A Thai magazine editor was jailed for 10 years on Wednesday for insulting the royal family, under the country's draconian lese-majeste law.<br/> <br />The editor of "Voice of the Oppressed", which is a magazine devoted to self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was found guilty of publishing articles in 2010 defaming the King.<br/> <br />A report from the public prosecutors in 2011 said the articles criticized the role of a fictional character meant to represent the King.<br/> <br />Discussions about the role of the monarchy are forbidden in Thailand, and websites accused of defaming the royal family are frequently shut down.<br/> <br />Rights groups say the lese-majeste law is used by Thailand's powerful elite to silence political opponents, including supporters of pro-Thaksin groups.<br/> <br />Convictions under the law carry a maximum jail term of 15 years.
