Thai authorities are investigating the BBC over a Thai-language profile of the new king, officials said Wednesday, after the article outraged ultra-royalists in a country where criticism of the monarchy is outlawed.
A harsh royal defamation law has been used to jail scores of critics and spawned a culture of self-censorship across the kingdom's media, academia and the arts.
The BBC is now under scrutiny for the profile published out of its London offices of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who ascended to the throne last week.
The royal succession was Thailand's first in seven decades and is considered a delicate moment for the institution. Vajiralongkorn does not command the respect enjoyed by his late revered father.
The BBC profile included information about Vajiralongkorn's personal life that is well-known inside the kingdom but rarely printed by Thai media, such as details about his three marriages that ended in divorce.
The article, which has since been blocked online in Thailand, quickly went viral on social media but attracted a torrent of criticism from royalists.
Any member of the public can allege royal defamation and authorities are duty bound to investigate.
On Tuesday a team of police officers visited the BBC's Bangkok office but found it closed.
"This case is in the process of investigation but I cannot disclose the details," Pornchai Chalordej, the commander of the Bangkok police station responsible for the case, told AFP.
Top leaders from Thailand's royalist junta, which has ramped up use of the lese majeste law since the 2014 coup, defended the probe on Wednesday.
"As they have an office in Thailand and Thai reporters work there they must be prosecuted when they violate Thai law," junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha said of the BBC.
The junta's number two, defence minister Prawit Wongsuwon, stressed the police's duty to investigate any wrongdoing.
"If anything is illegal we must prosecute accordingly without exception," he told reporters.
The BBC defended the profile in a statement and said its Thai-language service was committed to bringing "impartial, independent and accurate news to a country where the media faces restrictions".
"We are confident that this article adheres to the BBC’s editorial principles," it added.
On Saturday a prominent Thai dissident was arrested for sharing the BBC profile on Facebook.
Jatupat "Pai" Boonpattararaksa, a leader of a small group of anti-junta students, was released on bail but faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of lese majeste.
The BBC's Thai service is one of few platforms that publishes comparatively unfiltered reporting in the Thai language.
Its articles are edited and published out of London, though the service employs a small number of local staff in Bangkok.
The BBC's English-language bureau in Bangkok is an editorially separate entity.
AFP
Wed Dec 07 2016
In this May 9, 2016, photo,Thailand's Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn is seated at the royal plowing ceremony in Bangkok. - AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit
CAP minta kerajaan pertimbang tubuh Suruhanjaya Amal Malaysia
Mohideen berkata suruhanjaya itu pernah dicadangkan oleh bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail pada 2020.
Pos Malaysia yakin catat keputusan kewangan lebih baik di masa hadapan
Ia antara lain menyasarkan pengoptimuman sumber dan mengurangkan risiko berkaitan trend penurunan jumlah mel untuk menyokong pertumbuhan.
SPR India tuntut maklum balas aduan terhadap Modi, Rahul Gandhi
Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya India hari ini memaklumkan pihaknya sudah meminta maklum balas daripada parti pemerintah Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dan parti pembangkang, Kongres.
Penguin maharaja berdepan kepupusan akibat pencairan ais
Spesies penguin terbesar di dunia, penguin maharaja terus berdepan ancaman apabila habitatnya terjejas akibat perubahan iklim. Selain pernah disifatkan bakal pupus menjelang tahun 2050, saintis dari Pusat Penyelidikan British Antarctic Survey pada Khamis memberitahu perubahan iklim memberi kesan terhadap kecairan ais di wilayah beku Antartika yang menjadi habitat buat koloni penguin maharaja.
ANCC2024: Astro, NACSA bekerjasama anjur 'coding challenge'
Diilhamkan daripada komitmen Astro dan NACSA untuk memupuk langkah keselamatan siber yang proaktif, pertandingan itu juga bertujuan untuk menormalisasikan navigasi digital yang selamat dalam ruang siber.
Suhu cecah 42 Celsius, Bangladesh tutup semua sekolah sehingga Sabtu ini
Suhu panas melampau sehingga mencecah 42 Celcius memaksa kerajaan Bangladesh menutup operasi persekolahan yang melibatkan 33 juta pelajar di negara itu.
PM Haiti serah surat peletakan jawatan
Perdana Menteri Haiti, Ariel Henry akhirnya menyerahkan surat peletakan jawatan pada Khamis selepas tidak henti berdepan tekanan antarabangsa bagi mengawal kekacauan kumpulan pengganas di negara itu. Surat rasmi peletakan jawatan yang ditandatangani Ariel Henry diserahkan di Los Angeles dan dikongsi pejabat Perdana Menteri Haiti bersamaan tarikh majlis presiden peralihan ditubuhkan.
RTS JB-Singapura di landasan tepat
Perkambangan pembinaan Projek RTS Johor Bahru-Singapura dilihat berada pada landasan tepat.
Rakyat Israel sudah mula misi bina penempatan kekal di Gaza
Sekumpulan warga Israel yang bermalam di sempadan berarak memasuki Gaza pada pagi Khamis dengan matlamat untuk membuka penempatan kekal di wilayah itu. Dalam poster kumpulan itu yang tular di media sosial, tertera slogan 'tentera telah mendudukinya, maka kami akan menetap disitu'.
Malaysia sebuah negara selamat - Kedutaan AS
Kedutaan Amerika Syarikat di Malaysia menyangkal dakwaan dangkal Profesor Bruce Gilley yang mengatakan Malaysia adalah negara tidak selamat dilawati.
Memetik laporan Free Malaysia Today, pihak kedutaan berkata tiada perubahan kepada nasihat perjalanan yang kekal pada tahap satu, iaitu tahap paling rendah daripada empat tahap.
Memetik laporan Free Malaysia Today, pihak kedutaan berkata tiada perubahan kepada nasihat perjalanan yang kekal pada tahap satu, iaitu tahap paling rendah daripada empat tahap.
COVID-19: Misteri penularan dan kematian virus korona rendah di India
Akhbar Financial Times pula membuat andaian, berdasarkan kajian di 14 negara, kadar kematian COVID-19 mungkin 60 peratus lebih tinggi.
Tindas warga Islam Xinjiang: 'Panorama' dedah bukti, China tegas nafi
Rancangan televisyen BBC siar dokumen rahsia dedah cara rakyat Islam Xinjiang dalam tahanan dipaksa jalani proses indoktrinasi.
Menang pilihan raya UK, Najib ucap tahniah kepada Cameron
Najib berkata Malaysia juga menaruh harapan untuk menjalin hubungan dan kerjasama yang lebih mendalam dengan UK.