In an unprecedented act of mercy, Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn will pardon up to 150,000 inmates, even including many who were imprisoned for insulting the royal family of the Southeast Asian country.
The new king, who took over after the death of his father Bhumibol Adulyadej in October, will release thousands of inmates or see their terms shortened. In fact, each inmate's case will be assessed separately by the officials, according to a report in the Independent.
The royal family believes the show of a soft heart will see the freed individuals becoming good citizens. "This is the first opportunity since his majesty's ascension to show his mercy," a Royal Gazette statement said on Saturday (December 10).
Two years ago, a coup in Thailand saw the maximum number of people being thrown behind the bars for insulting the monarchy, something which is a criminal offense in the country.
The Thai government though has not said about the number of people who are in prison for insulting royals but over 80 people have reportedly been prosecuted since mid-2014 under the law, an International Business Times report said while citing a legal monitoring group as the source. However, those convicted of rape and murder will neither be eligible for pardon nor will have their sentences slashed, added the report.
While Thailand mourned the death of their long-serving king on October 13 who had been the symbol of unity of the country, the coronation of his son was seen as a move to help the country's stability through ways of reconciliation. Thailand has experienced cycles of political protest and coup for a long time now.
Vajiralongkorn ascended the throne on December 1.
Thailand's corrections department showed a prison population of 321,347 in the country and of them, around 70 percent have been jailed for drug addiction.
The BBC also came under investigation in Thailand for allegedly defaming the new king after it faced the wrath for publishing a profile of the latter online.
