Australian writer Harry Nicolaides has been jailed for three years in Thailand for insulting the Thai Crown Prince in his hugely unread 2005 novel, Verisimilitude. Cue much condemnation about harsh Thai justice and freedom of speech being curtailed. But is Harry the author of his own misfortune?
Harry’s plight is getting international media attention with Reporters Without Borders highlighting the case as “a strong violation of freedom of speech”. In Australia, Harry is being portrayed as a naïve innocent abroad who’s suddenly found himself thrust into a Kafka-esque nightmare. Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has confirmed he’s written to the Thai Government to express “strong support” for Harry’s request for a Royal pardon. There’s a good chance a pardon will be granted. In 2007, Thailand’s King pardoned a Swiss man sentenced to 10 years jail for publicly defacing images of him.
So, in his own charming parlance — who the f-ck is Harry? Well, he’s an ex-Melbourne hotel concierge and, um, “best selling Australian author”. With a penchant for Nicole Kidman’s buttocks. The Times in the UK notes he “wrote seedy columns about his escapades with Thai bar girls and serious articles about child pornography”. He does seem a little confused — condemning child p-rn but quite happy to admit he was attracted to a Thai prostitute radiating “the innocent charms of a 12-year-old girl”. He’s a puzzling contradiction — managing to write coherent pieces like this for The Age, yet also churning out rambling nonsense while in Thailand.
Reading Harry’s missives in a weekly column for a tourism website in Phuket, it’s clear he rather fancied himself as a Hunter S. Thompson-type, rattling around Thailand, indulging in all the bimbos and booze a few western dollars can buy. He thought he was being dangerous and edgy. In reality, it was all a bit sad.
Despite his protests, the English language teacher must have known Verisimilitude would cause trouble in the politically sensitive country, and he did his best to court controversy. Harry’s self-issued media release promoted his “savage, ruthless and unforgiving” novel as “an uncompromising assault on the patrician values of the monarchy”. It’s unsurprising someone was offended, even if they weren’t one of the seven people who originally bought the self-published book. If Harry was looking to stir up some publicity, he’s certainly got it now.
Harry also claims he’s “not an agitator”. Hard to believe since this isn’t the first time he’s slammed a foreign country in print. This Harry-penned July 2007 New Statesman article slams Saudi Arabia as a “conspiracy kingdom” — mostly based on gossip he heard while working as a teacher there — and paints a vivid picture of a country awash with illegal alcohol bootlegging, pornography, and beheadings of foreigners. At least he had the good sense to actually leave that “insular, suspicious” and “angerous” nation before the article was published.
Let’s not glorify the foolishness of this Australian abroad by claiming he’s a political prisoner and likening his plight to Salman Rushdie’s. Hopefully, Harry will be free soon. Being an awful wannabe gonzo writer isn’t a crime. Although perhaps it should be.
Nothing wrong with slamming a foreign country in print, Lucy. But if you do so, best to get the facts right rather than relying on the urban myths, gossip and hearsay reported in The New Statesman article on Saudi Arabia. Also have no issue with the Australian Government assisting Harry as a citizen in strife abroad. Hope he’s freed soon. However, let’s not turn this foolishness into a cause célèbre.
“Oh Hell!” said the King of Siam,
For women, I don’t give a damn.
You think it odd of me,
I prefer sodomy.
You call me a bugger, I am,
“Oh Hell!” said the King of Siam.
Hmm, no. It shouldn’t be a crime. If it was a crime, Guy Rundle would have been strung up months ago.
Terrible article, Neil.
Neil says, “best to get the facts right rather than relying on the urban myths, gossip and hearsay.”
What if hearsay is all you have?
I was in Philippines for 5 months during 2008 and blogged a few cultural / politcal observations, amongst the travel info – google “eastern samar time”.
I’ll be the 1st to admit to being a naive and careless writer – well, the last to say I’m a writer.
But being in cramped tropical internet cafes in 40C heat and humidity; usually after a couple of 1-Litre stubbies – and essentially posting 1st drafts – can lead one to publish the odd odd, confused rambling.
But I did use a little caution – I deleted many posts (under the “rants” tag) before flying home.
The thing is, when you hear stories of the national army using “truth drugs” on local bushmen, abductions of school girls to be used as “companions” for the night back at base camp, using forceful “interview” techniques to coerce mothers into outing their sons as militants and so on – it can become irresistible subject matter.
In case archive.org missed, I did keep those deleted posts on a USB stick – naively flying home with it in my pocket.
I’ll line up one of those digital dictation gizmos for next time – are first hand interviews better than “hearsay”, or the same?
So Harry Nicolaides is a publicity whore. So what? And who cares if he’s a serial slammer of foreign governments in print? Are we against that kind of thing now? Or should we only criticise liberal democracies who aren’t in the habit of locking up their detractors?
“Angerous” is awful. Maybe all his writing is awful. But aesthetic considerations really shouldn’t prevent the government from supporting a citizen incarcerated abroad. Nor should they prevent Reporters Without Borders et al from drawing attention to the case.