The distributor of the UK-based current affairs magazine The Economist has pulled all copies of the magazine's latest edition off the shelves in Thailand. This is the second time in two months that the magazine has been banned in the kingdom for fear of lese majeste charges. The latest issue contains an article about the Australian writer who was recently sentenced to a 3-year imprisonment for briefly referring to an unnamed crown prince in his little known novel. Shortly after being sworn in, the Thai government led by the Democrat party declared protecting the monarchy as its top priority. As a result, thousands of Web sites insulting the Thai royal family have been blocked, while several people, including a prominent university professor, are awaiting trial for allegedly insulting the monarchy.
BBC