Thailand: journal editor again detained
Event- Country
- Thailand
- Initial Date
- Jul 5, 2014
- Event Description
Military officers on Saturday detained Thanapol Eawsakul, editor of Fah Deaw Kan (Same Sky) magazine, for another seven days, stating that Thanapol had violated his release order by posting messages on Facebook deemed violating the junta's orders. Several plainclothes officers arrested him at a cafe in Phaholyothin Soi 7 after the military had earlier called him to meet for "a talk" at the cafe. He was put into a private car and taken to the King's Guard, 2nd Cavalry Division in the Sanam Pao area. Later he was taken to the Police Crime Suppression Division where he will be detained under martial law for seven days. Thanapol was earlier arrested on May 23 during an anti-coup protest in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Later he was detained for seven days after his name appeared on a summons list in Order No 5 of the National Council for Peace and Order. Those who hvve been summoned and released have had to sign agreements with the military stating that they will not participate in any political activity or travel abroad without permission of the NCPO. According to the rights NGO iLaw, academics from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science, Assoc. Prof. Puangthong Pawakapan and Asst. Prof. Pitch Pongsawat, were also invited for talks on July 3 and 4 and released on the same day. The two academics led a group called the Assembly for the Defence of Democracy which held anti-coup campaigns and advocated elections prior to the May 22 coup. The NCPO also issued summons to 18 more people, not via a televised announcement as usual, but by sending orders to the homes of those summoned.
- Impact of Event
- 1
- Violation
- (Arbitrary) Arrest and Detention
- Rights Concerned
- Internet freedom
- Source
- Monitoring Status
- Active
- Event Location
Latitude: 13.7278956
Longitude: 100.5241235
- Event Location
- Summary for Publications
On 7 July 2014, Thanapol Eawsakul, the editor of the Same Sky academic journal who has previously faced lese majeste charges, was detained by the Thai military for a second time. Mr. Eawsakul was originally detained on 23 May 2014 and released on 3 June on condition that he not leave the country without permission of the military and that he not engage in any political activity. The military deemed that facebook posts by Mr. Eawsakul violated the terms of his release, and he was forced into an unmarked car by plainclothes police on 7 June for another seven-day detention.