be on a collision course.

Tul Sitthisomwong, an obstetrician, leads a royalist group which has vowed to collect 1,000 signatures to oppose any amendment to the law. A group of academics from Thammasat University has also launched a public campaign to collect 1,000 signatures to petition Parliament to have the law amended.

And the debate is beginning to transcend political lines. The Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand set up by the Democrat Party government to investigate clashes in 2010 between the army and red shirts has called for a more lenient application of the law.

And on Jan. 12, a letter released by eight prominent Thais of royal lineage noted that “society is divided, with people taking extreme positions” — and called for the law to be amended.

It cited “ongoing abuse of the... law and the effect it has on the country at home and abroad” — and drew attention to the fact that the King himself in 2005 had said he should not be above criticism.

The case of Abhinya is likely to create more waves when she reports to a police station on Feb. 11 to be charged. She plans to arrive wearing a mask across her face with ‘112’ printed on it.

Veera Prateepchaikul, a former editor of the generally conservative Bangkok Post, in an opinion piece in the paper on Jan. 9, wrote: “Because of the sensitivity of the lese majeste issue and the widespread attention the issue (of Kanthoop) will attract, especially from the international community, the police should pursue the case with great caution.

“Nothing is permanent (so) the lese majeste law cannot remain as it is forever. Some day in the future it will have to change. But it is better that it is changed while we can talk sense with one another and in a peaceful manner.”

Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055.