Foreign reporters club accused of Thai royal insult

A "lese majeste" complaint has been filed against the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT), accusing the board of insulting the monarchy by selling a DVD of a contentious speech by a former government minister.

 Lese-majeste is a serious offence in Thailand, where many people regard 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej as semi-divine. It is punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Police said a formal complaint was lodged on Tuesday night by freelance translator Laksana Kornsil, who claimed the FCCT had sought to undermine the monarchy when it sold the DVD last year.

"We understand that the police have an obligation to conduct an inquiry. The FCCT will cooperate with such an inquiry," FCCT President Marwaan Macan-Markar said in a statement. The club has operated in Thailand for more than 50 years.

The FCCT's 13-member board includes journalists from the BBC, Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal.

The DVD was a compilation of speeches made at the club by prominent political figures, which included an August 2007 address by former government minister Jakrapob Penkair, an ally of ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra.

CONTROVERSIAL SPEECH

Police were expected to decide on July 17 whether to press charges against Jakrapob, who was the subject of a complaint after political opponents stirred up controversy over his speech.

FCCT Vice-President Jonathan Head, a British BBC correspondent, has received three lese-majeste complaints.

One was related to a BBC website story, written by someone else, which did not place the photo of the king at the top of the page as is customary in Thailand.

The latest case comes amid rising disquiet about the lese-majeste law, which critics say is used to stifle free speech and political dissent.

Because of the sensitivity of all things concerning the monarchy in Thailand, investigations into lese-majeste allegations are often long, drawn-out affairs, with police duty bound to probe all complaints.

An official from Bangkok's Lumpini police station told Reuters that the complaint by Laksana, a staunch critic of Thaksin, had been forwarded to a higher police committee because of the "special nature" of the case.

Rights group Amnesty International last week urged Thailand to open the lese-majeste trial of Thaksin supporter Darunee Charnchoengsilpakul after it was closed to the public for reasons of national security.

BANGKOK, July 2 (Reuters) -