This Thai Activist Who Was Jailed For Insulting The Monarchy Has Died In Prison After She Went On A Hunger Strike For Months
28-year-old Netiporn Sanesangkhom, also known as "Bung," was jailed for conducting public polls asking people’s opinions about the Thai royal family.
![This Thai Activist Who Was Jailed For Insulting The Monarchy Has Died In Prison After She Went On A Hunger Strike For Months](/content/images/size/w1200/2024/05/thai-activist-bung-died-prison-hunger-strike-netiporn-sanesangkhom.jpg)
This Thai activist who was jailed for insulting the monarchy has died in prison after she went on a hunger strike for months.
![thai activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom bung](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/05/328822449_2541709402636145_8053704402412281118_n.jpg)
28-year-old Netiporn Sanesangkhom, also known as “Bung,” died on Tuesday, May 14, while in prison awaiting trial.
![thai activist bung Netiporn Sanesangkhom died prison](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/05/434273654_18014256749471393_530802194857994529_n.jpg)
Bung had been jailed since January 26 after she was charged for conducting public polls asking people’s opinions about the royal family.
![thai activist group opinion poll royal family](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/05/toolzin-photo-CbFrb1oJ3c5-5.jpg)
In Thailand, it is illegal to insult, defame or threaten the king, the queen and other members of the royal family under the lèse-majesté law, which carries a sentence of three to 15 years.
![thai activist bung died prison hunger strike](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/05/53734355269_d2086cb0a8_b.jpg)
Bung belonged to a small anti-monarchy group that organized activities to demand changes to the lèse-majesté law.
![bung Netiporn Sanesangkhom thai activist](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/05/441312702_764947409120150_8033215898813381443_n.jpg)
The day after she was sentenced, she started abstaining from food, water and medication for 65 days to call for Thailand to free other detained political activists.
![Netiporn bung Sanesangkhom thailand activist](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/05/328630048_5808601089252263_678668879040152523_n.jpg)
She started to eat and drink in April, but still refused medication and on Tuesday April 14, Thai authorities said Bung’s “heart stopped suddenly” .
![thai activist died prison hunger strike bung Netiporn Sanesangkhom](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/05/GettyImages-2152387209.jpg)
She appears to be the first political activist in Thailand to have died after carrying out a partial hunger strike, according to AP.
![thai activist bung died prison hunger strike memorial](https://almostmag.co/content/images/2024/05/GettyImages-2152386976.jpg)
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