Uwazi

Activist Nawat Liangwattana has been hit with a 6th royal defamation charge for delivering a speech at an August 2023 protest to commemorate those who died in the 2010 crackdown.

Nawat reported to the Pathumwan Police Station last Saturday (23 March) after being informed of the charge, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

The complaint against him was filed by Anon Klinkaew, leader of the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy. Anon has filed several royal defamation complaints against activists and netizens. He has also been involved in attacks on pro-democracy activists and citizen journalists.

The 14 August 2023 protest started from the Pathumwan Intersection and moved to the Ratchaprasong Intersection to commemorate the protesters who died in the 2010 crackdown. In his speech, Nawat called for justice to be given to those who died, stating that “…no one should have been killed by the crown’s bullets.” The plaintiff argued that the statement was made with malicious intent towards the King, a violation of the royal defamation law.

Nawat denied the allegation. As he reported to the police, he was not detained.

The case is his 6th royal defamation charge. The other charges stem from his participation in pro-democracy protests.

Student activist Sirapob Phumpheungphut has been found guilty of royal defamation and sentenced to prison over a speech given at a protest on 18 November 2020 about the monarchy’s role in Thai politics.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said today (25 March) that the South Bangkok Criminal Court sentenced Sirapob to 3 years in prison, but later reduced his sentence to 2 years because he gave useful testimony. However, the Court found him not guilty of violating the Emergency Decree and the Public Assembly Act because he did not organize the protest.

The South Bangkok Criminal Court later decided to forward Sirapob’s bail request to the Appeal Court. He will be detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison until a ruling is made.

Sirapob was accused of royal defamation for a speech given at the 18 November 2020 protest, during which protesters marched from the Ratchaprasong Intersection to the police headquarters. The protest came after a crackdown on a protest in front of the parliament complex the day before.

During the protest, activists took turn giving speeches on a speaker truck. Sirapob spoke about the role of the monarchy in Thai politics and the transfer of some army units to be under the King’s direct command. The Court ruled that his speech was “anti-monarchy” and that his criticism was not made in good faith because he defamed the King by saying that the King was above the Constitution and held centralized power.

Another activist, Chukiat Sangwong, was also charged along with Sirapob. However, he did not appear in court, so the Court struck his case from the case list.

Update:

The Appeal Court on 27 March denied bail for Sirapob on the grounds that the charges carry a high penalty and he is a flight risk.

TLHR noted, however, that Sirapob's bail request clearly stated that he is a student in a Master's degree programme and has never intended to run.

Activists Tantawan Tuatulanon and Nutanon Chaimahabut, who have been on a hunger strike for over a month to protest their detention, have been denied bail for the 7th time.

Tantawan’s father, Sommai Tuatulanon, filed a bail request for Tantawan and Nutanon with the Criminal Court this morning (28 March) because their health has worsened due to their hunger strike. However, the court dismissed his request because there is no reason to change its existing order.

Activist Orawan Phupong said that Tantawan and Nutanon have very low blood potassium levels, putting their lives in danger. Doctors have recommended that they receive treatment, but they have refused.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) also said that, according to a cardiologist monitoring Tantawan, she has heart arrhythmia due to low potassium and magnesium level. The cardiologist has told her family that she could go into cardiac arrest.

Tantawan and Nutanon were arrested on 13 February on several charges, including sedition, for allegedly honking at and blocking a royal motorcade and for posting dash cam footage of the incident. They have so far been detained for 44 days and all of their bail requests have been denied.

In a Facebook post on 11 February, Tantawan said that she did not block or cut off the motorcade. She also said she did not know that there was going to be a motorcade. She was on the way back from a funeral and admitted that she was speeding because she was in a hurry.

The dashcam footage shows the vehicle stuck in traffic. The car’s horn can be heard when it moved to the front of the line and the lane was blocked by a police vehicle. The footage also shows that the vehicle was stuck behind another police vehicle at the exit from the expressway. A police officer can be seen approaching the vehicle before Tantawan is heard arguing.

On 20 March, the Criminal Court extended their detention order for 12 more days, as the police claim they are still gathering evidence.

Tantawan and Nutanon has been on a hunger strike since the beginning of their detention. They are calling for a reform of the justice system, an end to the detention of dissidents, and for Thailand to denied its bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.

Tantawan is now held at Thammasat University Hospital and Nutanon at the Corrections Hospital. Both have refused medical intervention. They continue to refuse food and are drinking only a small amount of water each day.

The Criminal Court ruled yesterday (20 March) to continue detaining activists Tantawan Tuatulanon and Nutanon Chaimahabut, who have been on a hunger strike for over a month, for 12 more days, as the police claims they are still gathering evidence.

Lawyer Kritsadang Nutcharus said that an inquiry officer from Din Daeng Police Station filed a request for the Court to extend its detention order on the grounds that the police are still examining whether dashcam footage given by an eyewitness had been manipulated.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) noted that, when filing a previous detention request on 8 March, the police also claimed that they were still waiting for the footage examination result and told the Court that the examination should be done within a week.

Tantawan and Nutanon were arrested on 13 February on several charges, including sedition, for allegedly honking at and blocking a royal motorcade and for posting dash cam footage of the incident. They have been repeatedly denied bail.

To call for a reform of the justice system, an end to the detention of dissidents, and for Thailand to denied its bid for a seat in the UN Human Rights Council, the two activists have been on a hunger strike since the first day of their detention and are refusing medical intervention. Tantawan is now held at Thammasat University Hospital. TLHR said that she has ketoacidosis and that she has signed a document stating that she does not consent to receiving fluid or nutrients if she loses consciousness. A doctor reportedly told Tantawan that she could go into shock or lose consciousness if she continues her hunger strike. She insists on continuing to refuse food, nutrients or sugar water, and is only drinking a small amount of water each day.

Meanwhile, Nutanon is held at the Corrections Hospital. TLHR said an infection was found in his intestine, but he refused to take medication. He is also refusing food and is only drinking a small amount of water each day.

In a Facebook post on 11 February, Tantawan said that she did not block or cut off the motorcade. She also said she did not know that there was going to be a motorcade. She was on the way back from a funeral and admitted that she was speeding because she was in a hurry.

The dashcam footage shows the vehicle stuck in traffic. The car’s horn can be heard when it moved to the front of the line and the lane was blocked by a police vehicle. The footage also shows that the vehicle was stuck behind another police vehicle while at the exit from the expressway. A police officer can be seen approaching the vehicle before Tantawan is heard arguing.

Activist Parit Chiwarak has been accused of royal defamation for posting a critique of a Constitutional Court ruling that former Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha had not violated the constitution by continuing to live in army housing after his retirement.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), Parit reported to the police yesterday (21 March) after receiving a summons in February. He was informed by the inquiry officer that he had been accused of royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crimes Act for social media posts about a December 2020 Constitutional Court ruling that Gen Prayut’s occupation of army housing after retirement did not constitute a conflict of interest and was therefore not a violation of the Constitution.

The complaint against Parit was reportedly filed in December 2021 by former Phalang Pracharath MP Pareena Kraikupt, who claimed she saw four Facebook posts from an account with Parit’s name on it criticizing the ruling, discussing King Vajiralongkorn, and utilising a quote about judges that has often been attributed to the late King Bhumibol.

Pareena reportedly filed the complaint because she believed that Parit was the owner of the Facebook page and felt that his posts defamed King Vajiralongkorn.

Parit denied all charges. He also refused to be fingerprinted, requesting that the police uses his citizen ID number to check his identity and criminal record instead. He felt that there was no need to use his fingerprint in the investigation but the police told him that he would be charged with refusing to follow an officer’s order if he did not cooperate.

This the 25th royal defamation charge filed against Parit. TLHR noted that the summons was issued several years after the complaint was filed. They also noted that in November 2023, Pareena claimed she had withdrawn her complaint against Parit.

As a result of the posts, Parit was also accused of insulting the court, but the public prosecutor decided not to indict him.

A detained pro-democracy activist and protest leader has been hit with additional prison time for royal defamation as a result of a speech he gave at a protest in 2020. Found guilty of royal defamation in two earlier cases, he now faces a total of 7 years and 6 months in jail.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights reports that Shinawat Chankrajang was charged with royal defamation over a protest speech he gave on 21 December 2020 when he and other activists organised a march to the Bangkhen Police Station to support activists facing charges stemming from an earlier demonstration.

The protest leader addressed the need for reform of the monarchy and amendment of the law related to the King’s personal property. As a result of the protest, 7 activists were prosecuted. Three of the defendants - Shinawat, Anon Nampa, and Parit Chiwarak - were charged with royal defamation while the rest were charged with violating the Assembly Act.

During his first witness examination, Shinawat reversed his testimony and decided to plead guilty, resulting in his trial being separated from the others.

The court on Thursday ruled that the activist was guilty as charged. He given 3 years in prison for royal defamation and fined 200 baht for unauthorised use of a sound amplifier. His sentence was later reduced to 1 year and 6 months with a 100 baht fine. Shinawat has been detained since 29 February as a result of an earlier royal defamation trial in which he was sentenced to 3 years in jail without parole. In yet another case stemming from a speech he gave at a protest on 2 December 2020, the activist was also given a 3 year prison sentence without parole. As the court ordered that his sentences be consecutively served Shinawat’s total prison sentence now stands at 7 years and 6 months.

In addition to the above-noted 3 cases, Shinawat faced another royal defamation charge for a speech he gave on on 28 July 2022. In this latter case, he received a suspended sentence.

Sitanun Satsaksit, sister of missing activist in exile Wanchalearm Satsaksit, was met by a police blockade yesterday (21 February) when she attempted to protest in front of the Shinawatra family residence during a visit by former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen with Thaksin Shinawatra.

Sitanun travelled to Baan Chan Song La, the Shinawatra family residence, yesterday morning (21 February) intending to demand information about her brother’s disappearance after it was reported that Hun Sen would be visiting Thaksin, who has been released on parole.

However, police officers blocked her car, preventing her from reaching the residence. She decided instead to protest in front of the Siam Commercial Bank’s Sirindhorn Road branch, where she was surrounded by over 50 plainclothes officers.

Sitanun told Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) that she was held there for over 3 hours and that the police told her not to go anywhere without permission. She felt threatened because she was being surrounded by many men in plainclothes. She also noticed a unit of women crowd control officers moving towards her, but after she asked one of the men what they were doing there, the women officers moved away.

Sitanun also noticed during her conversation with the plainclothes officers that some of them has information about her place of work and could speak about specific incidents that only a person in the same building would know. The conversation made her feel unsafe, since she believed that she has been closely watched.

Sitanun said she came seeking the truth of her brother’s disappearance, since he went missing in Cambodia and used to work for the Pheu Thai Party before fleeingThailand.

Sitanun said that, while she was driving to Baan Chan Song La, she was surrounded by many police officers who asked her where she was going. When she told them her destination, she heard an officer shout an order to arrest her. She was frightened and decided to drive away and stop in front of the bank, a crowded, public area.

Deputy police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn later came to speak to Sitanun. He insisted the police were not ordered to arrest her on sight, and tried to ask her what she planned to do once she got to Baan Chan Song La. He also told her that it would affect Thailand’s reputation if she protests in front of Baan Chan Song La and that she should speak to him about what grievance she has.

Sitanun submitted a petition to Pol Gen Surachate calling for the Thai authorities to follow up on Wanchalearm’s disappearance, after the Cambodian delegation said during a review by the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances (CED) that, although Wanchalearm went missing in Cambodia, no agents of the Cambodian government were involved in his disappearance. She also filed a complaint about the police harassment she experienced.

Sitanun was finally released after Cross-Cultural Foundation director Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, as Sitanun’s lawyer, told the police that Sitanun should be free to go since there is no reason to continue holding her. Sitanun headed to parliament to run an errand. However, she noticed while leaving the parliament building that she was being followed by plainclothes officers driving a car and at least 2 motorcycles.

TLHR said that a friend of Sitanun who announced on Facebook on Tuesday night (20 February) that Sitanun was staging a protest in front of Baan Chan Song La received a phone call from a person working for the Pheu Thai Party asking for information on Sitanun’s protest.

The friend received another phone call from anoter person in the Pheu Thai Party, who told her that they are worried about the protest and that speeches might be given insulting Thaksin and his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra in front of the family’s residence. The person told the friend to calm down, and that if they are not listened to, there will not be any more space to talk about Wanchalearm’s disappearance.

TLHR also noted that, while Sitanun was prevented from reaching the Shinawatra residence, Thaksin’s supporters, as well as others who said they used to support him but no longer do, were allowed to gather in front of the house and spoke to the media.

Pornpen said that many victims of enforced disappearance suffered the same fate as Wanchalearm. She called on the Cambodian government, as a signatory of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), to investigate what happened. She also called on the Thai authorities to follow up on the case with Hun Sen, who oversaw the investigation in Cambodia. She believes Cambodia authorities have enough information to make a case and thinks that the government should do its job to deliver justice to victims of enforced disappearance and their families.

Wanchalearm disappeared on 4 June 2020 while living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he fled after the 2014 military coup. Both the Thai and Cambodian authorities have repeatedly denied any knowledge of his whereabouts. The Cambodian authorities said after his abduction that his visa had expired on 31 December 2017 and that there was no evidence of him living in Phnom Penh. However, Wanchalearm’s sister Sitanun Satsaksit said he was travelling under a Cambodian passport with a Khmer alias and that he had a Cambodian bank account. So far, no progress has been made in the investigation into his disappearance.

A 2022 report by Prachatai and VOD found links between Wanchalearm and political elites both in Thailand and Cambodia. He was also deeply embedded in the Red Shirt Movement and had worked for the Pheu Thai Party. Sitanun said he worked for the current Bangkok governor, Chadchart Sittipunt from 2012 – 2014 when Chadchart was minister of transport in the cabinet of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister. Meanwhile, Thai dissident in exile Nuttigar Woratunyawit said he was part of an initiative to create an online network of Red Shirt activists and Pheu Thai supporters to counter the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, which was established by right-wing royalists in 2013 to depose the Yingluck government.

After arriving in Cambodia, Wanchalerm reportedly became acquainted with Khliang Huot, the former governor of Phnom Penh’s Chroy Changva district, who has been identified by several sources as a ‘handler’ for Thai exiles who fled to Cambodia following the 2014 coup. A photograph on Huot’s Facebook account in 2012 shows the man standing next to Thaksin and Hun Sen. Other photos show him with various Thai political figures, including Red Shirt leaders, former MPs and ministers from Yingluck’s cabinet.

He was also a supporter of fellow Thai exiles, many of whom sought advice from him about how to escape into Cambodia.

A 53-year-old woman has been charged with royal defamation for a protest speech she made demanding the right to bail for detained political activists.

Kittiya (last name withheld), a food vendor from Si Sa Ket Province, came to the Yannawa Police Station in Bangkok on Tuesday to acknowledge a royal defamation charge, which stemmed from her activity during a protest in front of the Bangkok South Criminal Court in 2022 where she demanded the right to bail for the detained political activists.

Kittiya told a reporter that she received a summons under the royal defamation law and the Computer-related Crime Act on 17 February. Given that the summons required her to report to the Police Station on 15 February, she asked the police to issue a new summons but her request was denied. Rapeephong Chaiyarat, a member of the ultra-loyalist ‘People’s Centre for the Protection of the Monarchy’ filed the complaint.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights reports that Kittaya was initially charged under the Sound Amplifier Act after she gave a speech on 19 July 2022. However, the police later concluded that her actions violated the royal defamation law, leading to additional charges.

Kittiya stated that she was not concerned about being prosecuted under the royal defamation law and it would not prevent her from continuing to fight for justice in the country. “Section 112 will not cause me to stop fighting or be disheartened. The country is being ruined like this. We need to move forward.” said Kittiya. The food vendor acknowledged that the situation might force her to close her restaurant, causing her employees to lose their jobs and her family to lose income.

She called for the proposed amnesty bill to include those charged with royal defamation as 112 cases are prolonged, causing difficulties for those prosecuted. She added that as the law allowed anyone to file a complaint, even parties not directly affected, it can be used to harass others by hiring people to file complaints

Workers laid off from three garment production companies marched from the Democracy Monument to Government House today (5 March) to demand severance pay. They asked the government to cover the severance and press charges against the companies.

The workers were formerly employed by Alpha Spinning, AMC Spinning, and Body Fashion garment production companies. A total of over 1400 workers were laid off by the three companies.

The workers issued a statement saying that, since 2019, Body Fashion has laid off 1,174 people. In June 2023, Alpha Spinning laid off 132 people and AMC Spinning laid off another 153 people. None of the workers received severance from their former employers, and the Ministry of Labour was not able to demand that the companies pay the severance as required by the Labour Protection Law. The workers estimated that their former employers now owe them around 279 million baht.

The statement noted that the workers met with representatives of the Ministry of Labour on 22 December 2023, after two days of protest. Ministry representatives promised to ask the Cabinet to allocate an emergency budget to cover worker compensation until the Department of Labour Protection and Welfare raises money paid into the Employee Fund by those who were laid off and did not receive severance.

The authorities reportedly did not follow through on their promises, however. The Ministry did not press charges against the company and did not try to ensure that the workers were paid. The labour minister also reportedly did not follow the government’s policy to strictly enforce labour laws.

The workers demand that the government cover their severance at the rate ordered by the labour inspection officer. They also want the government to press charges against the companies to make them return any money the government spends on the severance to show that labour rights violators in Thailand cannot act with impunity.

A Body Fashion worker told iLaw that, for the past five years, workers have filed complaints with the Ministry of Labour, parliament, and the Labour Court but have not been paid, even though the court ordered their former employer to compensate them. Many workers were reportedly also not prepared to become unemployed in a society where older people have difficulty finding employment. After facing a police blockade on Chamai Maruchet Bridges, the workers wait throughout the afternoon. At around 17.40, 10 representatives met with government representatives for a negotiation. At around 20.10, the rest of the workers attempted to break through the blockade, but were blocked by units of crowd control police.

Thanaporn Wichan, an activist from the Labour Network for People’s Rights, said that the workers tried to get pass the police because the negotiation was taking a long time and they were concerned about the safety of their representatives. She noted that the negotiation ended at around 18.00, but they had to wait an hour for a record of the discussion to be issued.

According to the document, the Office of the Permanent Secretary will be following up with agencies responsible for prosecuting the three companies. Somkid Chuakong, the Prime Minister's deputy secretary-general, will also be working with relevant ministries to place an urgent request to the Cabinet to allocate budget to cover the workers' severance.

Three activists have been charged with royal defamation and sedition for reading a statement and giving a speech during a protest in November 2021 after a complaint was filed against them by an ultra-royalist group leader.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Chatchai Kaedam, Chatrapee Artsomboon, and Nawat Liangwattana reported to the police at Thungmahamek Police Station last Friday (1 March). The inquiry officer informed them that the charges resulted from a protest on 14 November 2021, when protesters marched to the German Embassy in Bangkok. The speeches of Chatchai and Chatrapee, as well as the group’s statement which Nawat read out, were deemed seditious and an offense under the royal defamation law.

The complaint against them was filed by Anon Klinkaew, leader of the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy, who has filed several royal defamation complaints against activists and netizens and has been involved in attacks on pro-democracy activists and citizen journalists.

The 14 November 2021 protest came after the Constitutional Court’s ruling that calls for monarchy reform constitute an attempt to overthrow the “democratic regime of government with the King as Head of State.” Activists initially planned to march from the Democracy Monument to Sanam Luang but were forced to relocate after facing a police blockade. Instead, they marched from the Pathumwan Intersection to the German Embassy, during which three people were shot in front of the Institute of Forensic Medicine.

At the German Embassy, three activists met with Embassy representatives and submitted their open letter. Nawat then read out a statement saying that the increased power of the monarchy is moving Thailand away from a democratic regime and towards an absolute monarchy, while royalists are trying to rewrite history so that the monarch has the power to rule the country and the people are reduced to mere inhabitants.

The statement said that it is therefore unavoidable that the monarchy’s expansion of power must be stopped to bring about democracy. It also insisted that they are not calling for an abolition of the regime but are fighting for a regime in which everyone is equal.

The Criminal Court has once again denied bail for detained activists Tantawan Tuatulanon and Nutanon Chaimahabut, who are now on the 14th day of a dry hunger strike.

Sommai Tuatulanon, Tantawan’s father, filed a bail request for Tantawan and Nutanon on Saturday (24 February). He was asked to return on Sunday (25 February) when their original detention order would expire, with a medical certificate.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said the Court ruled to deny them bail on the grounds that it has no reason to change its existing order because the two activists are already receiving medical attention, and ordered them detained for 12 more days.

Tantawan and Nutanon were arrested on 13 February on several charges, including sedition, for allegedly honking at and blocking a royal motorcade and for posting dash cam footage of the incident. They were subsequently denied bail.

In a Facebook post on 11 February, Tantawan said that she did not block or cut off the motorcade. She also said she did not know that there was going to be a motorcade. She was on the way back from a funeral and admitted that she was speeding because she was in a hurry.

The dashcam footage shows the vehicle stuck in traffic, and that the horn was sounded when it moves to the front of the line and the lane was blocked by a police vehicle. The footage also shows the vehicle stuck behind another police vehicle while at the exit from the expressway, and a police officer was seen approaching the vehicle before Tantawan was heard arguing.

Immediately after being denied bail, Tantawan and Nutanon went on a dry hunger strike to call for a reform of the justice system, an end to the detention of dissidents, and for Thailand to be rejected when it runs for a seat in the UN Human Rights Council.

Tantawan was transferred to the Thammasat University Hospital last Thursday (22 February). The referral document from the Corrections Hospital states that she has been refusing food and water since 14 February, and that the Corrections Hospital had her transferred because her condition is “beyond their ability” to care for. Nutanon, meanwhile, remains at the Correction Hospital. Both are refusing medical intervention.

Activist Noppasin Treelayapeewat said after the court ruling was issued that the Court had received a petition from Sonthiya Sawasdee, a royalist activist and former Phalang Pracharath MP candidate, objecting to the two activists’ release. He also noted that the Court has yet to take into consideration Sommai’s promise that he would prohibit his daughter from participating in political activism if she is granted bail.

Yesterday (26 February), Sommai and lawyer Krisadang Nutcharus filed a petition with the Chief Justice of the Criminal Court stating that, while Sommai does not wish to file for appeal, he asks that the Court take responsibility for the two activists. The petition notes that they have not been indicted on the charges against them and should be treated as innocent, and says that the court should consider who will be held responsible if they die as a result of being detained.

Sommai said that all he is trying to do is get Tantawan and Nutanon released so they can receive medical attention. He noted that the charges against them are still being investigated and asked how the court could say that they are facing a charge with a high penalty when they have not been indicted. He insisted that they are not a flight risk and that they could not tamper with evidence, and said that the authorities must be held responsible if anything happens to them.

Krisadang said that Tantawan and Nutanon’s condition has worsened, and that the Corrections Hospital will be transferring Nutanon to another hospital but no hospital has accepted the referral. He said that Tantawan’s father wanted to inform the Court of why the two activists must be released, noting that both himself and Sommai believe that any appeal or new bail request they file will be rejected.

Meanwhile, other activists and protesters have been staging a protest at the Victory Monument in Bangkok for the past three days against the denial of bail for Tantawan and Nutanon and demanding the release of other political prisoners.

The Observatory has been informed about the new conviction, prison sentence, and ongoing arbitrary detention of Mr Anon Nampa, prominent pro-democracy activist and human rights lawyer.

On January 17, 2024, the Bangkok Criminal Court found Anon Nampa guilty under Article 112 of the Thailand Criminal Code (“lèse-majesté”) [1] and Section 14(3) of the Computer Crimes Act [2] and sentenced him to four years in prison. These charges stemmed from three Facebook posts he published on January 1 and 3, 2021, questioning the enforcement of Article 112 of the Criminal Code and advocating for the right to freedom of expression in connection with criticism of the Thai monarchy [3] reforms.

At the time of publication of this Urgent Appeal, Mr Anon remains detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison, where he has been arbitrarily imprisoned since his previous conviction on “lèse-majesté” charges on September 26, 2023.

The Observatory recalls that this is not the first conviction of Mr Anon under Article 112 of the Criminal Code. On September 26, 2023, the Criminal Court sentenced him to four years in prison on one count of “lèse-majesté”, and a fine of 20,000 baht (approximately 525 Euros) for violation of the Emergency Decree. This case stemmed from a speech Mr Anon delivered on October 14, 2020, at a peaceful demonstration at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument, where protesters had gathered to call on the government to comply with the three demands put forward by the pro-democracy movement that began in February 2020, including a reform of the Thai monarchy. Mr Anon was charged with “lèse-majesté” over his statements referring to King Rama X as the person with the sole authority to order the dispersal of protests, instead of the riot police. On September 30, 2023, the Court of Appeals rejected Mr Anon’s request for bail, citing the severity of his sentence and the fact that he would be a flight risk, if released on bail.

The Observatory further recalls that Anon Nampa is currently facing legal action in connection with 12 more “lèse-majesté” cases. Mr Anon was previously arbitrarily detained twice at the Bangkok Remand Prison: the first time for 113 days, from February 9 to June 1, 2021, on charges of “lèse-majesté” and “sedition” (Article 116 of Thailand Criminal Code) in connection with a speech concerning the Thai monarchy he made at a peaceful pro-democracy protest at Bangkok’s Sanam Luang on September 19, 2020; and the second time for 202 days, from August 11, 2021, to February 28, 2022, in relation to 12 other “lèse-majesté” cases. His temporary release requests were denied numerous times.

The Observatory notes with concern that between November 24, 2020, and December 31, 2023, 262 people, including many human rights defenders and 20 minors, were charged under Article 112 of the Criminal Code. Fifteen of them are currently detained pending trial, and six more serving prison sentences.

The Observatory strongly condemns the new conviction, sentencing, and ongoing arbitrary detention of Anon Nampa, and the ongoing judicial harassment against him, which seem to be only aimed at punishing him for his legitimate human rights activities and the exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly.

The Observatory calls on the Thai authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him and all other arbitrarily detained human rights defenders in the country and to put an end to the judicial harassment against them.

Members of ultra-royalist groups attacked activists and citizen journalists during a gathering in the Siam shopping district on Saturday (10 February), injuring 10 activists, 2 citizen journalists, and another person observing the gathering.

The incident took place at the exit from the Siam BTS station next to Siam Paragon shopping mall, while activist Tantawan Tuatulanon was reading a statement about a video clip released on 4 February, which showed an argument with a police officer blocking the road during a royal motorcade.

As she was reading out her statement, members of several ultra-royalist groups climbed over metal fences that Siam Paragon employees had placed to block the BTS station exit and attacked the activists. Police officers stationed in the area attempted to defuse the situation by removing the activists from the scene. Initially, they were taken inside the BTS station, before being taken in a police van to the nearby Pathumwan Police Station.

10 activists were injured, and have decided to press charges against their attackers. Napatsorn Boonree, a regular protest-goer who was observing the gathering, was also injured.

Citizen journalists Paradorn Ketphuak and Chen Chiwobancha were also attacked while livestreaming the incident. Paradorn said objects were thrown at them while they were walking around the area to see whether any activist was still around. He was then attacked by two royalist group members while at the Siam BTS station. He said that he was slapped in the face, breaking his glasses, and that one also hit his phone, knocking it to the ground.

Paradorn said that Wasan Tongmontho, leader of the Blue Blood Warriors group, pushed him to the ground and held him down with his knees. Paradorn called for help from nearby police officers who then took him away from the police station.

Paradorn is pressing charges against his attackers for assault and destruction of property. He said that members of the ultra-royalist group the People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy previously attacked him while he was livestreaming at a protest in front of the Criminal Court, but there has been no progress in the complaint he filed against them.

Meanwhile, Chen said he was standing behind the ticket gate at the BTS station. Anon Klinkaew, leader of the People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy, threw a bottle at him and climbed over the ticket gate. Chen said that an officer stopped Anon from punching him while holding him by his collar. However, he was then punched to the ground and kicked by another person. He is also pressing charges for assault.

Members of the group also threatened a Prachatai reporter filming the incident in an attempt to intimidate him into stopping the recording.

At least 3 members of the royalist groups were also injured. Wasan was hit in the head and arm, possibly with a baton carried by an activist who was blocking him from getting close to Tantawan.

At Pathumwan Police Station, Tantawan told reporters that she apologized for driving carelessly, but noted that every citizen has the right to raise questions about royal motorcades. She showed a picture of the poll she conducted 2 years ago on whether people face trouble from royal motorcades, and asked why dissidents are still prosecuted in a democratic country.

“Is our country really democratic? I want to ask the adults in this country, and I don’t know how they are going to answer me. Are they going to answer by slapping me with more charges? Will they put me in jail again?” said Tantawan.

Tantawan said that she wanted no violence and only wanted to make her statement. She said she was punched in the head and her hair was pulled, while another activist named Khatatorn was put in a chokehold and punched repeatedly. She said that, although an activist was seen in a video clip hitting Wasan with a baton, it was in self-defence, since Khatatorn was attacked first and everyone else was helping him and trying to defend themselves.

Khatatorn said he saw the royalist group members walking towards Tantawan and tried to tell them that the event was over and they were about to leave. Instead, he was put in a chokehold and punched.

15-year-old activist Thanalop Phalanchai also said someone yanked at her hair and collar because she tried to help another activist being attacked.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a legal firm which provides pro-bono representation for pro-democracy activists and protesters, has been threatened with violence after they provided legal support to two activists arrested on several charges, including sedition, for allegedly honking their car horn at and blocking a royal motorcade.

TLHR said today (14 February) that, at around 14.30, they received an anonymous phone call to their office from an middle-aged man who demanded the contact information for a lawyer representing Tantawan Tuatulanon and Nutanon Chaimahabut. The pair were arrested yesterday (13 February) on charges of sedition, violation of the Computer Crimes Act, causing a public annoyance and are now detained.

The man also threatened that he would lead his group in an armed raid on TLHR’s office.

A TLHR information officer told Prachatai that their office has been receiving threatening phone calls from the same number since yesterday (13 February) and that the caller(s) were unhappy that they were helping Tantawan and Nutanon file post bail.

Formed in the days after the May 2014 military coup, when the military was summoning and arresting dissidents and trying civilians in military courts, TLHR has provided pro-sbono legal representation for activists and members of the public prosecuted for political expression and charged under laws which violate basic civil and political rights, including the Computer-Related Crime Act, the Public Assembly Act, the royal defamation law, and the sedition law.

They have also documented and monitored human rights violations in the country since the coup. Their reports are published on their website and social media accounts as news articles, reports, legal opinions, and public statements to raise public awareness about these violations.

Update: TLHR said today (15 February) that they were visited by a man wearing a purple shirt who came to their office without prior appointment. The man claimed to be a retired civil servant who had attended an administrative lawyer workshop and came from Phitsanulok to pick up a document.

TLHR's information officer said the man could not name the specific document he needed, and was demanding that to be inside the office. When told to contact TLHR through the normal channel, the man demanded to be told the name of any TLHR officer he can contact.

The information officer said that the man is not being represented by any of TLHR's lawyers. He also spent 15 minutes demanding the document before leaving. However, TLHR could not confirm whether was was the same person who has been calling to threaten them.

Two activists have been denied bail after they were arrested on several charges, including sedition, for allegedly honking at and blocking a royal motorcade.

Tantawan Tuatulanon and Nutanon “Frank” Chaimahabut were arrested yesterday (13 February) on charges of sedition, violation of the Computer Crimes Act, and causing a public annoyance.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that the police accused them of honking at and trying to cut off a royal motorcade for Princess Sirindhorn, the King’s younger sister, as well as for responding rudely to police officers speaking with them about their manner of driving.

Nutanon was also charged with insulting an officer and repeatedly using the vehicle’s horn without proper reason.

The police charged them with sedition after Tantawan posted a video clip from her dashcam, which the police claim caused conflict in the society. The video clip was posted publicly on Tantawan’s Facebook profile which has over 37,000 followers and people were commenting on it, some siding with her and some expressing disagreement.

In a Facebook post on 11 February, Tantawan said that she did not block or cut off the motorcade. She also said she did not know that there was going to be a motorcade. She was on the way back from a funeral and admitted that she was speeding because she was in a hurry.

The dashcam footage shows the vehicle stuck in traffic, and that the horn was sounded when it moves to the front of the line and the lane was blocked by a police vehicle. The footage also shows the vehicle stuck behind another police vehicle while at the exit from the expressway, and a police officer was seen approaching the vehicle before Tantawan was heard arguing.

During Tantawan and Nutanon's bail hearing, an officer from Din Daeng Police Station testified that the vehicle Tantawan and Nutanon were in was only speeding after the royal motorcade had passed and traffic had resumed. It also did not cut in front of the royal motorcade since it could not get past the final vehicle in the motorcade.

TLHR said that Tantawan and Frank received a summons to hear the charge of causing a public annoyance on 12 February, but asked for a postponement because they had class and work. However, the police insisted on having them meet the inquiry officer on the morning of 12 February, claiming that the officer was not free in the afternoon. They asked to postpone the appointment to 20 February. Their lawyer delivered the request to the police on 12 February, but an arrest warrant was issued for them nonetheless.

Tantawan and Nutanon denied all charges. As they refused to sign any document or to be fingerprinted, they were charged with refusing to follow an officer’s order.

The two activists were arrested in front of the Ratchadapisek Criminal Court, where they had been since 9.00. They were waiting to hear the outcome of a bail request for two reporters who were arrested for covering an incident in March 2023 when an activist sprayed graffiti onto a wall at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.

They were initially brought to Din Daeng Police Station. The police later told their lawyer that the two activists would be separated and Tantawan was to be detained at Chalongkrung Police Station. When Tantawan refused and insisted on being detained with Nutanon at Din Daeng Police Station, the police had 4 women crowd control officers carry her to a detention truck. A lawyer who followed her to Chalongkrung Police Station found that she had several bruises from being forced into and out of the truck.

The Criminal Court today (14 February) ordered Tantawan and Nutanon detained for 12 days so that they could not tamper with evidence. They were subsequently denied bail on the grounds that the charges against them carry a high penalty, and that they were likely to cause further disorder in society and disrupt the investigation.

TLHR said that the inquiry officer at Din Daeng Police Station testified during the bail hearing that he does not know which other eyewitness he has to interview, and that the two activists were also unlikely to know these witnesses.

The Dusit Municipal Court previously refused to issue an arrest warrant for the pair because of the sudden nature of the request. Although they were initially charged with a misdemeanour, the inquiry officers decided that they should also be charged with sedition and requested an arrest warrant from the Criminal Court instead.

Tantawan and Nutanon are now being detained at the Women Central Correctional Institution and the Bangkok Remand Prison, respectively. After they were brought to prison, other activists and protesters staged a demonstration in front of the prison entrance to demand their release.

They have announced in a letter that, in protest of their detention, they will be going on a dry hunger strike and will not be filing for bail. They called for a reform of the justice system, an end to the detention of dissidents, and for Thailand to be rejected when it runs for a seat in the UN Human Rights Council.

Thai authorities should drop all charges pending against journalist Nutthaphol Meksobhon and photographer Natthapon Phanphongsanon and stop harassing the press for reporting on issues related to the nation’s monarchy, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Wednesday.

Nutthaphol, a reporter with the local independent Prachatai news website, and Natthapon, a freelance photographer, were arrested and charged on Monday by the Royal Palace Police Station with collaborating in vandalizing a sacred historical site, according to multiple press reports.

The charges stem from their reporting in March 2023 that an activist spray-painted graffiti on the outside wall of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha in the capital Bangkok’s Grand Palace complex, those sources said.

The journalists were released on 35,000 baht (US$980) bail on Tuesday after being detained overnight. Charges under the Cleanliness Act and Ancient Monuments Act combined carry a maximum seven-year prison sentence and 700,000 baht fine (US$19,600), those sources said.

Several reporters were at the scene of the incident, according to reports, and it is unclear why Nutthaphol and Natthapon were singled out.

“Nutthaphol Meksobhon and Natthapon Phanphongsanon should not be threatened with lengthy jail sentences for merely doing their jobs as journalists in reporting on a social activist’s vandalism,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative. “If Thailand wants to be taken seriously as a democracy, it should start acting like one by allowing the press to do its job without harassment or fear of arbitrary reprisal.”

The activist spray-painted an anarchist symbol and a crossed-out number 112 on the wall, in reference to Article 112 in Thailand’s Criminal Code, which provides for up to 15-year prison sentences for anyone found guilty of insulting the king, queen, heir apparent, and regent. Mass protests in 2020 and 2021 and the opposition Move Forward Party have called for reforms to the so-called lèse majesté law.

Prachatai is known for its consistent reporting on royal affairs, including on activists and others who are charged and jailed under Article 112.

Prachatai editor-in-chief Tewarit Maneechai was quoted by news agencies as saying that the arrests were “an act of intimidation” that “created fear about news coverage of sensitive issues.” He said the reporters were unaware of the charges against them prior to their arrests.

Thailand’s Royal Police Headquarters did not immediately reply to CPJ’s emailed request for comment on the charges.

A 21-year-old activist has been arrested for royal defamation over a social media post of a picture of a man holding 2 pieces of paper with offensive messages in front of a picture of the King and Queen. He was later granted bail.

On 18 January, an activist ‘Bank’ Natthaphon (surname withheld), was arrested by police from Thung Song Hong Police Station for a Facebook post of a man in black wearing a crash helmet and holding 2 pieces of paper with offensive messages in front of a picture of the King and Queen. Another activist, ‘Ta’ Khathathon was also a suspect, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

The complaint was filed by Anon Klinkaew, leader of the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy.

Natthaphon stated that he was arrested in the middle of the night in front of his own home. While heading home, he was cut off by plainclothes police on a motorcycle. He said he was surrounded by 8-9 men. Some were disguised as homeless people in the area.

The police did not show him an arrest warrant, but instead read it to him briefly. He was taken to Samran Rat Police Station, where he was not able to contact anyone until after his arrest was recorded. Natthaphon was informed that he was charged under the royal defamation law and the Computer-Related Crime Act.

The arrest record claimed that he tried to flee. In fact, he was arrested at his own home and had not received a summons. Natthaphon refused the fingerprinting process and denied all allegations. As a result, he faced an additional charge of failing to follow an official’s order. He was detained overnight.

On 19 January, Natthaphon was taken to court for a detention hearing. On the same day, the court granted bail with 180,000 baht as security on the condition that he does not commit the same offence.

Natthaphon was previously prosecuted for royal defamation after being accused of burning a royal arch in front of the Ministry of Labour during a protest on 14 September 2021. That case is in the witness examination stage.

He was also prosecuted for setting fire to a police truck during a protest on 11 June 2022. In this case, he was detained twice: during the investigation and the trial. Initially, he was detained for eight months before being granted bail. After the court sentenced him to three years in prison, he was detained for two months before being granted bail on condition that he wear an Electronic Monitoring bracelet.

A 28-year-old activist has been charged with royal defamation and violation of the Computer Crime Act over a Facebook photo of a man holding pieces of paper with profanities in front of a portrait of King Vajiralongkorn.

‘Ta’ Khathathon, an activist from the Thalugaz group, turned himself in to the police on Friday night (19 January). He learned that there was an arrest warrant for him after Natthaphon, a 21-year-old activist, was arrested and charged over the same Facebook photo.

The complaint against Khathathon and Natthaphon was filed by Anon Klinkaew, leader of the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy.

In a video clip posted on activist Tantawan Tuatulanon’s Facebook page on Friday afternoon, Khathathon announced that he was turning himself in to show that he is not a flight risk. He also said that he would refuse to be transferred to any police station other than Samran Rat Police Station, which is responsible for the case against him and Natthapon, who was transferred to Thung Song Hong Police Station.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that, while Khathathon and other activists were gathering in front of Samran Rat Police Station, a plainclothes officer approached Khathathon and read out his arrest warrant.

While held at Samran Rat Police Station, Khathathon refused to be fingerprinted and was subsequently charged for refusing to follow an officer’s order. TLHR noted that the police also asked to collect a sample of his DNA, but Khathathon and his lawyer refused.

After the inquiry officer informed him of his charges, the police took Khathathon to Thung Song Hong Police Station. In protest, Khathathon refused to get out of the police truck and spent the night in the vehicle, which was parked in front of the police station surrounded by metal railings.

The Criminal Court granted Khathathon bail using a security of 180,000 baht. He was also given the condition that he must not repeat the action for which he was accused or his bail will be revoked.

Two lecturers and a former student at Chiang Mai University have been indicted on charges relating to an incident in October 2021, when students took over the University Art Centre after the Faculty of Fine Arts and the university administration prohibited them from showing their final theses, some of which dealt with social and political themes.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said yesterday (23 January) that Faculty of Fine Arts lecturers Sorayut Aiemueayut and Thasnai Sethaseree and Faculty of Fine Arts graduate Yotsunthorn Ruttapradid were indicted on charges of trespassing and destruction of property.

TLHR said that the public prosecutor originally intended to dismiss the charges, but the Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 5 objected to the dismissal. The public prosecutor eventually indicted them on both charges, stating that they destroyed university property worth 3,314 baht, including sets of chains, door bolts, and padlocks.

Thasnai raised questions during a press conference before reporting to the public prosecutor whether the university has committed perjury by filing the complaint, or if it is attempting to silence the three people charged.

Meanwhile, Yotsunthorn said that universities should not curb students’ education or silence them, especially in art programmes. He also said that if he hadn’t cut the chains, someone else would have done so.

“New knowledge needs as broad limits as possible. It shouldn’t be that you are locking gates and making it small, and stopping people from talking. For artists, not being able to exhibit our work is like being silenced. It’s not right, so we decided that we are going to keep on with our work. We just needed to cut the chains, because our [department] building is already in there,” he said.

In October 2021, students from the Media Arts and Design Department, along with several lecturers, occupied the Chiang Mai University Art Centre after 4th year students were prohibited from exhibiting their final theses in the Art Centre because some pieces addressed social and political themes.

The students said that after filing a request to use the University Art Centre to organize a thesis exhibition, the university administration repeatedly asked them for additional information and documents. Students were also required to submit information about every piece that was to be exhibited, and were told that some pieces would not be allowed, as the Faculty felt that they were politically inappropriate and unfit for public exhibition.

Several days before the exhibition, students found that electricity and water at the Media Arts and Design department building had been cut, allegedly on orders from the Faculty Dean. All exits from the building grounds were also locked with chains. The next day, students and lecturers cut the chains and occupied the University Art Centre to set up their exhibition.

Since participating in the exhibition is a requirement for the students to complete their project and receive a grade for the class, the university’s refusal to grant them permission to use the Art Centre caused concerns that the exhibition would not be ready for the schedule opening date, and put them at risk of failing their class. The students therefore filed for a temporary injunction with the Chiang Mai Administrative Court, which ruled in their favour but did not issue an order to the University because the students had already occupied the Art Centre and exhibited their theses.

After the exhibition, students filed a petition with the Chiang Mai University Council, the House Committee on Legal Affairs, Justice, and Human Rights, and the House Committee on Education to have Asawinee Wanjing, then Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts, and then-university President Dr Niwet Nantajit removed from office for attempting to prohibit students from exhibiting their theses and violating their academic freedom.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also said that the university had violated academic freedom, which is a violation of human rights, by not informing the students whether they would be allowed to use the Art Centre in a timely manner. It also issued a recommendation to the Chiang Mai University administration that it should be careful when making decisions so as not to violate academic freedom.

The NHRC also recommended that the Faculty of Fine Arts should amend their regulation on requesting the use of the University Art Centre so that there is a clear time frame on when requests would be approved and so students and lecturers would be allowed to speak to the Art Centre Committee when seeking permission.

In November 2022, Asawinee filed a complaint against Sarayut, Thasnai, and Yotsunthorn. The complaint was filed on behalf of the university administration, who issued a letter granting Asawinee the power of attorney to do so.

In March 2021, Asawinee, along with several other faculty personnel attempted to remove students’ art projects from the Media Arts and Design Department building without first informing the students, claiming that some items constituted a possible violation of the law. The move prompted protests from students and lecturers. Students whose projects were going to be removed also filed charges of theft and destruction of property against Asawinee and the faculty personnel involved, as their projects were damaged during the incident and some went missing.

The South Bangkok Criminal Court on Friday (26 January) revoked bail for activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom, claiming she violated her bail condition by participating in a protest at the Ministry of Culture on 6 August 2023.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that the Court cited a witness testimony that Netiporn sprayed paint onto Queen Suthida’s personal flag, which the Court said could damage the monarchy’s reputation. It ruled that she violated the condition she was given when granted bail on a royal defamation charge, i.e. that she must not repeat her offence.

TLHR said that Netiporn was also sentenced on the same day to 1 month in prison on a contempt of court charge for an incident on 19 October 2023, during which a police officer hit Netiporn with a baton and injured her. She decided not to file for bail in both cases and is now detained at the Central Women Correctional Institution.

An inquiry officer at Pathumwan Police Station filed a request in November 2023 to revoke bail for Netiporn and activist Tantawan Tuatulanon. The Court ruled not to revoke Tantawan’s bail, citing lack of evidence that she violated her bail condition while participating in the protest.

On 6 August 2023, activists staged a protest at the Ministry of Culture to demand that Senator and poet Naowarat Pongpaiboon be stripped of his national artist status after he abstained during the parliamentary vote to choose a Prime Minister when former Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat was nominated, saying that his abstention made him a hypocrite since he had initially pledged to vote for the Prime Minister nominated by the majority of the lower house.

18 activists who participated in the protest were subsequently charged with trespassing, destruction of property, using fireworks without permission, holding a public gathering without notifying the authorities, and vandalizing public property.

TLHR said last night (29 January) that Netiporn has been undergoing a dry hunger strike since Saturday (27 January) in protest of her detention.

Three Cambodian human right activists, including a former government party member, have been arrested in Thailand, according to human rights groups.

Lem Sokha, Phan Phana and Kung Raiya were arrested Friday, along with their families, the Manushya Foundation and Human Rights Watch told VOA.

The arrests come just days before Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet will make an official visit to Thailand on February 7.

Lem Sokha, 45, is the vice president of the Cambodian Refugee Committee and had been in Thailand since 2017. He was arrested in Bangkok. Phan Phana, 41, is a member of the Global Cambodia Youth Network and fled to Thailand in 2022. And Kung Raiya, 32, who fled to Thailand in July, is a former member of Cambodia's opposition Candlelight Party and Cambodia's ruling government party.

All three activists had fled to Thailand to avoid political persecution. The Cambodians are recognized by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, also known as UNHCR, as persons of concern.

All three were reportedly planning to arrange a political protest on the day of Hun Manet's arrival in Thailand. A report by VOA's sister network Radio Free Asia shows a photo of Raiya as Thai immigration officials arrive at his home.

Both Phana and Raiya's families were also arrested.

Emilie Palamy Pradichit, the founder of the Manushya Foundation in Bangkok, contacted VOA about the arrests. She described the arrests as unjust and called for the activists' release.

"The unjust arrest of three Cambodian activists, along with their families, including four small children aged between 1 and 5 years, just before PM Hun Manet's upcoming visit to Thailand is deeply concerning. This highlights the harsh reality of transnational repression, where Cambodian and Thai authorities are working hand in hand against these individuals. We, a coalition of human rights organizations, are tirelessly working to secure their release," she told VOA.

Phana, who was arrested at his home in the city of Rayong but was taken into custody in Bangkok, has been charged with crossing the border illegally, according to VOA sources familiar with the matter who chose to remain anonymous. His wife, Seim Kork, 33, and two sons, aged 1 and 2 years old, were also arrested.

Raiya was detained in Bangkok and was charged for overstaying his visa in Thailand, according to VOA sources familiar with the matter. His wife Sok Sreynich, 28, and their son, 1, and daughter, 5 were also arrested but are being held in a different detention facility.

Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division, insists the activists and their families should be sent to a third country.

"Our view is that those people shouldn't be arrested. It shouldn't be a crime to seek protection in a neighboring country when you're on the run for your political or human rights activities in your home country. They should be finding a way to help them go to a third country where they'll be safe instead of persecuting him in this way," he told VOA.

"How traumatic is this for a two-year-old and a four-year-old they see their dad being arrested in Rayong and with his wife and children separated from them. This is the real drama that these decisions by the Thai officials cause for these refugee families," he added.

VOA contacted the Cambodian Embassy in Thailand for comment but has yet to receive a reply.

Leaders promise new era

Cambodia has been ruled by the same political party for 45 years. The Cambodia People's Party has maintained its grip on power by banning opposition parties and cracking down on dissidents. Critics of Cambodia's leadership have been threatened with arrest and targeted either at home or abroad in recent years, including in Thailand.

Thailand and neighboring Cambodia have endured a complicated relationship over the years, mainly over border and cultural conflicts. Now Bangkok and Phnom Penh have new government leaders and both have promised a new era in relations after Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin met Manet in Cambodia last year, vowing to work together on transnational crime.

Arrests seen as transnational repression

Robertson says Friday's arrests are an example of transnational repression.

"This is Thailand's welcome gift to Hun Manet who was supposed to be arriving here next week. Transnational repression rears its ugly head at a time when Hun Manet is consolidating control and making pals in the neighborhood with Prime Minister Srettha and the rest. What is quite clear we've seen a very close relationship between the top leaders of Cambodia and Thailand," Robertson added.

Since 2014, more than 150 individuals in Thailand have been victims of transnational repression, according to a 2022 report by Freedom House.

Pradichit is now concerned the Cambodian refugees may face deportation but warned it would violate Thailand's own laws.

"We, a coalition of human rights organizations, are tirelessly working to secure their release. We urgently call upon Thai authorities not to deport these activists to Cambodia, where they, along with their families, face the grave risk of imprisonment and torture. Such deportation would flagrantly violate Section 13 of the Thai Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, enacted in February 2023," she said.

Thailand enacted the Act on Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance in 2023, which prohibits sending or deporting a person to another country where that person would be in danger of torture, inhumane treatment or enforced disappearance.

But Thailand has not ratified the United Nation's 1951 Refugee Convention, so it has no specific domestic legal framework for the protection of urban refugees and asylum-seekers, meaning protection for refugees, even if recognized by the UNCHR, is limited.

Thai police have arrested two suspects in an attack near Bangkok of a Cambodian activist who has been leading civic workshops for Cambodian workers living in Thailand.

Srun Srorn and a co-worker were physically assaulted by unidentified men at a Buddhist temple in Thailand’s Samut Prakan province on Sunday, he told Radio Free Asia.

Srun Srorn said he was in the province for a workshop on Cambodia’s 1991 Paris Peace Agreement, which formally ended decades of war in the country and paved the way for parliamentary democracy in the country.

The attack came two days after Thai authorities raided another workshop given by Srun Srorn in Bangkok. The workshop – also about the Paris Peace Agreement – was attended by 30 Cambodian migrant workers and political asylum seekers on Dec. 29.

Immigration police arrested 10 Cambodians at that workshop who they accused of illegally staying in Thailand.

All 10 have refugee or asylum status from the United Nations refugee agency, or UNHCR, that gives them legal protection in Thailand, according to one of the arrestees, activist So Metta. Seven of the 10 are still being detained, activists told RFA.

Srun Srorn said the assault on Sunday left him with a cut on his head. Police phoned him on Tuesday to say that two arrested suspects had confessed to the attack, he said.

The officer added that the suspects said the assault wasn’t related to the workshop – they were angry over an argument that took place at a nearby restroom more than four hours earlier, Srun Srorn said.

An investigator at Phra Samut Chedi police station, south of Bangkok, told RFA on Wednesday that the attackers were two Thai men in their 30s or early 40s who turned themselves in on Tuesday.

“They were charged with physical assault. They hit him with a baton and kicked him as well,” police Capt. Suwit Pudonnang said.

Livestream dispute

The argument apparently started over Srun Srorn’s broadcast of a live video. Suwit Pudonnang said the two suspects told police they felt “repulsed” as Srun Srorn stared at them while doing the livestream.

“They hit him just once but were chased away, outnumbered by the Cambodians,” he said.

Srun Srorn said he was skeptical of that explanation. He said police sent him photos of the suspects, and the men looked like the attackers who he said had been following him since the Dec. 29 workshop.

“Why did they have a car waiting for them? Why did they have a gun and sticks?” he said to RFA.

“I noticed before that they were following me, but I thought they were Thai police officers who were just watching my activities,” he said. “I did not expect them to assault us like this. I don’t know what their nationalities were because when they attacked us they did not speak at all.”

Several Cambodians have said they were attacked in public in Thailand in 2023 because of their activism.

Dozens of pro-democracy Cambodian activists have fled to Thailand to seek asylum in recent years as the ruling Cambodian People’s Party, or CPP, has used intimidation and the courts to neutralize the political opposition. Thailand is also host to more than 1 million Cambodian migrant workers.

The arrests at the Dec. 29 workshop were made several days after nine minor political parties and 15 NGOs aligned with the CPP urged Thai authorities to monitor opposition activists in Thailand.

The workshops are part of efforts to educate Cambodians about the development of democracy in the country.

They come almost six months after a general election was held in which the main opposition Candlelight Party wasn’t allowed to field candidates because of a paperwork technicality. With no real competition, CPP candidates won 120 of 125 seats in the National Assembly.

An ethnic Hmong preacher and human rights activist released on bail from Bangkok’s Immigration Detention Center said a Vietnamese official threatened him when he refused to return to Vietnam, where he would likely face persecution.

Lu A Da, who was arrested and detained at the center in December on the charge of illegally entering and residing in Thailand, told Radio Free Asia on Tuesday that an official named Hai from the Vietnamese Embassy visited him at the facility on Dec. 28, where he issued the threat.

The case is an example of Vietnamese authorities harassing ethnic Hmong – many of whom are Christians – for their beliefs. In Vietnam, the minority group often faces social exclusion, discrimination and even attacks.

When the two of them met, Hai said that he would complete documents to send Lu home prior to the Lunar New Year, Lu said. But when Lu did not agree to return to Vietnam, Hai threatened to harm his relatives.

“He learned that I am an activist, so he said to me, ‘You are in Thailand, so you can do whatever you like, but you should think about your relatives in Vietnam.’” Lu said. “Hai used my relatives in Vietnam as a threat for me to not [engage in] activism.”

Lu said he did not know Hai’s position at the embassy, but that Hai and another official named Linh sometimes went to the Immigration Detention Center in Bangkok to work with Vietnamese detainees.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok did not respond to RFA’s email request for comment.

Arrested after denunciation

Lu, a former missionary and preacher at the Northern Evangelical Church of Vietnam and head of the Hmong Human Rights Coalition, fled Vietnam with his family in 2020 to escape ethnic and religious persecution and entered Thailand illegally to seek official refugee status.

The latter group collects evidence of the Vietnamese government’s discrimination of Hmong on issues such as language, religion, land and identification. It provides support to Hmong people so they can learn Vietnamese law through lessons given by Boat People SOS, a U.S.-based organization.

Thai police arrested Lù at his rental home in Bangkok on Dec. 7. His arrest occurred two weeks after he publicly denounced the Vietnamese government’s “systematic suppression of Hmong communities in Vietnam.”

Lu’s lawyer paid 6,000 Thai baht (US$170) to bail him out of the detention facility on Feb. 2, and the Boat People SOS provided Lu with 50,000 baht (US$1,400) in support.

The U.N. High Commission for Refugees, or UNHCR, in Thailand previously rejected Lu’s application for refugee status, but granted it to him while he was in the immigration detention facility.

Lu told RFA that because of his activism in Thailand, Vietnamese authorities have made life difficult for his brother who lives in Vietnam’s Lai Chau province.

His brother, chief of San Phang Thap commune in a village in Tam Duong district, had an opportunity to be promoted to village officer, but after Lu and his family fled to Thailand, local residents did not trust his brother, and he had to move to Quang Ninh to make a living, Lu said.

Lu said he suspects that the Thai police who arrested him may be working with officials at the Vietnamese Embassy.

Prior to his arrest, Lu appeared in a video presented during a Boat People SOS session about Hanoi’s repression of ethnic minority communities.

In the clip, Lu said Vietnamese authorities do not issue identification papers, birth certificates or marriage certificates to many Hmong. They also prevent them from accessing education, official employment and health care programs that the ethnic Kinh majority enjoys, he said.

Facing royal defamation charges for singing a modified version of the royal anthem at a protest in January 2021, Chaiamorn “Ammy” Kaewwiboonpan, lead singer of The Bottom Blues pop band, was recently acquitted. However, another activist charged because of the protest, Promsorn, was sentenced to 2 years in prison without parole before being granted bail.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights and iLaw, on 28 December, the Thanyaburi Provincial Court in Pathum Thani Province delivered its verdict in the royal defamation cases against Chaiamorn “Ammy” Kaewwiboonpan, lead singer of The Bottom Blues band, and political activist Promson “Fah” Veerathamjaree.

Both were charged with royal defamation after protesting in front of the Thanyaburi Provincial Court in January 2021 to demand the release of student activist Sirichai Natueng, who was arrested on 13 January 2021 for spray-painting on portraits of royal family members.

The indictment stated that both sang modified versions of the royal anthem Sadudee Jom Racha.

In addition to royal defamation, they were charged with violating the Communicable Disease Act, the Emergency Decree, and the Sound Amplifier Act.

The court dismissed the Communicable Disease Act charge as the two were not protest organisers. Promsorn pleaded guilty to charges related to royal defamation and using a sound amplifier without permission. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison for royal defamation and fined 200 baht for using a sound amplifier without permission. Due to his guilty plea, his sentence was reduced to 2 years in prison and a 100 baht fine.

Subsequently, Promsorn was granted provisional release without conditions after posting a 300,000 baht as security.

The court dismissed the royal defamation charge against Chaiamorn, stating that there was no clear evidence to prove his intent to commit the offence. However, he was fined 200 baht for using a sound amplifier without permission.

Chaiamorn still faces another royal defamation charge for burning a portrait of the King in front of Klong Prem Center prison on 28 February 2021. Meanwhile, Promsorn has a total of 5 charges under a royal defamation law.

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and Asia Democracy Network (ADN) strongly condemn the conviction of Mongkorn ‘BusBas’ Thirakot, a 30-year-old activist and online clothing retailer from Chiang Rai.

BusBas has been sentenced to an unprecedented 50 years in prison–the longest in Thailand’s history–for his remarks on the monarchy. This marks the most severe sentence ever issued under Thailand’s draconian lèse-majesté (royal defamation) law, surpassing the previous record set in 2021 when a woman received a 43-year sentence.

Civic space in Thailand was rated as ‘repressed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor.

Our organisations express solidarity with BusBas and all pro-democracy defenders in Thailand. We call upon the Thai authorities to release activists, to repeal the lèse-majesté law, and to refrain from further undermining people’s fundamental rights and freedoms.

Suppressing Freedom of Expression

Arrested in April 2021, Bas was initially sentenced to 28 years in January for 14 counts of royal defamation for Facebook posts he made three years ago. On 18 January 2024, the Appeals Court affirmed the original conviction and added 11 more violations to his charges. For each violation, a 3-year imprisonment term was imposed. Considering the defendant’s cooperation, a one-third reduction was granted, culminating in a total of 22 years in prison under Article 112 of Thailand’s criminal code over his 27 Facebook posts. When combined with the initial 28-year sentence from the Court of First Instance, the overall sentence stands at 50 years of imprisonment.

Lèse-majesté, also known as the offence of injury to royalty, is stipulated in Article 112 of the Thai Criminal Code. This statute specifies that making defamatory, insulting, or threatening remarks about the king, queen, or regent can result in a maximum penalty of 15 years for each alleged violation.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, at least 262 individuals have faced charges related to lèse-majesté since 2020. This surge in legal actions coincided with unprecedented youth-led street protests wherein protest leaders openly criticised the monarchy.

‘Thailand as a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) must respect and protect fundamental freedoms for all individuals. We reiterate our call to repeal Article 112 and all other laws used to curtail free speech. Likewise, we demand an immediate and unconditional release of all detainees held in prison under this act. The Thai Government must ensure a secure and supportive environment for all human rights defenders to exercise their basic freedoms as outlined in the ICCPR,’ the organisations stressed.

Overturn the Conviction

FORUM-ASIA, CIVICUS, and ADN are urging the Thai Government to overturn BusBas’ conviction. We demand the immediate release of BusBas, pro-democracy activist Arnon Nampa, and all other human rights defenders in Thailand.

In addition, we endorse the call for the abolition of the lèse-majesté law as its contents and enforcement are in conflict with international human rights standards.

In the first place, individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly should never be criminalised and silenced. Laws that unfairly shield public figures from criticisms and suppress political dissent have no place in a vibrant civic space.

We call on the Government of Thailand to fulfil its international obligations by upholding the people’s right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

Thai authorities arrested 10 Cambodian refugees while attending the Paris Peace Agreement course in Bangkok on December 29, with seven of them being held at Suan Plu Immigration Detention Center while awaiting intervention by the UNHCR. Three others were released the next day.

On December 29, Srun Srorn and Pheng Sophea, known for their Paris Peace Agreement activism, conducted a training in Bangkok where some 40 participants attended. They include Cambodian workers in Thailand, activists of the now-defunct CNRP, Candlelight Party supporters, youths, and Khmer Krom refugees.

Around 11 a.m that day, local Thai police appeared at the training to check legal documents, like passports, as well as the information that was being shared. However, they arrested 10 people who held the ID cards provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Khem Mony Kosal, a Candlelight Party official who fled to Thailand and is a member of the Thai Refugee Coordinating Committee, told CamboJA that those arrested were taken to the immigration detention center but are safe as they wait for a resolution by the UNHCR in Thailand. The detainees possess temporary residency permits as refugees.

Morgane Roussel-Hemery, a representative of UNHCR, did not respond to questions via email in time for the publication as he is away until January 8.

The seven refugees detained by Thai authorities consist of So Meta, a Khmer Students Intelligent League Association member, and two of her relatives, and Sam Sokha, who once threw a shoe at billboard featuring a picture of former Prime Minister Hun Sen, as well as social activists Thon Chantha, Ly Chhuon and Kim Thylery.

Speaking to CamboJA, So Meta confirmed that 10 people were arrested on December 29, but three were released on December 30, after police checked their documents.

“I was arrested by the Thai authorities and they kept us for three nights and three days,” Meta said. “The authorities allowed us to talk on the phone for an hour a day from 7pm to 8pm.”

Meanwhile, Kosal believed that the reason behind their arrest was allegedly to find key Cambodian opposition political activists, as the Thai authorities sought for persons with the names Ly Meng, Khem Mony Kosal, Lim Sokha, Venerable Heng Kim Lay and Phorn Patna.

He alleged that these people are “considered by the Cambodian government” to be the “masterminds of the opposition”, allegedly collaborating with Thailand’s Move Forward Party and using Thai territory to rally against the Cambodian government. Kosal opined that the arrest was allegedly an opportunity for the Cambodian government to “persecute and arrest anti-government activists in Thailand”.

“The Move Forward Party has collaborated with the [Cambodian] opposition party in Thailand, with us as its organizers for the training course on December 2. At the time, we organized [the event] for our members only, comprising Candlelight Party [members] and children of [political] activists,” Kosal said. There were also speakers from the US, South Korea and Japan, but the Move Forward Party was not involved.

He also alleged that the arrest of the seven people was related to a “request by the Cambodian government”, although the Thai authorities have yet to send them back to Cambodia.

“When we arrived at the detention center to visit the detainees, the Thai police made it clear that the Cambodian government was the one who filed the complaint and asked for them to be sent back,” he said.

Recently, nine political parties, which are part of a coalition with the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), asked the Thai Prime Minister to monitor the activities of the Move Forward Party, claiming that the latter has supported and trained Cambodian opposition activists who are refugees in Thailand.

Cambodian government spokesman Pen Bona declined to comment.

Srun Srorn, a Paris Peace Agreement activist, charged that the training organized by his team was not illegal as it was meant to share information with workers in Thailand.

“The Thai authorities arrested the people not because we came to study the Paris Peace Agreement but because they accused them of creating an overseas movement to overthrow the Cambodian government and for possessing illegal passports,” he said.

His team was not detained and continued to train Cambodian workers in Thailand regarding the Paris Peace Agreement after the arrest, he mentioned, adding that the Thai police released the three people as they did not break any laws.

However, during his stay in Thailand for the training session in Samut Prakan province on December 31, he and his colleague Pheng Sophea were beaten by a group of men, suffering head injuries.

He related that the unknown people also pulled out a gun and threatened to shoot him, but shouts by the participants, the Cambodian workers, resulted in the men leaving the scene immediately.

“I don’t have any enemies, therefore I believe they [the attackers] intended to [only] intimidate me rather than physically attack me,” he said. “Based on the injuries, if they wanted to kill me, they could have but they didn’t as it happened in public.”

Leung Sophon, a central official based in Thailand, told CamboJA that he has not received any clear information about why the Thai police went to check the documents of the participants and detain them. According to him, they have to be careful when conducting or participating in these training sessions.

“Whatever we do, we are careful, because whether we are Thais or Cambodians, gatherings or meetings about politics are very sensitive [issues],” he said. “In some places, we meet without the permission of the owner or the venue is not right, so it is not appropriate for us to do that.”

Ex-premier Hun Sen has previously said he is “not afraid to arrest anyone, even in Thai territory”.

He also reminded that the Cambodian and Thai governments have signed a memorandum of understanding to repatriate prisoners, noting that Thai authorities had sent several political refugees back to Cambodia in the past.

Since the dissolution of the CNRP party in 2017, many of their activists have fled to Thailand due to political restrictions and persecutions by the Cambodian authorities.

The Cambodian embassy in Bangkok and Thailand embassy in Phnom Penh did not respond to questions via email while Ministry of Interior spokesperson Khieu Sopheak and Keo Vannthan, spokesperson of the General Department of Immigration, could not be reached for comment.

Former protest leader Shinawat Chankrajang has been sentenced to prison for royal defamation following a protest demanding the right to bail for political detainees. The court later suspended the sentence for two years and imposed a probation order.

On 7 December, the South Bangkok Criminal Court delivered its verdict in the case of activist Shinawat “Bright” Chankrajang, who was indicted under the royal defamation law and the Computer-Related Crime Act, and for using a sound amplifier without permission, while demanding the right to bail for two detained activists, Netiporn Sanesangkhom and Natthanit Duangmusit, at the South Bangkok Criminal Court on 28 July 2022, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

The complaint was filed by Anon Klinkaew, leader of the ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy. The allegation stemmed from Shinawat’s speech where he addressed the transfer and reversion of the crown property assets to the ownership of the King during the tenure of the former PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and the transfer of military units to come under royal command. He also called for the release of all political detainees.

Following the first witness examinations, Shinawat decided to plead guilty. The court ordered probation officers to investigate before presenting the verdict on 7 December.

The court concluded that Shinawat was guilty under the royal defamation law and the Computer-Related Crime Act, and of the offence of using a sound amplifier without permission, which constituted multiple offences for a single act. Sentencing was based on the law with the heaviest penalty, resulting in three years in prison. He was also fined 200 baht for unauthorised use of a sound amplifier. Due to his guilty plea, the penalty was reduced to one year and six months and a 100 baht fine.

However, the court noted that Shinawat has never been imprisoned and he has also participated in various social service activities. Therefore, the sentence was suspended for two years, during which time he will be on probation. He is required to report to probation officers three times per year and to perform 24 hours of social service. Shinawat is also prohibited from committing the same offence.

The case is Shinawat’s first royal defamation charge. He was remanded in custody for 26 days during the inquiry stage before the appeal court granted bail.

Shinawat has been charged under the royal defamation law in a total of 7 cases, with 6 cases currently pending. Among these cases is a charge stemming from a speech he gave during a protest at the Lat Phrao intersection on 2 December 2020, for which he has pleaded guilty. The court will present its verdict on 13 December.

Shinawat was formerly a leader of the pro-democracy Rasadon group, which protested against the government led by Prayut Chan-o-cha. He later turned to support the United Thai Nation Party linked with Prayut by helping its candidate to campaign for the general election in May.

A 37-year-old activist arrested last Monday (6 November) on a royal defamation charge filed against him over a number of Facebook posts has been denied bail and is now detained in a prison in Phatthalung.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Nattakan Jaiaree, 37, a political activist and motorcycle taxi driver, was arrested last Monday (6 November) at his home in Bangkok’s Taling Chan District. He was detained overnight at Taling Chan Police Station before being handed over to Phatthalung police.

Nattakan said the police immediately confiscated his phone after showing him his arrest warrant and would not give it back even though he said he has the right to call a lawyer and a trusted person. He noted that several police officers took turn speaking to him and showing him pictures of several Facebook posts, and they tried to get his signature to certify that the posts were his. The police then made him give them the passcode to his phone, claiming they wanted to check his Facebook account. However, he was not aware what was done to his phone. When the device was returned to him several hours later, he called TLHR for assistance.

According to TLHR, the police in Phatthalung said they issued two summonses for Nattakan, but he did not respond. However, Nattakan said he has never received a summons, probably because it was sent to his registered address, but he now lives at another address, which is a rental in Bangkok.

The complaint against Nattakan was filed by Songchai Niamhom, leader of the ultra-royalist King Protection Group. Songchai has filed royal defamation complaints with the police in Phatthalung and Songkhla against several people over social media posts, including former Move Forward Party MP Amarat Chokepamitkul, a 27-year-old named Nattapon, an intellectually disabled 19-year-old protester named Thiramet, and rapper Kitti Ruangphunglhuang, also known as P9D.

He was also among the group of ultra-royalists which filed a royal defamation complaint against Pita Limjaroenrat, then Move Forward Party’s leader and Prime Minister candidate, over a May 2023 interview with BBC.

On Thursday (9 November), the police took Nattakan to court for a temporary detention request. The Phatthalung Provincial Court ordered him detained for 12 days and refused him bail on the grounds that the charges carry a severe penalty, he has no permanent residence, and because he is likely to repeat his offense. He is now detained at Phatthalung Prison.

The court denied him bail despite his lawyers filing a request stating that Nattakan did not receive the summonses because he is renting a house closer to his place of work, and that he did not resist when he was arrested. They also said that he is willing to attend all police appointments and is not a flight risk.

Nattakan’s detention brought the number of people detained pending trial or appeal on royal defamation charges to 15.

Activist Katanyu Muenkhamruang has been sentenced to 2 years in prison on a sedition charge for Facebook posts calling for people to go to protests in August 2021. She was later released on bail to file for appeal.

Katanyu, a member of the activist group Thalufah, was charged with sedition and violation of the Computer Crimes Act over two posts on the group’s Facebook page calling for people to join the 11 and 13 August 2021 protests.

Nangnoi Assawakittikorn, a former member of the royalist group Thailand Help Center for Cyberbullying Victims, filed a complaint against Kantanyu, alleging that she was running the Facebook page.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Katanyu and her lawyer reported to the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) on 12 January 2022, after learning that an arrest warrant had been issued for her in November 2021.

TLHR noted that a police officer called Katanyu twice, claiming that the TCSD had an arrest warrant for her. On 27 September 2022, she went to the TCSD to check whether there was a warrant but officers were unable to tell her whether it was a warrant or a summons. She asked for them to record that she reported to the police and did not intend to run, but the officers refused.

Katanyu’s defence was that she was not running the Facebook page and therefore was not responsible for the posts. According to TLHR, photos of Katanyu at the protest which were submitted by the prosecution as evidence were unclear. They also note that the two posts did not incite people to commit violence or violate the law, a point noted by prosecution witnesses in their testimony as well. Although violent clashed took place during the day, these occurred after the protest and at a different location.

A Metropolitan police officer testified that a person matching Katanyu’s description was live-streaming during the 13 August 2021 protest. During cross-examination, the officer acknowledged that a Facebook page can be run by several people and said that he was unaware of who runs the Thalufah Facebook page.

Another officer testified that he sent a link to a news article to the Thalufah Facebook page to check who was administering it and found two users. Using the IP addresses, the police then checked with an internet service provider for the identity of the users. Katanyu was reportedly not among the users identified. The officer admitted that he did not know who actually ran the Facebook page, denying that his action counts as phishing.

Testifying for the defence, iLaw’s Waranyuta Yan-in said that, to check a user’s identity with an IP address, a request must be made with an internet service provider to obtain the user’s address. The police must then obtain a search warrant for the electronic device to obtain more information. She argued that in this instance, police actions did indeed amounted to phishing since they did not ask for cooperation from the users.

TLHR reported on Wednesday (22 November) that the Criminal Court found Katanyu guilty of sedition and violation of the Computer Crimes Act and sentenced her to 2 years in prison. It ruled that, since there is evidence showing that she was at the protest and was live-streaming, she must have known of the posts, and so was guilty even though the prosecution could not prove that she made the posts.

Katanyu was later granted bail using an additional security of 75,000-baht.

Activists Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, Panupong Jadnok, and Attapol Buapat have been sentenced to 9 months in prison on charges relating to a protest on 10 February 2021. They were later released on bail.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that the South Bangkok Criminal Court yesterday (15 November) found Panusaya, Panupong, and Attapol guilty of participating in an assembly of more than ten people to commit violence or cause a breach of peace, blocking a public way, and using a sound amplifier without permission.

They were sentenced to 1 year in prison and fines of 700 baht each. The court later reduced their sentence to 9 months in prison and fines of 525 baht each because they gave useful testimony.

The three activists faced a total of 7 charges relating to the protest. However, the court dismissed charges of destruction of property, assaulting an officer, and violations of the Public Cleanliness Act and regulations under the Emergency Decree.

They were later granted bail on a security of 25,000 baht each in order to appeal the verdict.

On 10 February 2021, protesters gathered at Pathumwan Skywalk and the courtyard in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre to call attention to economic hardships resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic and to demand the release of political prisoners. They also demanded the resignation of then Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, constitutional amendments, and monarchy reform – the original three demands of the student movement which started in 2020.

After 9 people were arrested during the protest, protesters marched to the nearby Pathumwan Police Station to demand their release. A clash occurred between the protesters and crowd control police deployed around the police station, during which tear gas was reportedly used.