Un-Grace...then ?

This white man was astonished to hear in the news this week of an Australian journalist, Harry Nicolaides, being sentenced to three-years imprisonment in Thailand for insulting the Thai monarchy. A more detailed account of the story can be accessed from this link;

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090119/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_australia_monarchyyahoo.com/s/ap/20090119/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_australia_monarchy

I can understand that in some countries and within their national psyche, the monarchy is still held up to be beyond contempt. As a mere, humble antipodean subject from the great southern convict colony, my regard for HRH Queen Elizabeth II is proportionate to the distance between my home and hers accordingly. What they do is their business and what I do is mine and as they say, "ne'er the twain shall meet!" Yet I do understand well that Thai's regard their royal family with a level of reverence not understood by most Westerners, let alone Australians. I can clearly remember whilst staying in Bangkok at some point in my overseas travels going to watch a movie in a local cinema. Before the feature started all in the theatre had to stand to their feet as the Thailand national anthem was played whilst patriotic images of the Thai king and queen filled the movie screen. And trust me, you stood up, even if you weren't a Thai national or regardless if you couldn't even care less for their monarchy.

Yet something seems a little harsh about this story regarding the Aussie journalist Nicolaides in his Bangkok jail cell. He wrote a fictional novel that alluded to there being impropriety in the Thai royal family in what amounted to only a few sentences of text. And it's not as if this novel is a Pulitzer Prize winning best-selling novel either. According to Nicolaides himself the book has sold a grand total of seven copies. Could it be that there is just a hint of "un-grace" in this whole shabby episode? The sentenced journalist has expressed profuse apology for his offending lapse in literary judgment. How will the royals respond? When will the King of Thailand show some grace to a contrite man facing a bleak future in the Bangkok Hilton? A royal pardon has been requested...will grace abound? This white man certainly hopes so!