Chambers, 112 and the US
22-04-2025
Thai Political Prisoners
The 112 case against Paul Chambers continues to get media coverage in the US. As mentioned in a previous post, his family is speaking out, drawing on Trumpian-MAGA lines.
In an op-ed in The Oklahoman, his brother Kit calls for Paul’s return to the US, linking the case to trade-tariff talks between the two countries. Kit begins:
As the U.S. meets with a Thai delegation for tariff negotiations on April 21, one important issue cannot be overlooked. It’s an issue that has nothing to do with tariffs but has everything to do with U.S.-Thai relations. It is the unlawful detainment in Thailand of an American citizen and Oklahoman, my brother, Paul Chambers. If we are going to talk tariffs, we can’t even start that discussion until this issue is resolved.
With a Trumpian echo, he contends: “It it is a fairly simple discussion: allow my brother, Paul Chambers, to come home to Oklahoma or face the highest tariffs possible.”
Describing his brother as “recognized internationally as an expert on Southeast Asia politics and a world authority on the Thai military,” Kit says Paul’s expertise is a problem:
Unfortunately, the Thai military recently decided that Paul’s American viewpoints were becoming inconvenient for them. His American constitutional based research and publications were becoming too widely known. He was falsely charged of lèse-majesté (criticizing the monarchy). While this concept flies in the face of our American approach to criticism [PPT: well, it did once…], it is illegal in Thailand to criticize members of the royal family ― violation can carry a 15-year imprisonment. Paul knows the rules, he has spent three decades in Thailand, he respects Thai culture and would never disrespect the royal family.
Arguing that the charges are false, but he is now “charged, temporarily detained in a deplorable prison, and now detained in Thailand with an ankle monitor, no passport and no work visa, forbidden to leave the country.”
Like Paul’s mother, Kit argues: “All Paul wants is to leave Thailand ― his second home for three decades ― and relocate back to Oklahoma.” They want Thailand to deport Paul.
The call to Trump is for a remedy. Kit says Trump has:
made it clear that he wants Americans wrongfully detained overseas to come home to the U.S. The Thai government should not test our president on tariffs, but they really should not test him on holding an American hostage. For our America First colleagues getting ready to negotiate tariffs with the Thai government, the first words that need to be spoken by the Thai representatives should be, “Dr. Chambers is on his way home now.”
That’s one way of dealing with this issue.
https://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2025/04/22/chambers-112-and-the-us/
....
The 112 case against Paul Chambers continues to get media coverage in the US. As mentioned in a previous post, his family is speaking out, drawing on Trumpian-MAGA lines.
In an op-ed in The Oklahoman, his brother Kit calls for Paul’s return to the US, linking the case to trade-tariff talks between the two countries. Kit begins:
As the U.S. meets with a Thai delegation for tariff negotiations on April 21, one important issue cannot be overlooked. It’s an issue that has nothing to do with tariffs but has everything to do with U.S.-Thai relations. It is the unlawful detainment in Thailand of an American citizen and Oklahoman, my brother, Paul Chambers. If we are going to talk tariffs, we can’t even start that discussion until this issue is resolved.
With a Trumpian echo, he contends: “It it is a fairly simple discussion: allow my brother, Paul Chambers, to come home to Oklahoma or face the highest tariffs possible.”
Describing his brother as “recognized internationally as an expert on Southeast Asia politics and a world authority on the Thai military,” Kit says Paul’s expertise is a problem:
Unfortunately, the Thai military recently decided that Paul’s American viewpoints were becoming inconvenient for them. His American constitutional based research and publications were becoming too widely known. He was falsely charged of lèse-majesté (criticizing the monarchy). While this concept flies in the face of our American approach to criticism [PPT: well, it did once…], it is illegal in Thailand to criticize members of the royal family ― violation can carry a 15-year imprisonment. Paul knows the rules, he has spent three decades in Thailand, he respects Thai culture and would never disrespect the royal family.
Arguing that the charges are false, but he is now “charged, temporarily detained in a deplorable prison, and now detained in Thailand with an ankle monitor, no passport and no work visa, forbidden to leave the country.”
Like Paul’s mother, Kit argues: “All Paul wants is to leave Thailand ― his second home for three decades ― and relocate back to Oklahoma.” They want Thailand to deport Paul.
The call to Trump is for a remedy. Kit says Trump has:
made it clear that he wants Americans wrongfully detained overseas to come home to the U.S. The Thai government should not test our president on tariffs, but they really should not test him on holding an American hostage. For our America First colleagues getting ready to negotiate tariffs with the Thai government, the first words that need to be spoken by the Thai representatives should be, “Dr. Chambers is on his way home now.”
That’s one way of dealing with this issue.
https://thaipoliticalprisoners.wordpress.com/2025/04/22/chambers-112-and-the-us/
....
