Thailand’s military government apparently caught wind of a segment Last Week Tonight with John Oliver did on their Crown Prince last month, and they’re not taking his satire lightly. VICE News recently got ahold of a “highly confidential†official document from Thailand’s National Council of Peace and Order responding to, among other things, Oliver’s June 22 segment on Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn in which he mocked the coup leader and his ridiculous “happiness campaign†and called him “buffoonish†and “an idiot.†From the document, which focuses on Oliver and other “overseas activities that the junta regards as ‘undermining the royal institution’â€:
Mr. John William Oliver, a comedy actor known for parodying English politics, discussed the issue of Crown Prince Felipe of Spain’s inauguration, criticizing it and referring/connecting it to other countries with monarchs, such as Queen Elizabeth II, by means of showing sections of and criticizing ‘the poolside clip’ on HBO.
Oliver played the “poolside clip†– which features the Crown Prince, his topless wife, and their poodle Foo Foo (who also ranks as Air Chief Marshal in the Royal Thai Air Force) lounging by a pool with a birthday cake – when covering Thailand’s lèse majestè law, which calls for 3-15 years in jail for anyone who mocks the royal family: “And you’re telling me they’re not supposed to make fun of that? That’s entrapment!†Click here to watch a clip from the original segment.