FT: What about the Lese Majeste law? It has caused Thailand some very bad publicity, do you think it needs to be changed?

Abhisit: I think the way it is enforced needs to be managed.

FT: What does that mean?

Abhisit: It means that there has to be clear guidance as to what the law says and how people who violate the law or are suspected of violating the law should be treated. I think the problem has been either too liberal an interpretation of what it means and also some actions that only create more confusion and conflict surrounding the law.

FT: Can you give me specifics on that?

Abhisit: The latest case with Prachatai website was definitely mishandled and certainly went against my policy and apparently action was taken by people who were not supposed to be in charge of this issue.

FT: That wasn’t under the Lese Majeste law, it was under the computer crimes act?

Abhisit: That’s what I mean. People went to the people who handle the computer crimes and used this and that reason and it turned out like that.

FT: And your ability to influence and control that…?

Abhisit: Before the prachatai case I thought that there had been quite a good working relationship between people who run websites, the police who are working on this.

FT: And that broke down?

Abhisit: I hope that was an isolated incident and would be put right