(FILES) In this file photo taken on October 14, 2020, royalist supporters wave Thai national flags as the limousine (L) carrying Thailand鈥檚 Queen Suthida and Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti escorted by police passes them by in Bangkok. 鈥� Thai authorities on March 31, 2021, charged five pro-democracy activists with the rarely used criminal offense of attempting to harm the queen, over an encounter with a royal motorcade during a protest last year. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP)
BANGKOK 鈥� Five pro-democracy activists in Thailand were charged Wednesday with the rarely used criminal offense of attempting to harm the queen, over an encounter with a royal motorcade during a protest last year.
If convicted, the group could face the death penalty or life in prison under a law that has not been used for decades and punishes any 鈥渁ct of violence against the queen or her liberty.鈥�
The incident came as thousands of protesters marched from the Democracy Monument to the Government House in Bangkok in October last year.
A motorcade ferrying Queen Suthida and Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti passed through the protest zone in the afternoon.
Some protesters crowded around the vehicle, raising the three-fingered salute of defiance adopted from 鈥淭he Hunger Games鈥� books and films.
Such an overt challenge of the monarchy is unprecedented in Thailand, where a draconian defamation law has been used to shield the royal family from criticism.
Prosecutors formally charged the five on Wednesday.
Their lawyer, Poonsuk Poonsukcharoen, sought bail and was prepared to put up a 300,000 baht ($10,000) bond for each.
One of the accused, Bunkueanun 鈥淔rancis鈥� Paothong, 21, said he had no intention of harming the queen.
He told reporters it had been a 鈥渨retched and excruciating five months鈥� in legal limbo.
The pro-democracy protests in Bangkok kicked off last July and called for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha鈥檚 government and a rewrite of the military-scripted constitution.
But the most controversial demands have been for reforms to the monarchy, including the abolition of lese majeste, the royal defamation law.
Close to 20 pro-democracy protesters and student leaders are on remand in prison while fighting lese majeste charges, sedition, and other offenses.