Uwazi

Thai authorities should immediately and unconditionally drop insulting the monarchy and other politically motivated charges against children who peacefully express their opinions, Human Rights Watch said today.

On May 24, 2021, the Central Juvenile and Family Court informed 17-year-old Thanakorn Phiraban that he has been indicted on lese majeste (insulting the monarchy) charges related to his speech at a pro-democracy rally on December 6, 2020, in Bangkok. Under Thailand’s draconian article 112 of the Criminal Code, Thanakorn faces 3 to 15 years in prison if found guilty.

“By punishing outspoken children with lese majeste charges, the Thai authorities are seeking to intimidate peaceful critics by demonstrating that they will all be harshly punished regardless of their age,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “These senseless, rights-abusing charges should immediately be dropped against Thanakorn and all others peacefully expressing their views.”

The number of lese majeste cases in Thailand has significantly increased in the past year. After almost a three-year hiatus in which lese majeste prosecutions were not brought before the courts, in November 2020 Prime Minister Gen. Prayut Chan-ocha ordered the authorities to resume lese majeste prosecutions because of growing criticisms of the monarchy. Since then, officials have charged at least 82 people with lese majeste crimes in relation to various activities at pro-democracy rallies or comments on social media. Six of them are children, under age 18.

In a February 8 statement on the situation in Thailand, United Nations human rights experts said that lese majeste laws have “no place in a democratic country.” They also expressed serious concerns about the growing number of lese majeste prosecutions and harsh prison sentences the courts in Thailand have meted out to some defendants.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Thailand has ratified, protects the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. General Comment 34 of the Human Rights Committee, the international expert body that monitors compliance with the covenant, specifically states that laws such as those for lese majeste “should not provide for more severe penalties solely on the basis of the identity of the person that may have been impugned” and that governments “should not prohibit criticism of institutions.”

Children from middle school and high school have become commonplace at most pro-democracy rallies across Thailand, even giving speeches onstage. Groups such as the Bad Students have held their own rallies on school grounds and occasionally conducted street protests. But despite concerns publicly raised by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and human rights groups, the Thai authorities continue to punish children for expressing views, participating in peaceful public rallies, and otherwise taking part in activities to demand democratic reforms.

The Thai Lawyers for Human Rights has reported that at least 41 children have been charged for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly since the youth-led pro-democracy rallies started in July 2020. Many other children have faced various forms of intimidation by the authorities to try to stop them from taking part in political activity or making critical comments about the government and the monarchy. The government’s actions violate Thailand’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which ensures children’s rights to participate in peaceful protests and to express their opinions.

“Thai authorities should not be suppressing the voices of Thailand’s children expressing their views and demanding democratic reforms,” Adams said. “Instead of responding to children’s appeals with prosecutions, the authorities should listen to their views, and protect their rights to express their opinions without fear or intimidation.”

A 14-year-old girl (name withheld) has been summonsed by the police in Phitsanulok on a royal defamation charge under Section 112 of the Criminal Code.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported last Friday (28 May) that the girl received a summons from Mueang Phitsanulok Police Station on a Section 112 charge and is required to report to the police on 1 June.

The complaint was filed against her by former Action Coalition for Thailand (ACT) MP candidate Nangnoi Assawakittikorn, who has previously filed complaints under Section 112 against activists Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, Anon Nampa, Panupong Jadnok, and Parit Chiwarak. She has also filed a libel complaint against a Facebook user for calling her a “slave of the dictator”.

The girl told Voice Online that a police officer delivered the summons to her house and it was received by her father. She said she does not know why the complaint was filed and does not know Nangnoi personally.

She also said that during the protests in Phitsanulok in 2020, she made comments about the royalist groups who were against the protests. One of her friends then commented about Nangnoi, who saw the comment. Even though she said the comment was not directly to do with Nangnoi, the girl was told by Nangnoi to meet at the police station.

Police officers then contacted her and told her that a Section 112 complaint had been filed against her, but did not show her an arrest warrant or a summons, so she decided not to speak to the officers until she received the summons last Friday (28 May).

Special Branch police also contacted the girl’s mother on 23 February, asking to discuss with her about sharing Facebook posts about the monarchy. The officers wanted the girl to delete the posts, saying that she would face no charges if she did so.

The girl said that she is surprised that an adult would press a politically motivated charge against a minor, and even use Section 112. However, she said that she will enter the judicial process and has already contacted a lawyer. She is likely to ask to postpone her appointment with the police, as her lawyer is unavailable on that day.

Accord to TLHR, the girl is the 7th person under the age of 18 to face charges under Section 112.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's lawyer has filed a report with the police against Suthipongse 'Heart' Thatphithakkul under the lèse majesté law and the Computer Crime Act. Suthipongse, a famous Thai singer with a political profile, is one among many who have been charged for speaking out against the government's vaccine policy.

Seksakon Atthawong, also known as Rambo Isan, assistant to the Minister of the Office of the Prime Minister, threatened on 15 May that the matter could be withdrawn if Suthipongse truly loves the monarchy and wants to help the country.

According to the Thai legal system, a criminal charge cannot be withdrawn unless a suspect is proven innocent. Suthipongse’s case was reported on 13 May at Nang Loeng Police Station, together with evidence of his Facebook post criticizing the government's Covid-19vaccine policy.

“The medicine of the boss is not selling. The stock is not moving. The lackeys have to come out to help with the marketing (I copied this from someone else) #vaccine monopoly, unless you are really ruthless, cannot be done," said one of the Facebook posts which made him a suspect under the lèse majesté law and the Computer Crime Act.

Apiwat Kantong, the Prime Minister’s lawyer, said that the term “boss” might refer to the monarchy and even if it was copied from someone else it might still constitute disinformation and lèse majesté.

After Suthipongse was reported to the police, he posted on Facebook asking ”how come that the Prime Minister sues the people?”

In a separate Facebook post, Suthipongse asked the government to drop the charges because he ran out of money to hire lawyers. Suthipongse also said that he was not interested in entering politics and the government may even get his help if it talks to him nicely.

Who is Heart? Suthipongse ‘Heart’ Thatphithakkul was a famous singer in Thailand. After he earned a Bachelor of Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles, and a Master of Economics from the University of Southern California, he returned to Thailand not only as a singer, but also as an economic analyst and famous TV host on many channels and programmes.

Suthipongse entered politics briefly in June 1997 when he became an executive committee member of the Prachakorn Thai Party under Samak Sundaravej as the party leader. However, he was disqualified from the party only 6 months later.

At the time, Prachakorn Thai was an important player in the Thai political landscape. After Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh resigned from the premiership because of the financial crisis in 1997, Prachakorn Thai defected from Chavalit’s New Aspiration Party coalition and forged a new government led by the Democrat Party with Chuan Leekpai as the Prime Minister.

In 2015 (one year after the military coup by Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha), Suthipongse invited Anutin Charnvirakul to sing a song in his show “Byrd & Heart” which he made with his old colleague Kulpong “Byrd” Bunnag. Anutin became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health in the current government after the election in 2019.

In 2018, Suthipongse revealed that he had 3 wives and 7 children.

When the protests erupted in Thailand, he became more vocal against Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government. In 2019, Narisroj Fuangrabil, former Thai ambassador to Argentina who posted on Facebook against the pro-democracy protesters, filed a report with police against Suthipongse for defamation after Suthipongse criticized him in a comment on the Facebook page of political exile Pavin Chachavalpongpun.

Suthipongse gave Narisroj flowers and apologized so the case was withdrawn.

Not the only one Suthipongse is not the only one to criticize the government’s vaccine policy who now faces legal charges.

On 18 January, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit of the Progressive Movement went Live on Facebook with a presentation on “The Royal Vaccine: Whose benefit, Whose loss?” Thanathorn was charged with violating the lèse majesté law and the Computer Crime Act on 21 January by the Prime Minister’s lawyer Apiwat.

On Facebook Live, Thanathorn said that although there were many vaccine providers, the Thai government bought only from AstraZeneca and Sinovac and in insufficient quantities because the government wanted to support Siam Bioscience Co. Ltd. Nikkei Asia reports that King Vajiralongkorn owns all but 2 of the company’s shares.

On 25 January, student protesters led by Benja Apan and Parit Chiwarak held an activity at the Srijulsup Building, where Siam Bioscience’s registered office is located, to publicize the problems surrounding the government’s vaccine policy. They too face 4 charges under the lèse majesté law, the Emergency Decree, the Communicable Diseases Act, and the Advertisement by Using Sound Amplifiers Control Act.

On 25 January, 5 students and citizens in Lampang Province were also served with summons as suspects under the lèse majesté law for displaying a banner which said “Budget for monarchy > Covid-19 vaccines.” The suspects were named as Phinit Thongkham, Wannaphon Hutakowit, Phattharakan Khaengkhan, Yupadee Kulkittanon), and Wan (alias).

In February 2021, a female student from Rajabhat University, Chiang Rai, and an admin of the page “Free Youth - CEI” was arrested under the lèse majesté law and the Computer Crime Act for sharing the “budget for monarchy > Covid-19 vaccines” banner on Facebook. Police believe that she was involved in hanging the banner near to King Vajiralongkorn’s portrait.

On 3 March, Piyarat Chongthep, a leading activist of the We Volunteer group, was detained in Kalasin Remand Prison on charges under the lèse majesté law and the Computer Crime Act for 7 protest signs against the government’s vaccine policy and for his social media posts of the protest signs. After 33 days in detention, he was allowed bail with a security of 200,000 baht.

The mother of student activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul has received a police summons on a charge under the Emergency Decree, after she joined a protest demanding her daughter’s release

Panusaya posted a picture of the summons on her Facebook page yesterday (19 May). The summons states that her mother violated the Emergency Decree by organizing an unauthorised gathering of more than 20 people at risk of the spread of disease, after she joined the “Stand Against Detention” protest in front of the Supreme Court on Ratchadamnoen Avenue on 28 April 2021 to demand the release of Panusaya and other activists who were detained at the time.

The “Stand Against Detention” protests were organised by the activist group Resistant Citizens to demand the release of activists being detained pending trial on charges relating to the recent pro-democracy protests and have been held continuously since 22 March 2021 at various locations across Bangkok. Similar events have also been held in other provinces.

According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), no other participants in the “Stand Against Detention” protest have so far been charged with violating the Emergency Decree.

However, TLHR reported today (20 May) that two other people have received a police summons for participating in one of the “Stand Against Detention” protests: activist Punsak Srithep, a member of Resistant Citizen and whose son Samapan was killed during the the military crackdown on red shirt protesters in May 2010; and another protester named Napatsorn Boonrey.

Panusaya said in her post that participants in the protest kept a distance from each other. Resistant Citizen also required registration for each protest and only 20 participants were allowed.

Panusaya was granted bail and released on 6 May, after she had been in detention for 74 days. 7 people are currently still detained pending trial on charges relating to political expression.

Thai authorities should immediately investigate the killing of Somsak Onchuenjit, a lawyer and land rights activist, in Trang province in southern Thailand, Human Rights Watch said today. Successive Thai governments have failed to prevent or adequately respond to attacks against human rights defenders who represent landless farmers.

On May 4, 2021, at about 7:40 a.m., an unidentified gunman fatally shot Somsak, 54, while he was working in a rubber plantation near his home in Trang province’s Wangviset district. Somsak had recently told his family that he had been followed and was receiving death threats. But local authorities had neither investigated the threats nor arranged any measures to protect him.

“Thai authorities should not just stand by while grassroots activists in southern provinces are being murdered for standing up for their communities,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The Thai government should urgently conduct a credible and impartial investigation and bring those responsible for Somsak’s death to justice.”

Somsak had led a campaign for the right to agricultural land for poor villagers in his district. Over the past five months, conflicts in the area have intensified between local villagers who occupied oil palm plantations that no longer have valid leases with government agencies and private companies backed by local politicians. Community members told Human Rights Watch that police investigations into Somsak’s murder so far appear half-hearted and ineffectual.

During the past decade, at least five land rights activists in southern Thailand have been killed. All were leaders in campaigns seeking community ownership of agricultural land used by palm oil companies in which the lease with the government for the land had expired. The police have not made any serious progress in any of these cases. Meanwhile, the remaining activists constantly face harassment, physical intimidation, and a barrage of lawsuits filed by palm oil companies.

The United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders calls on governments to take all necessary measures to protect human rights defenders against violence, threats, retaliation, and other abuses because of their work. International law recognizes government accountability for failing to protect people from rights abuses and violence by private actors. According to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, governments must not only protect people from violations of rights by government officials but “also against acts committed by private persons or entities that would impair the enjoyment” of their rights. A government may be violating human rights by “permitting or failing to take appropriate measures or to exercise due diligence to prevent, punish, investigate or redress the harm caused by such acts by private persons or entities.”

“The Thai government is failing in its obligation to seriously and effectively investigate deadly attacks against human rights advocates and hold those responsible to account,” Adams said. “With each new killing, Thailand slides further into lawlessness, and the government’s frequent claims to be protecting rights defenders ring hollow.”

a public prosecutor decided to charge Ms. Chonthicha “Lookkate” Jangreaw for violating Emergency Decree following her involvement in two pro-democracy protests on 18 and 21 October 2020 in Bangkok. The court later granted bail with a total of 40,000 Baht security for two alleged cases. The court set 9 August 2021 as the next hearing schedule.

ที่ศาลแขวงดุสิต พนักงานอัยการพิเศษฝ่ายคดีศาลแขวง 3 ได้มีคำสั่งฟ้องคดีของ “ลูกเกด” ชลธิชา แจ้งเร็ว ด้วยข้อหา ฝ่าฝืนประกาศสถานการณ์ฉุกเฉินที่มีความร้ายแรง ตาม พ.ร.ก.ฉุกเฉินฯ ใน 2 คดี ได้แก่ คดีจากการชุมนุม #ม็อบ18ตุลาไปอนุสาวรีย์ชัย ที่บริเวณอนุสาวรีย์ชัย และ คดีจากการชุมนุม #21ตุลาไปอนุสาวรีย์ชัย ซึ่งมีการเดินขบวนจากอนุสาวรีย์ชัยไปที่บริเวณหน้าทำเนียบรัฐบาล

หลังศาลรับฟ้อง ทนายจำเลยได้ยื่นประกันตัวระหว่างพิจารณา ศาลให้ประกันโดยวางหลักประกันเงินสดคดีละ 20,000 บาท รวมเป็น 40,000 บาท โดยเป็นหลักทรัพย์จากกองทุนราษฎรประสงค์ และกำหนดวันนัดพร้อมเพื่อสอบคำให้การทั้งสองคดีในวันที่ 9 ส.ค. 64 เวลา 09.00 น.

A pro-democracy defender Mr. Sirapob Phumphengphut was charged by a public prosecutor alleging him for violating Sedition and lèse-majesté offences following his involvement in pro-democracy gathering on 18 November 2020. The police alleged that he involved in throwing paints to Police Headquarter signage. The already detained defender, Mr.Saengwong, was also an alleged offender in the same case. Mr. Phumphengphut’s bail request was rejected by the court citing severity of the case

Mr. Mongkol Thirakot was arrested at his home by police officer citing new arrest warrant alleging that he violated Computer Crime Act and lèse-majesté offences following his two Facebook posts related to monarchy from 8 – 9 April 2021. He was brought to police station for detention and the officer later denied his bail request วันที่ 1 พ.ค. 64 เวลาประมาณ 13.30 น. ศูนย์ทนายความเพื่อสิทธิมนุษยชนได้รับแจ้งว่า นายมงคล ถิระโคตร หรือ “บาส” พ่อค้าขายเสื้อผ้าออนไลน์และนักกิจกรรมจากจังหวัดเชียงราย ได้ถูกเจ้าหน้าที่ตำรวจ เข้าจับกุมจากบ้านพักในอำเภอพาน จังหวัดเชียงราย ตามหมายจับในข้อหาตามประมวลกฎหมายอาญามาตรา 112 และ พ.ร.บ.คอมพิวเตอร์ฯ ก่อนถูกนำตัวมายัง สภ.เมืองเชียงราย

ก่อนหน้านี้เมื่อวันที่ 14 เม.ย. 64 มงคลเคยถูกเจ้าหน้าที่ตำรวจจับกุมดำเนินคดีในทั้งสองข้อหานี้ หลังจากเดินทางไปนั่งอดอาหารประท้วงที่หน้าศาลอาญา เพื่อเรียกร้องสิทธิในการประกันตัวแกนนำราษฎร เขาถูกพนักงานสอบสวน สภ.เมืองเชียงราย แจ้งข้อหาจากการแชร์และโพสต์ข้อความ รวมทั้งคลิปเกี่ยวกับสถาบันกษัตริย์ในเฟซบุ๊กจำนวน 25 โพสต์ ในช่วงระหว่างวันที่ 2-11 มีนาคม 2564 ต่อมาศาลจังหวัดเชียงรายอนุญาตให้ปล่อยตัวชั่วคราวโดยใช้หลักทรัพย์จำนวน 1.5 แสนบาท

Ms. Chonthicha Jaengreaw and Ms. Chokechai Rompreuk were summoned to acknowledge the charges against them following their involvement in peaceful rally and gathering on 6 March 2021 in front of the Bangkok Criminal Court that called for the release of lèse-majesté detainees. They were alleged for violating Emergency Decree and Road Traffic Act

วันนี้ (27 เม.ย. 64) ที่ สน.พหลโยธิน 2 นักกิจกรรม ได้แก่ “ลูกเกด” ชลธิชา แจ้งเร็ว และ “อาเล็ก” โชคชัย ร่มพฤกษ์ ได้เข้ารับทราบ 2 ข้อกล่าวหา ฐานฝ่าฝืนข้อกำหนดตาม พ.ร.ก.ฉุกเฉินฯ และเดินขบวนกีดขวางการจราจร ตาม พ.ร.บ.จราจรทางบกฯ จากกรณีร่วมกิจกรรม #ม็อบ6มีนา ที่หน้าศาลอาญารัชดา

ที่มาของคดีนี้เกิดจากการชุมนุม กิจกรรม #ขยะในพระปรมาภิไธย หรือ #ม็อบ6มีนา ในวันที่ 6 มี.ค. 64 จัดขึ้นโดยกลุ่ม REDEM ซึ่งนัดรวมตัวกันบริเวณห้าแยกลาดพร้าว เพื่อเดินขบวนไปยังศาลอาญา รัชดาฯ จุดประสงค์เพื่อทำกิจกรรมเชิงสัญลักษณ์ นําขยะไปทิ้งหน้าศาลอาญา พร้อมเรียกร้องให้ปล่อยตัว 4 แกนนำราษฎรซึ่งถูกคุมขังระหว่างพิจารณาคดีมาตรา 112 จากการชุมนุม 19 กันยาทวงอำนาจคืนราษฎร ก่อนยุติการชุมนุมในเวลา 21.00 น.

ก่อนหน้านี้นักกิจกรรมทั้งสองราย ได้รับหมายเรียกในคดีที่มี พ.ต.ท.ธเนศ ศรีจำปา เป็นผู้กล่าวหา โดยทราบว่าพนักงานสอบสวนมีการออกหมายเรียกผู้ชุมนุมสามราย นอกจากชลธิชาและโชคชัยแล้ว ยังมีการออกหมายเรียก “พรชัย” ผู้ถูกดำเนินคดีมาตรา 112 ซึ่งเพิ่งได้รับการปล่อยตัวจากเรือนจำกลางเชียงใหม่ เมื่อวันที่ 23 เม.ย. ที่ผ่านมา และพบว่าตนเองติดเชื้อโควิดจากเรือนจำ ทำให้ไม่สามารถเดินทางมาตามนัดได้

พ.ต.ท. ศักดินาถ หนูฉ้ง สารวัตร (สอบสวน) สน.พหลโยธิน เป็นผู้แจ้งข้อกล่าวหาและพฤติการณ์ในคดี มีเนื้อหาโดยสรุปว่าเมื่อวันที่ 6 มี.ค. 64 ผู้ชุมนุมของกลุ่ม REDEM ได้รวมตัวกันบริเวณแยกลาดพร้าว มีการจัดกิจกรรมแสดงดนตรี กระทั่งเวลาประมาณ 16.00 น. กลุ่มมวลชนดังกล่าวได้ลงพื้นผิวจราจร ทําให้ประชาชนเกิดความไม่สะดวกที่จะใช้ทางสาธารณะ โดยตั้งแถวเดินขบวนจากห้าแยกลาดพร้าวมุ่งหน้าสี่แยกรัชโยธิน เดินไปตามถนนรัชดาภิเษก ไปยังศาลอาญา และผู้ชุมนุมของกลุ่ม REDEM ประมาณ 1,700 คน ได้มีการชุมนุมอยู่หน้าศาลอาญา และทํากิจกรรมนําขยะไปทิ้ง และเผาขยะเป็นเชิงสัญลักษณ์

การร่วมกันชุมนุม หรือทํากิจกรรมดังกล่าวข้างต้น เป็นการทํากิจกรรมที่มีการรวมคนที่มีความแออัด ในลักษณะที่เสี่ยงต่อการแพร่ระบาดและอาจเป็นสาเหตุที่ก่อให้เกิดโรคโควิด-19 ซึ่งมีผู้เข้าร่วมจํานวนมาก และมีโอกาสติดต่อสัมผัสกันโดยง่ายในพื้นที่กรุงเทพมหานคร อันเป็นการเสี่ยงต่อการแพร่ระบาดของเชื้อไวรัส ซึ่งการร่วมกันชุมนุมที่ไม่เป็นไปตามมาตรการป้องกันโรคที่ทางราชการกําหนด เป็นความผิดตามประกาศหัวหน้าผู้รับผิดชอบในการแก้ไขสถานการณ์ฉุกเฉินใน ส่วนที่เกี่ยวกับความมั่นคง (ฉบับที่ 5) เรื่องห้ามการชุมนุม การทํากิจกรรม การมั่วสุม ตามข้อกําหนดออกตามความในมาตรา 6 แห่ง พ.ร.ก.ฉุกเฉินฯ พ.ศ. 2548 ซึ่งผู้ต้องหาได้เข้าร่วมการชุมนุมในการจัดกิจกรรมดังกล่าวข้างต้น

พนักงานสอบสวน สภ.พหลโยธิน จึงได้แจ้งข้อกล่าวหาแก่ผู้ต้องหาหาทั้งสอง ทั้งหมด 2 ข้อหา ได้แก่

ฝ่าฝืนข้อกำหนดตาม พ.ร.ก.ฉุกเฉินฯ ร่วมกันจัดให้มีกิจกรรมซึ่งมีผู้เข้าร่วมเป็นจำนวนมากในลักษณะมั่วสุมกัน หรือมีโอกาสติดต่อสัมผัสกันง่าย ชุมนุมทำกิจกรรมหรือมั่วสุมกัน ณ ที่ใดๆ ในสถานที่แออัด หรือกระทำการดังกล่าวอันเป็นการยุยงให้เกิดความไม่สงบเรียบร้อย หรือในลักษณะที่เสี่ยงต่อการแพร่เชื้อโรค โทษจำคุกไม่เกิน 2 ปี หรือปรับไม่เกิน 40,000 บาท หรือทั้งจำทั้งปรับ ฝ่าฝืน พ.ร.บ.จราจรทางบกฯ มาตรา 108 ร่วมกันเดินเป็นขบวนแห่ หรือเดินเป็นขบวนใดๆ ในลักษณะที่เป็นการกีดขวางการจราจร ต้องระวางโทษปรับไม่เกิน 500 บาท เบื้องต้นทั้งสองรายให้การปฎิเสธตลอดทุกข้อกล่าวหา โดยชลธิชาไม่ได้ลงลายมือชื่อในบันทึกแจ้งข้อกล่าวหา และทั้งคู่จะให้การเพิ่มเติมเป็นหนังสือภายใน 20 วัน

พนักงานสอบสวนได้นัดส่งตัวผู้ต้องหาให้กับพนักงานอัยการต่อไปในวันที่ 21 พ.ค. 64 เวลา 10.30 น.

ทั้งนี้น่าสังเกตว่าผู้ถูกออกหมายเรียกทั้งสามคนไม่ได้เป็นผู้จัดกิจกรรมการชุมนุมดังกล่าวแต่อย่างใด ขณะเดียวกันรูปแบบการชุมนุมของกลุ่ม REDEM ก่อนหน้านี้ก็ไม่ได้มีแกนนำที่ชัดเจน ทำให้ไม่ทราบแน่ชัดว่าเจ้าหน้าที่อาศัยหลักเกณฑ์ใดในการกล่าวหาหรือดำเนินคดีบุคคล ในกิจกรรมซึ่งมีผู้เข้าร่วมจำนวนมาก

The Thai police came to the Bangkok Remand Prison and additional filed lèse-majesté and Sedition charges against Mr. Chiwarak and Mr. Nampa following their involvement in the peaceful gathering on 29 November 2020

27 เมษายน 2564 เวลา 10.30 น. ที่เรือนจำพิเศษกรุงเทพฯ พ.ต.ท.สราวุธ บุตรดี รองผู้กํากับการ (สอบสวน) สน.บางเขน ในฐานะคณะพนักงานสืบสวนสอบสวนตามคำสั่ง บก.น.2 ที่ 101/2564 เดินทางเข้าแจ้งข้อกล่าวหากับ “เพนกวิน” พริษฐ์ ชิวารักษ์ และ อานนท์ นำภา จากการจัดขบวนแห่และขึ้นกล่าวปราศรัยให้กำลังใจ 8 ผู้ต้องหา ผู้ได้รับหมายเรียกในความผิดตามประมวลกฎหมายอาญา มาตรา 112 และมาตรา 116 ในคดี #ม็อบ29พฤศจิกา ซึ่งทั้ง 8 คนเดินไปทางไปรับทราบข้อกล่าวหาที่ สน.บางเขน เมื่อวันที่ 21 ธันวาคม 2563

ในวันนี้เป็นการแจ้งข้อกล่าวหาผ่านวิดิโอคอนเฟอเรนซ์ในห้องเยี่ยมของทนาย โดยมีทนายความ และผู้ไว้วางใจเข้าร่วมรับฟังด้วย

บันทึกแจ้งข้อกล่าวหาระบุว่า คดีนี้เริ่มมาจากการชุมนุมที่หน้ากรมทหารราบที่ 11 เมื่อวันที่ 29 พฤศจิกายน 2563 โดยมีวัตถุประสงค์ในการปราศรัยเรื่อง การปลดอาวุธศักดินาไทย ซึ่งเกี่ยวข้องกับสถาบันกษัตริย์ มีแกนนําที่ถูกดําเนินคดีในการชุมนุมในคราวนั้นรวม 8 ราย ได้แก่ อานนท์ นำภา, พริษฐ์ ชิวารักษ์, ชินวัตร จันทร์กระจ่าง, สมยศ พฤกษาเกษมสุข, พรหมศร วีระธรรมจารี, พิมพ์สิริ เพ็ชรน้ำรอบ, ณัฏฐธิดา มีวังปลา และอินทิรา เจริญปุระ ทั้งหมดถูกหมายเรียกให้มาพบพนักงานสอบสวนเพื่อรับทราบข้อกล่าวหาที่ สน.บางเขน ในวันที่ 21 ธันวาคม 2563 เวลา 10.00 น.

ต่อมา เมื่อวันที่ 21 ธันวาคม 2563 อานนท์และพริษฐ์ได้เดินทางมาถึงที่บริเวณลานจอดรถด้านหน้า สน.บางเขน หลังจากนั้นแกนนําในกลุ่มผู้ชุมนุมนี้ได้ผลัดเปลี่ยนกันขึ้นเวทีปราศรัย โดยอานนท์ได้ขึ้นปราศรัยมีเนื้อหาพาดพิงสถาบันกษัตริย์ รายละเอียดคำปราศรัย ในบันทึกแจ้งข้อกล่าวหาตอนหนึ่งระบุว่า

“…เขาบอกว่าการต่อสู้ของพวกเราครั้งนี้ อันนี้เรียนตามตรงมันเลี่ยงที่จะโดน 112 ไม่ได้ เลี่ยงไม่ได้เพราะอะไรก็เพราะว่าพวกเรา มาชี้ข้อบกพร่องของสถาบันกษัตริย์ มันเลี่ยงไม่ได้ที่จะพูดถึงข้อดีมันต้องพูดถึงข้อเสีย เพราะอย่างนั้นจะไม่มีการปฏิรูป ทรงพระเจริญ ทรงพระเจริญ อย่างเดียว แล้วจะเอาข้อมูลอะไรไปปฏิรูป ….ถ้าผมไม่พูดถึงสถาบันกษัตริย์แล้วท่านจะปรับตัวได้อย่างไร ในเมื่อมีแต่คนสรรเสริญเยินยอ วันนี้เรามาพูดแทนพี่น้องทั้ง ประเทศ เพื่อให้สถาบันกษัตริย์ปฏิรูปมันไม่ใช่การล้มล้าง ผมเรียนตั้งแต่ต้นมันไม่ใช่การล้มล้าง อย่ามากล่าวหากัน แต่ถ้าท่านไม่ยอมปฏิรูปปีหน้าเจอกัน”

“ทําไมเราต้องมาเรียกร้องให้ปฏิรูปสถาบันกษัตริย์ เพราะว่าเรายังเห็น ณ วันนี้ ว่าบ้านเมืองเรามันเป็นประชาธิปไตยที่มีกษัตริย์เป็นประมุขยังทําได้ เราจึงเรียกร้องให้มีการปฏิรูป… นอกจากหลักธรรมของกษัตริย์แล้ว การละเมิดต่อกฎหมายที่เราคิดว่าท่านทำผิดท่านต้องปรับปรุงตัว การเอากองกำลังทหารเป็นของตัวเองอันนี้คือเรื่องผิด และการเอาทรัพย์สินซึ่งเป็นสาธารณะไปเป็นของตนอันนี้ก็ขัดหลักการเต็มๆ…”

“…ใครก็ตามที่ไม่ทรงพระเจริญ ใครก็ตามที่ไม่ใส่เสื้อเหลืองมีโอกาสโดนทุกคนถ้าพูดความจริง และถ้าไม่ยกเลิก 112 ไม่มีทางปฏิรูปสถาบันกษัตริย์ได้ เพราะเราจะไม่สามารถบอกว่าอันนี้มันมีอะไรบกพร่อง ถ้าติไม่ได้ ชมอย่างเดียว มันพาเราลงเหวรถคันนี้ นั่นคือเหตุผล จะแจ้งจับก็เชิญ เราก็พร้อมสู้คดี ขอบคุณดังๆ ไปยังศาลยุติธรรมด้วยที่ตํารวจไปขอออกหมายจับแล้วศาลไม่ออกให้ บอกว่าไอ้คนพวกนี้มันเป็นคนมีวินัย ออกหมายเรียกเราก็ไปเจอ ใช่ไม่ใช่ แล้วเจอกันที่ศาลครับพี่น้องตํารวจ เราจะเอารูปทุกรูปเกี่ยวกับสถาบันกษัตริย์ ข้อมูลทุกอย่างไปนําเสนอที่ศาล แล้วเจอกัน ท่านอย่าอ้าปากหวอเมื่อเจอรูปเหล่านั้น”

ความเห็นโดยสรุปของพนักงานสอบสวนระบุว่า จากคําปราศรัยของอานนท์มีเนื้อหาเป็นการวิพากษ์วิจารณ์พระราชอํานาจของพระมหากษัตริย์ ทําให้ผู้ที่ได้ฟังเข้าใจว่า ผู้พูดกําลังพูดถึงรัชกาลที่ 10 รัชกาลปัจจุบัน โดยเนื้อหาทั้งหมดเป็นการกล่าวพาดพิง ให้ร้ายต่อองค์พระมหากษัตริย์ ว่าเป็นการยักยอกเอาทรัพย์สินซึ่งเป็นสาธารณะไปเป็นของตนเอง มุ่งให้ผู้ฟังเกิดความเข้าใจผิดพลาดคลาดเคลื่อน สร้างความเสื่อมศรัทธาให้เกิดขึ้นในหมู่ชน จึงเป็นการร่วมกันหมิ่นพระบรมเดชานุภาพ ดูหมิ่น หมิ่นประมาท รัชกาลที่ 10 ทําให้สถาบันพระมหากษัตริย์ได้รับความเสียหาย

ส่วนบันทึกแจ้งข้อกล่าวหาของ “เพนกวิน” พริษฐ์ ระบุเช่นเดียวกันว่า คําปราศรัยของพริษฐ์ มีเนื้อหาเป็นการวิพากษ์วิจารณ์พระราชอํานาจของพระมหากษัตริย์ ทําให้ผู้ที่ได้ฟังเข้าใจว่า ผู้พูดกําลังพูดถึงรัชกาลที่ 10 รัชกาลปัจจุบัน เนื่องจากมีการใช้คําว่า “พระวชิรเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัว” โดยมุ่งชี้ประเด็นการโอนกําลังพลราบ 11 รักษาพระองค์ และราบ 1 รักษาพระองค์ ไปสังกัดภายใต้บังคับบัญชาของพระองค์ เป็นการวิพากษ์วิจารณ์ก้าวล่วงพระราชอํานาจของพระมหากษัตริย์โดยตรง

ทั้งมีการกล่าวหาว่าทรงเป็นฆาตกร หรือผู้อยู่เบื้องหลังกรณีการอุ้มหายของบุคคลต่างๆ โดยมีการพูดเพื่อให้ผู้ฟังคล้อยตามโดยขาดพยานหลักฐาน มีการเปรียบเทียบให้เป็นกองกําลังของฮิตเลอร์ โดยเนื้อหาทั้งหมดเป็นการกล่าวพาดพิง ให้ร้ายต่อองค์พระมหากษัตริย์ ทั้งเป็นการกล่าวหาที่มุ่งให้ผู้ฟังเกิดความเข้าใจผิดพลาดคลาดเคลื่อน สร้างความเสื่อมศรัทธาให้เกิดขึ้นในหมู่ชน จึงเป็นการร่วมกันหมิ่นพระบรมเดชานุภาพ ดูหมิ่น หมิ่นประมาท รัชกาลที่ 10 ทําให้สถาบันพระมหากษัตริย์ได้รับความเสียหาย

พ.ต.ท.สราวุธ บุตรดี จึงได้แจ้งข้อกล่าวเพนกวินและอานนท์ รวม 5 ข้อหา คือ

ร่วมกันหมิ่นประมาท ดูหมิ่น หรือแสดงความอาฆาตมาดร้ายพระมาหกษัตริย์ ตามประมวลกฎหมายอาญา มาตรา 112
ร่วมกันเป็นผู้จัดการชุมนุมสาธารณะโดยไม่แจ้งการชุมนุมฯ ฝ่าฝืน พ.ร.บ.การชุมนุมสาธารณะฯ มาตรา 10 ร่วมกันชุมนุมสาธารณะโดยกีดขวางทางเข้าออกหรือรบกวนการปฏิบัติงานของหน่วยงานของรัฐ ฝ่าฝืน พ.ร.บ.การชุมนุมสาธารณะฯ มาตรา 8 ร่วมกันใช้เครื่องขยายเสียงโดยไม่ได้รับอนุญาต ฝ่าฝืน พ.ร.บ.ควบคุมการโฆษณาโดยใช้เครื่องขยายเสียงฯ มาตรา 4 ร่วมกันกระทําการหรือดําเนินการใด ๆ ซึ่งอาจก่อให้เกิดสภาวะที่ไม่ถูกสุขลักษณะ ซึ่งอาจเป็นเหตุให้โรคติดต่อแพร่ออกไป ฝ่าฝืน พ.ร.บ.โรคติดต่อฯ มาตรา 34 (6) อานนท์และพริษฐ์ให้การปฎิเสธตลอดข้อกล่าวหา และจะให้การเป็นหนังสือภายใน 30 วัน

เพนกวินยังได้บันทึกหมายเหตุด้วยปากกาไว้ท้ายบันทึกแจ้งข้อกล่าวหาว่า “ข้าพเจ้าขอยืนยันว่าปัจจุบันข้าพเจ้าถูกควบคุมอยู่ที่เรือนจำพิเศษกรุงเทพมหานคร ไม่ได้มีเจตนาจะหลบหนีหรือจะไปยุ่งเหยิงกับพยานหลักฐาน หรือจะไปก่อเหตุภยันตรายประการอื่น หากพนักงานสอบสวนจะสอบสวนเพิ่มเติมหรือกำหนดนัดอื่น ข้าพเจ้าก็พร้อมที่จะเดินทางไปพบพนักงานสอบสวน และหากพนักงานสอบสวนมีหมายจับก็ขอให้แสดงต่อข้าพเจ้าในวันนี้”

ทั้งนี้ การจัดกิจกรรมหน้า สน.บางเขน เพื่อให้กำลังใจนักกิจกรรม ที่เดินทางเข้ารับทราบข้อกล่าวหาตามมาตรา 112 ในวันที่ 21 ธันวาคม 2563 นี้ พ.ต.ท.อนันต์ วรสาตร์ รองผู้กำกับสืบสวน สน.บางเขน ได้แจ้งความให้ดำเนินคดีนักกิจกรรมรวม 7 ราย ได้แก่ อานนท์ นำภา, “เพนกวิน” พริษฐ์ ชิวารักษ์, “ไมค์” ภาณุพงศ์ จาดนอก, “ฟ้า” พรหมศร วีระธรรมจารี, ชินวัตร จันทร์กระจ่าง, วรรณวลี ธรรมสัตยา และพิมพ์สิริ เพชรน้ำรอบ โดย 5 ราย เป็นผู้ที่เข้ารับทราบข้อกล่าวหาในวันดังกล่าวและถูกดำเนินคดีอีกคดี ได้แก่ อานนท์, พริษฐ์, พรหมศร, ชินวัตร และพิมพ์สิริ

โดยเฉพาะอานนท์, พริษฐ์ และชินวัตร ถูกดำเนินคดีตามมาตรา 112 ซ้ำอีกคดี จากการจากการหยิบยกเนื้อหาคำปราศรัยในประเด็น “ปฏิรูปสถาบันกษัตริย์” ที่หน้ากรมทหารราบที่ 11 เมื่อวันที่ 29 พฤศจิกายน 2563 ซึ่งเป็นเหตุให้ถูกดำเนินคดี 112 และต้องเข้ารับทราบข้อกล่าวหาในวันนั้น

สวนภาณุพงศ์, พรหมศร, วรรณวลี และพิมพ์สิริ ถูกดำเนินคดีใน 4 ข้อหา ตาม พ.ร.บ.การชุมนุมสาธารณะฯ และอื่นๆ

ก่อนหน้านี้ ชินวัตร, วรรณวลี และพิมพ์สิริ ได้เดินทางเข้ารับทราบข้อกล่าวหาตามหมายเรียกแล้ว ขณะที่ผู้ถูกออกหมายเรียกอีก 4 ราย ถูกคุมขังอยู่ในเรือนจำ ได้แก่ ภาณุพงศ์, พรหมศร, อานนท์ และพริษฐ์ พนักงานสอบสอนได้ทยอยเข้าแจ้งข้อกล่าวหาจนครบแล้ว

Detained protest leader Arnon Nampa has fallen ill with Covid and been moved for medical treatment, his Facebook page and news reports said Thursday.

The protest leader is in Bangkok Remand Prison awaiting trial on charges of sedition and lese-majeste for organizing and making speeches at pro-democracy rallies.

The Facebook post said he has been moved to Medical Correctional Institution. An earlier post on Wednesday said Arnon had a fever and has been feeling nauseated for the past three days.

Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch in Thailand also posted on his personal social media accounts that Arnon has contracted the virus.

A call to his lawyer went unanswered.

If confirmed, Arnon would be the second protest leader to have contracted coronavirus in jail while awaiting their trial after Chukiat “Justin” Sawangwong tested positive for the virus last month.

Arnon had been tested for Covid-19 and the results were pending, according to a local news report.

In addition from Arnon, who was detained February 9, there are 22 other pre-trial detainees charged with violations related to political protests. Of those, 10 are being charged with lese-majeste.

Arnon was one of the first protest leaders to break the taboo of making speeches about the need to reform the royal institution last year. He is facing now 12 lese-majeste cases.

Two Chiang Mai University students reported to the police yesterday (11 May) after being summoned on a royal defamation charge over an art installation piece, while an artists’ network has called on the University to defend their freedom.

Withaya Khlangnin and Yotsunthon Ruttapradid went to Phuping Rajanivej Police Station at 9.00 to answer charges under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, or the lèse majesté law, and the 1979 Flag Act. They were summoned by the police after Srisuwan Janya, Secretary-General of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, filed a complaint against them for an art installation piece they exhibited during a 14 March 2021 protest at Chiang Mai University.

The installation piece was also shown during an event on 25 March 2021, when students from the Faculty of Fine Arts gathered in front of the University’s Office of Strategy Management to demand an explanation from University and Faculty management for an incident on 22 March 2021, when the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts and 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 pieces could violate the law.

The art piece features a mannequin wrapped in plastic in the middle of two red and white strips, on which participants at the 14 March protest were invited to write down messages. Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that, according to the police, the messages violated Section 112. The police also said that, since the art piece looks like a Thai flag without the blue stripe, which represents the monarchy, it means that the artist does not wish for the monarchy to exist in the country.

Withaya and Yotsunthon denied all charges. Their lawyer requested that they be released at the inquiry stage on the ground that they are not likely to flee and are not able to tamper with the evidence. They were released after police officers took their fingerprints, and were not taken to court for a temporary detention request as they were initially told by the inquiry officer. They are required to report to the police again on 31 May 2021.

Before he went into the police station, Withaya staged a performance during which he used a razor to cut the number “112” into his chest. Police officers tried to stop him, but were not successful.

Police officers also used metal fence to block the entrance to the police station, while around 15 uniformed officers and at least 20 plainclothes officers were stationed around the building as a group of around 40 supporters gathered.

Somchai Preechasinlapakun, lecturer from the Faculty of Law, Chiang Mai University, who came to the police station with the students, said that he is very concerned that this is happening to the students, as the university should be protecting their freedom of expression, and that the students’ way of expression is not unusual among those who are interested in freedom of expression and those who are involved in the arts. He questioned how the evidence in the case ended up in the hands of the police, and that it would be very bad if it was sent to the police by university personnel.

Meanwhile, the Art and Cultural Activist Network for Democracy (ACAND), a network of artists, activists, and academics, issued a statement signed by 518 people, calling for the university to protect academic freedom and support the students.

ACAND demands that the Faculty of Fine Arts defend the students’ creativity and expression, and that Chiang Mai University must grant the students’ right to legal protection and moral support. They also called on the Thai authorities to respect the students’ right to bail.

“We, the Art and Cultural Network for Democracy, will monitor this case to inform the international art and cultural communities. We will watch the Chiang Mai University Administration’s response to the role in defending artistic and academic freedom and its response to the use of legal action against artistic and academic freedom too,” says the statement.

The Criminal Court has once again denied bail for 7 activists detained on royal defamation charges under Section 112, one of whom is Parit Chiwarak, whose health is reported to be rapidly declining due to his hunger strike.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that its lawyers went to the Criminal Court today (29 April) to request bail again for Parit Chiwarak, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, Anon Nampa, Chukiat Sangwong, and Parinya Cheewinkulpatom, who are detained pending trial on royal defamation charges under Section 112.

Parit, who has been detained for 80 days so far, has been on a hunger strike for the past 45 days to protest against the denial of bail for detained activists.

Lawyer Kritsadang Nutcharat said that one of the reasons for requesting bail is concern over the spread of Covid-19 in prisons, because even the court is concerned that the virus will spread among court officials. He also said that there is no more reason to keep the activists in detention, and that it would be acceptable if the court set a condition related with their trial. He also mentioned that the court previously granted bail for activists Jatupat Boonpattaraksa and Somyot Pruksakasemsuk.

He also said that he visited Parit on 28 April and spoke to him through teleconference. During the visit, Parit told Kritsadang that he has not been able to sleep, his skin is dry, and that he suffers from nausea and fatigue. Blood was also found in his stools, but he has not been sent to the Medical Correctional Institution to have his condition assessed.

Kritsadang said that, in addition to the bail request, they have also requested that the court allow Parit to be taken to Rama 9 Hospital for 30 days, because the hospital is better equiooed than the Medical Correctional Institution, and that the court may continue to detain him after the 30-day period, but the court has already dismissed that request.
Parit’s mother Sureerat Chiwarak also told reporters after she filed the bail request for her son that, while the Department of Corrections has denied that Parit's condition has worsened, she learned about his condition from what Parit said and Parit knows his own condition best.

She also said that she does not want him to be treated at the Medical Correctional Institution, where many inmates with Covid-19 are being treated. She would like her son released so she can care for him herself, and asked how the authorities will take responsibility if anything happens to him.

"I will fight to the very end. I will not lose my son," Sureerat said.

Meanwhile, a crowd of supporters started forming in front of the Bangkok Criminal Court building on Ratchadapisek Road at 12.00. At 13.45, student activist Benja Apan and a group of other students came to the Criminal Court to submit an open letter demanding the release of detained activists, signed by over 10,000 people.

Benja said during a speech in front of the court building that the students acted because they would like society to improve and for the monarchy to co-exist with society under the law. They are not a threat to national security. They are living humans and are students in their 20's.

Benja called on the court to grant bail to the detained activists and release them, because they have not yet been declared guilty and should have their humanity returned to them.

At 15.02, since judge Chanathip Muanpawong did not come to receive the letter, Benja scattered pieces of paper printed with the names of 11,035 people who signed the letter on the steps to the court building, but was blocked from going inside by court officials.

The crowd waited in front of the court building throughout the afternoon. At 16.50, Benja announced to the crowd that the court has postponed the decision on the bail requests to Friday morning (30 April), and that the hearing will be held online.

She demanded that the court read the ruling in person that evening, and said that the student activist group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD) will also be moving their 'Stand Against Detention' event to the Criminal Court.

At 17.00, riot control police were seen lining up behind the Criminal Court building. They were seen arriving in several buses at around 16.30. However, their buses were blocked by the crowd and left the court after being stopped for around 5 minutes.

At 18.05, TLHR reported that the court denied bail for the activists on the ground that there is no reason to change existing court order.

The ruling was signed by judge Tawan Rodcharoen. Judge Tawan delivered the verdict in the Joe Gordon lèse majesté case in 2011. The Thai-born dual Thai-US citizen was convicted for translating parts of a banned book about the late King Rama IX and posting them on the Internet while in the United States. After repeated bail requests were denied, he pleaded guilty and was given a 5-year sentence, reduced by half because of his guilty plea.

The crowd then moved to the footpath in front of the Criminal Court, where they lit candles and gave speeches to protest against the denial of bail for detained activists and said they will stay until the activists are released.

However, the UFTD announced at around 22.00 that the activities have ended for the day and for people to return tomorrow (30 April).

Student activist Wanwalee Thammasattaya has been detained pending trial on a royal defamation charge relating to a protest on 6 December 2020.

On Tuesday (27 April), the public prosecutor filed a case against Wanwalee and activist Chukiat “Justin” Saengwong in a royal defamation charge relating to speeches given during a protest at Wongwian Yai on 6 December 2020.

Thanakorn (last name withheld), 17, is also facing charges in the same case, but as he is a minor, his case is being processed by the Central Juvenile and Family Court. He will have to report to the prosecutor on 24 May 2021 to hear whether the prosecutor will file a case against him.

Meanwhile, Chukiat is currently being detained pending trial on another Section 112 charge. He has been in prison since 23 March.

The complaints against them was filed by Chakrapong Klinkaew, leader of the royalist group People Protecting the Institution.

The Thonburi Criminal Court ordered Wanwalee to be detained pending trial, and denied her request for bail with a security of 200,000 baht on the ground that the plaintiff objected to granting her bail and that she is likely to flee, since she is facing several counts on the same charge.

Wanwalee is facing 2 other counts under Section 112 for a speech given at a protest in front of the Siam Commercial Bank headquarters on 25 November 2020 and for posting a picture of a protest banner containing a message about the monarchy on her Facebook page on 21 November 2020.

Wanwalee is being detained at the Thonburi Women Correctional Institution, making her the 17th person to be detained pending trial in cases relating to political expression.

Of these 17 people, 10 are being detained pending trial on a Section 112 charge. Other than Wanwalee and Chukiat, Parit Chiwarak, Anon Nampa, Chaiamorn “Ammy” Kaewwiboonpan, Parinya “Fort” Cheewinkulpatom, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, Panupong Jadnok, Piyarat Chongthep, and Phromsorn Weerathamjaree are currently in detention.

A man who has been on hunger strike in front of the Criminal Court for the past three days to demand the release of detained activists has been arrested on charges under the lèse majesté law and the Computer Crimes Act.

Mongkhon Thirakot, 27, came from Chiang Rai on 12 April to join the hunger strike while sitting in front of the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road, Bangkok, to demand the release of activists currently detained pending trial and denied bail. He said that he felt it was unfair that the court has yet to issue a verdict on the activists’ case but has already detained them, so he wanted to demand their release so that they would have the chance to fight their case.

Mongkhon said that when he arrived at the Criminal Court at around 5.00 – 6.00 on 12 April, court officials came to place metal barriers in front of the Criminal Court sign and told him that his action might be considered contempt of court, so he went to sit just next to the sign. Several officers also came to ask for his personal information, as well as questioning him on whether he is involved with drugs, what his intentions are, and how long he intends to stay. They also asked to search his belongings. An officer also later told him that a ‘higher-up’ in the Court is unhappy and would like him to go away, but he insisted on staying where he was and told the officers that they could arrest him if he is doing anything wrong.

He also said that later that morning, a group of uniformed and plainclothes police officers from Phaholyothin Police Station, along with some officers dressed like a commando unit, arrived to question him for another hour. He said that police and court officers periodically came to ask him the same questions over and over. Some officers offered to buy him food and drink, and some offered to find him a place to stay so that he would leave the area in front of the court.

A large number of officers also returned the next day as a few people began to gather at the Criminal Court to support Mongkhon, along with members of the press who came to cover his hunger strike. Mongkhon said that both court police and officers from Phaholyothin Police Station were present in the area, and that 5 police trucks and a number of motorcycles were parked near where he was staying, which caused him concern.

Mongkhon said he went to ask the police why they had to bring so many officers and whether it was because there were reporters in the area. The officers told him that they were “keeping people safe.” He then told the officers that this is unnecessary, as they were treating his activity like a protest even though there were only three people and they were not doing anything but sitting there.

At 13.20 on 14 April, Mongkhon was arrested by police officers from Phaholyothin Police Station. The officers presented an arrest warrant from Phan Police Station in Chiang Rai, which stated that he was being charged under Section 112, or the lèse majesté law, and the Computer Crimes Act.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that, at 14.00, after he was taken to Phaholyothin Police Station to record his arrest, Mongkol was taken to Chiang Rai.

TLHR later reported that police officers from the Muang Chiang Rai Police Station went to search Mongkhon’s house this morning (14 April). The officers presented a search warrant to Mongkhon’s parents, but Mongkhon, who was also with the officers during the search, did not see the warrant and did not know whether anything was confiscated.

Chukiat ‘Justin’ Sangwong, a leading figure in the Thai pro-democracy protests, has tested positive for Covid-19 while in detention as a suspect under the lèse majesté law, the Department of Corrections confirmed on 24 April.

According to the Department, Chukiat was taken to the Medical Correctional Institution on 24 April for treatment and his contacts have been isolated.

Thawatchai Chaiwat, the Department spokesperson, said that 9 officers and 26 detainees had been in contact with Chukiat. However, they have all tested negative according to results released on 25 April.

The detainees in close contact with Chukiat include leading figures in the democratic movement such as Parit Chiwarak, Anon Nampa, and Chai-amorn Kaewwiboonpan. Had they been infected, they would have added to the total of 1 officer and 9 detainees infected in Bangkok Remand Prison.

Among people at risk, Parit Chiwarak is of special concern. He was reaching the 42nd day of a hunger strike to demand the release of political activists on bail.

Sureerat Chiwarak, his mother, said before her son’s test result came out that she was consulting with his lawyer to immediately request bail again. Bail for Parit has already been rejected 10 times for what the court claims to be the possibility of re-offending against the sedition and lèse majesté laws.

Another leading figure of the democratic movement, Jatupat ‘Pai’ Boonpattararaksa, slept near to Chukiat before he was released on bail on 23 April. He and the court officers who processed his bail were ordered by the Department to report their health status and refrain from travelling.

Even though all others have tested negative, Thawatchai said that they will be put into 14-day quarantine just to make sure they are safe. To step up control measures, the Department will check a new detainee twice before and after a 3-day quarantine, seek vaccines for correctional officers, and check them every 14 days to ensure their safety.

In the wake of Chukiat’s infection, the Department said on 24 April that they will also prepare a field hospital to isolate those infected with mild or no symptoms.

Chukiat Sangwong, also known as Justin for his love of the style of Justin Timberlake, was arrested on 23 March under the lèse majesté law. Police claimed that he committed a lèse majesté offence when the student group REDEM held a protest on 20 March.

Concern over the outbreak in Bangkok Remand Prison was raised when Anon Nampa told his lawyer to spread the news on social media on 22 April. Anon’s lawyer also said on social media that Chukiat’s friends were also worried that he might be infected.

In response, Bangkok Remand Prison released a statement saying that Chukiat had a high fever on 18 April. However, it was found on 21 April that he had an abscess at the nape of his neck and was treated accordingly.

There was no mention of Chukiat being infected except that he, like other new detainees, was already under 14-day quarantine and examined medically twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. Bangkok Remand Prison said that the measures were in compliance with orders of the Department of Corrections and the Ministry of Justice. However, the situation changed when the Chukiat’s positive result came out.

In Thailand, Chukiat is one among many who have been infected in the third outbreak. According to the government’s daily reports, Thailand saw an exponential increase from 26 new cases on 1 April to 2859 on 24 April. This time the outbreak is more worrying due to the severity of new variants and the government’s delay in delivering vaccines. Among the first cases in the third outbreak was Minister of Transport Saksayam Chidchob, who allegedly became infected in contact with female entertainers at a night club in Thong Lor.

As Covid-19 infections spread in pubs and bars, 9 people who gave speeches at the 24 March protest at Ratchaprasong intersection have been charged with violating the Emergency Decree.

Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon, one of the leading pro-democracy protest figures who gave a speech addressing monarchy reform on that day was also charged with violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the royal defamation law.

10 people were summoned to Lumpini Police Station on 8 April to hear the charges: Patsaravalee Tanakitvibulpon, Chatchai Kaedam, Yingcheep Atchanont, Chinnawat Chankrachang, Thanaporn Wichan, Benja Apan, Chumaporn Taengkliang, Khanaphot (surname withheld by request), Atthapol Buapat and Natthida Meewangpla.

The investigator stated that the 10 were engaged in an activity that caused a crowd to gather, posing a threat of Covid-19 infection, which constitutes a violation of the Emergency Decree. All suspects denied the charges and will submit documentary evidence on 23 April. They were released without bail.

Atthapol did not report to the police station with the others as he had to attend court for his trial regarding his involvement in the 19-20 September 2020 protest at Thammasat University and Sanam Luang.

Patsaravalee said she understood that the authorities would use every measure to undermine protests, which may not succeed because the people have heard the reason why they [the protestors who gave speeches] came out. The speakers insisted that what they said was correct.

Patsaravalee said that the ongoing enforcement of the Emergency Decree and Communicable Diseases Law is not meant to solve the Covid-19 problem but to suppress people who think differently. The new surge of infections is also not from the common people.

The new wave of infections appears to stem largely from pubs and bars in the Thong Lo area of Bangkok. Saksayam Chidchob, Bhumjai Thai Party Secretary-General and the Minister of Transport, Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd, Public Relations Department Director General and 2 high-ranking soldiers reportedly tested positive.

Current infections are spreading among celebrities and the political and military elite. Some are suspected of enjoying the nightlife at bars in Thong Lo without announcing to the public after they tested positive, or meeting those who have been there. Saksayam denied that he went to a bar in Thong Lor and provided a timeline for his whereabouts from 24-31 March.

Since the surge of pro-democracy protests in July 2020, no cases of Covid-19 infection from the protest sites has been reported.

Activist Piyarat “Toto” Chongthep was immediately re-arrested on a royal defamation charge under Section 112, Thailand’s lèse majesté law, after he was granted bail on a criminal organization charge and released from Bangkok Remand Prison.

Piyarat was arrested on 6 March along with another 47 members of the We Volunteer (WeVo) protest guard group by an armed police SWAT team, who used force and did not produce an arrest warrant, while they were at a shopping mall, eating and waiting to attend the protest at the judicial court complex on Ratchadapisek Road. He was detained pending trial on a criminal organization charge, while the rest of the group were granted bail.

On 2 April, the Criminal Court granted bail for Piyarat using 45,000 baht as security, on the ground that the inquiry officer cannot present enough evidence to confirm that he was guilty, as when he was arrested, he was with 2 – 3 other people and did not resist arrest.

However, after he was granted bail, Piyarat was immediately detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison and taken to Prachachuen Police Station, as the Kalasin Provincial Court had issued an arrest warrant for him on a royal defamation charge under Section 112.

The arrest warrant was issued on 2 April and was requested for by an officer from Yang Talad Police Station. However, the reason the warrant was issued was not stated.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported at 20.40 on 2 April that Piyarat was then taken to Yang Talad Police Station and would be taken to Kalasin Provincial Court on 3 April for a temporary detention request.

According to TLHR, Piyarat is being charged with royal defamation for printing banners criticising the government’s Covid-19 vaccine programme and hanging them from trees, electricity poles, and a commemoration arch for the king along a road in the Yang Talad District area.

The banners contained messages such as “Giving the spotlight to the palace,” “Vaccine company monopoly,” “conflict of interest,” and “royal favour.” Pictures of the banners were also posted on Piyarat’s Facebook page and the We Volunteer Twitter account.

In addition to the royal defamation charge, Piyarat is also being charged with importing into a computer system data relating to an offence against national security under Section 14 of the Computer Crimes Act.

At 11.00 on 3 April, the Kalasin District Court ruled to have Piyarat temporarily detained on the ground that the charge under Section 112 is severe, that he is likely to repeat the offence and tamper with evidence. The court denied him bail and he was taken to be detained at Kalasin Remand Prison.

45 protest guards from the We Volunteer group have gone to hear additional charges after being arrested by armed police before a protest on 6 March. Despite being released from detention by other protesters while under a police escort, they took the decision to walk to the nearest police station to turn themselves in and demonstrate that they were not trying to escape. The police have nevertheless charged them with resisting officials.

The latest charge hearing took place on 31 March at Phaholyothin Police Station. They had previously been charged for violating the Covid-19 control Emergency Decree, forming a criminal organization and forming a secret society), according to Matichon.

Pawinee Chumsri, a lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said the WeVo members face different charges, ranging from resisting or fighting back against the authorities, possessing unauthorized military equipment (vests) to possessing unauthorized walkie talkies. The accused will have to report to the prosecutor on 9 April at 10.00.

Originally, 46 were arrested at the scene, including Piyarat Chongthep, the leader who has been in prison since March 9. They were arrested by an armed police SWAT team while they were at a nearby shopping mall, eating and waiting to attend the protest at the Criminal Court on 6 March.

According to their testimony to TLHR, they were rounded up by the police commandos, forced to lie on the ground, had guns pointed at their backs, had their hands tied with cables and had their belongings seized.

They were put into 3 different detention vehicles, 1 of which, containing 18 people, was able to make it to Border Patrol Police Region 1. The other 2 were intercepted by the protesters on Ratchadapisek Road. The cage padlocks on the second vehicle were broken and the WeVo members got out. Another 14 who were sitting in the third vehicle remained inside for 2 hours in total.

At 21.10, a lawyer from TLHR came to see the remaining WeVo members in the third vehicle and took them to Phaholyothin Police Station to present themselves out of fear of being charged with escaping. Those from the second vehicle later followed them to the station, 28 in total.

Pawinee said the charge of resisting the authorities was filed by the police despite the fact that they had voluntarily presented themselves at the police station, where the incident was recorded in the daily log. The charge reflects the abnormal reaction of the authorities to people who express their political views, resulting in unfair treatment right from the beginning of the judicial process.

“They were eating at the time. They were still eating and had not gone to the protest and had not caused any disorder. You may charge them with forming a secret society or whatever, but you still have no evidence to prosecute them. They had not done anything as has been claimed. I think it is an unfair prosecution,” said Pavinee.

The TLHR lawyer said the police should return to the principle where a person charged has committed an offence and the elements of the offence exist. The prosecution for political purposes against those who have different opinions cannot change their opinions. The discriminatory treatment that people receive will alienate them from the judicial system and the state’s system.

In the morning and evening of 14 March, protesters at the ‘Through the Sky Village’ set up near Government House were rounded up with no warrants shown. The Prime Minister denied any connection with the group photo of the new cabinet.

In both incidents, protesters in the makeshift village observed by peaceful methods by sitting or lying down, raising the 3-finger salute and letting the police take them into custody.

Those arrested were divided into 2 groups: 61 people who were arrested at 06.00 on Sunday and 31 who re-established the village in the afternoon and were arrested in the evening. Before being taken to court for a temporary detention order hearing, the first group were detained and charged at the Border Patrol Police Region 1, Pathum Thani, and the second at the Narcotics Suppression Bureau on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road.

On Monday night, all 92 were released on bail with 20,000 baht each as securities.

99 were arrested in total, but 6 were youths and earlier given bail by the court earlier while one other was allowed bail by the police.

92 were sent to Dusit Court for a temporary detention order hearing on Monday morning. They were charged with violating the Emergency Decree, causing traffic disorder and public dirtiness. Lawyers were waiting to submit bail requests.

On Monday, people gathered at the Pathumwan Skywalk to protest against the arrests. A protest was called for 14.00 on Tuesday 30 March at Government House to coincide with the cabinet photo shoot. The gathering perhaps is a symbolic action of resistance as the real photo shoot has been taken at Tuesday morning.

Prison guards attempted last night (15 March) to take activists Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpattarasaksa and Panupong Jadnok out of the wing where they are being held, claiming that they needed to be tested for Covid-19, says human rights lawyer Anon Nampa in a petition filed with the Criminal Court. Anon’s petition said that the guards came into their cell at 21.30 to try to take Jatupat and Panupong away, but the others refused to let them be taken away, so the officers returned at 23.45 with more people and batons, and twice more at 00.15 and 2.30 on 16 March. During the last two attempts, guards in dark blue uniforms and with no name tags were also present.

Anon said that the guards claimed that Jatupat and Panupong had to undergo a Covid-19 test, but the others refused to let them be taken due to concerns about their safety. He also said that it is unusual to take inmates out of the wing in the middle of the night, and that he fears for their lives as there have been rumours that they would be harmed while in prison.

“I did not sleep all night because I was afraid we would be in danger. Please help save our lives,” said Anon’s petition.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Anon also wrote another petition for the lawyers to file with the chief of the Bangkok Remand Prison for an investigation into the identity of the officers involved and the agencies they belong to, as well as for CCTV camera footage of the incident to be released.

Anon’s petition also asked that the prison chief explain whether officers are allowed to take inmates out of the cells after midnight.

Jatupat and Panupong were previously held at the Thonburi Remand Prison, but they were moved to the Bangkok Remand Prison after their lawyer filed an inquiry request with the court on 11 March, as on 8 March the court ordered them to be detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison, but they were taken to the Thonburi Remand Prison instead.

On 8 March, the criminal court ordered the detention pending trial of Panusaya Sitthijirawattanakul, Jatupat Boonbattararaksa and Panupong Jadnok, leading figures in the pro-democracy protests, on sedition, royal defamation and several other charges. Piyarat Chongtep, leader of the We Volunteer protest guard group also detained for criminal organization

The first 3 reported along with another 14 people as scheduled on 8 March morning to be charged over the 19-20 September 2020 protests at Thammasat University and Sanam Luang. In total, they were charged with sedition, organizing more than 10 people to cause disorder, unlawful procession, emergency decree, vandalism and destroying antiquity site. Only the 3 had additional charge on royal defamation. 14 were allowed bail.

There were actually 15 people summoned to the court in this set of lawsuit. Only 14 were able to made to the court as the another one, Chaiamorn ‘Ammy’ Kaewwiboonpan has already been detained in prison.

Piyarat was arrested along with another 47 We Volunteer (WeVo) members by a SWAT police team who used force and did not produce an arrest warrant on 6 March prior to the protest at the judicial court complex. All but Piyarat were allowed bail. The WeVo case process is still in the police stage.

Movement supporters expressed disappointment and anger after bail was again refused by gathering at the Victory Monument on the evening of 8 March to protest. They asked people to dress in black as a symbolic show of resistance before dispersing at around 21.00.

Amnesty International released a statement claming that the mass prosecutions, amount to 382 protest leaders and demonstrators in 207 cases since 2020, tantamount to systematic suppression of freedom.

“It is profoundly worrying that the Thai authorities are systematically prosecuting a large number of protest leaders and demonstrators. In certain cases, the suspects may face up to 15 years of imprisonment. This is a severe and disproportionate punishment. Given the normally protracted period of trial, the prosecution of dissenters or critics of the government is being weaponized to silence and retaliate against those who dare to challenge the state power.” said Piyanut Kotsan, Director of Amnesty International.

“Mass prosecutions and denial of bail demonstrate how the justice process is being used as a tool to brazenly attack the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. People are entitled to legitimate rights to express themselves and participate in activities concerning social issues.

“The Thai authorities must stop treating critics as if they are criminals or a threat to national security. They must be released and the charges against them must be immediately dropped in the condition where there is an insufficient evidence under international criminal standard.” said Piyanut.

The detentions increase the number of pro-democracy protesters detained pending trial over demonstrations since the beginning of 2020 demanding the resignation of the prime minister and his cronies, constitutional amendments and monarchy reform.

As of 8 March, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported that 18 people are now detained pending trial:

7 leading figures of Ratsadorn, one of the protest organizing groups: Anon Nampa, Parit Chiwarak, Patiwat Saraiyaem, Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, Panusaya Sitthijirawattanakul, Jatupat Boonbattararaksa and Panupong Jadnok. The first 4 have been detained since 9 February. 5 people who have been charged with damage to police vehicles in October 2020: Nathanon Chaimahabut, Thawat Sukprasoet, Sakchai Tangchitsadudi, Somkhit Tosoi and Chaluai Ekasak. They have been detained since 24 February. Chaiamorn ‘Ammy’ Kaewwiboonpan, lead singer of the The Bottom Blues band, detained for allegedly burning a portrait of King Rama X in front of Klong Prem Central Prison. Parinya ‘Port’ Cheewinkulpathom, a member of the self-exiled band ‘Faiyen’, charged under the lèse majesté law over his Facebook post in 2016 and detained since 6 March. 3 people detained since 29 January for allegedly throwing a homemade ‘pingpong’ bomb at the protest at Samyan Mitrtown on 10 January. . Piyarat Chongtep, arrested on 6 March and detained 2 days later. TLHR also reported that 5 people have been sentenced to prison after being found guilty of lèse majesté:

Anchan, sentenced on 19 January 2021 to 43 years. Wichai, sentenced on 24 December 2015 to 30 years and 60 months by a military court. Burin, sentenced on 30 April 2016 to 10 years and 16 months by a military court. Pratin, sentenced on 23 November 2015 to 8 years and 4 months. Prapan, sentenced on 11 May 2021 to 2 years.

Three anti-government leaders have been moved from Bangkok Remand Prison to Thon Buri Remand Prison, where they are being held in quarantine.

Corrections Department chief Ayut Sinthoppan said on Tuesday that Panupong “Mike’’ Jadnok, Jatupat “Pai Dao Din’’ Boonpattararaksa and Piyarat “Toto’’ Chongthep were transferred to Thon Buri on Monday to ease overcrowding at Bangkok Remand Prison.

Prison officials took the three suspects for records and health checks before taking them to the prison’s reception centre for 14-day quarantine as part of Covid-19 prevention measures.

The suspects were put in separate detention rooms. However, there were other prisoners in their rooms, the department chief said.

Mr Panupong and Mr Jatupat are charged with lese majeste and other offences and Mr Piyarat with violating the emergency decree. All charges stem from their roles in anti-government rallies. They have been denied bail

During their trial, prison officials from Bangkok Remand Prison would go to Thon Buri and then escort the defendants to the court, Mr Ayut said.

Asked if there were any worries about supporters of the protest leaders gathering at Thon Buri Remand Prison, he said there was tight security in the area around the prison 24 hours a day.

Prison authorities were not allowing the suspects to have visitors, because they were quarantined under Covid-19 measures, he said.

Another protest leader Panusaya “Rung’’ Sithijirawattanakul had been sent to the Central Women's Correctional Institution, the department chief said.

Soraya Rit-aram, director of the women's prison, said on Tuesday that Ms Panusaya was also in 14-day quarantine. Only lawyers were allowed to visit her, Ms Soraya said.

Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin on Tuesday confirmed he has plans to expand the Bangkok prison compound for political prisoners, to ease overcrowding when relatives and fellow demonstrators come visiting.

However, he had to look further into the details first.

On 6 March, protesters marched to the judicial court complex on Ratchadapisek Road to express their anger at the lengthy and questionable detention of pro-democracy protesters and political prisoners.

The protest, designated by the Free YOUTH movement under the theme Restart Democracy (REDEM), was one among at least 4 pro-democracy protests held in Bangkok and nearby province, and 1 pro-establishment protest at the Central World, Ratchaprasong.

The protesters started the march at Lat Phrao intersection at around 17.40. 46 were arrested at the scene, including Piyarat Chongthep. They were arrested by an armed police SWAT team while they were at a nearby shopping mall, eating and waiting to attend the protest.

According to their testimony to TLHR, they were rounded up by the police commandos, forced to lie on the ground, had guns pointed at their backs, had their hands tied with cables and had their belongings seized.

They were put into 3 different detention vehicles, 1 of which, containing 18 people, was able to make it to Border Patrol Police Region 1. The other 2 were intercepted by the protesters on Ratchadapisek Road. The cage padlocks on the second vehicle were broken and the WeVo members got out. Another 14 who were sitting in the third vehicle remained inside for 2 hours in total.

At 21.10, a lawyer from TLHR came to see the remaining WeVo members in the third vehicle and took them to Phaholyothin Police Station to present themselves out of fear of being charged with escaping. Those from the second vehicle later followed them to the station, 28 in total.

On 17 March, Phromson Wirathammachari, a protester well-known for his speeches, went to hear a charge of lèse majesté at Thanyaburi Police Station but the police suddenly handed him over to the court, with a request to detain him.

According to TLHR, the court denied Phromson bail, citing the gravity of the charge, the severe penalty, and the likelihood that he would either flee or repeat the offence. The decision led to him being detained at Thanyaburi prison even though was seriously injured from a traffic accident,.

Sasinan Thamnithinan, a TLHR lawyer who went to the police station with Phromson, posted on Facebook an account of the police haste. The post stated that although Phromson came to the station with his injuries to prove that he had no intention to flee, the deputy superintendent (investigation), after the regular investigation stage, suddenly decided to take him to court before the court closed.

Sasinan doubted the police decision because for a detention request, the appointment at the station would be for the morning instead of the afternoon. The police also expressed uneasiness at her attempt to consult with Phromson over this sudden turn of events. The station superintendent gave them 2 minutes to consult in private.

Without being prepared, Sasinan wrote the bail request as fast as she could. However, the court denied bail, giving similar reasons to those in Chukiat’s case.

TLHR reported on 22 March that at least 76 people have been prosecuted under the royal defamation law in 66 cases. 27 cases were filed by ordinary citizens, 5 by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and the rest by the police. 4 of the accused are under the age of 18.

Chukiat ‘Justin’ Saengwong, a pro-democracy protester, was arrested at night on 22 March on a charge of royal defamation and taken into police custody awaiting a court decision on bail. The court then allow the police request for temporary detention.

At 13.01 of 23 March, he was waiting for a court decision on his bail application via a teleconference hearing, according to Bencha Saengchantra, the Move Forward Party MP requesting bail for Chukiat. Bencha also said the police were going to transfer Chukiat to court in the morning, but suddenly changed to a teleconference hearing.

At 17.12, the court denied bail, giving as reasons the seriousness of the charge, the heavy penalty, and the fact that the accused committed similar offences after previously being allowed bail, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR). The offence that resulted in his arrest was from his part in the 20 March protest at Sanam Luang, although the offending action has not yet been identified exactly.

Chukiat posted on Facebook at 20.15 on 22 March “The police are taking me to Chanasongkram Police Station. Arrest warrant [Section] 112”. But supporters who went to Chanasongkram Police Station could not find him until he appeared at Huai Kwang Police Station at 23.00.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), whose lawyer was able to meet Chukiat at 00.54 on 23 March, tweeted that the police tried to interrogate Chukiat with a lawyer that they assigned to him and confiscated his phone. Because he objected to this, the police had him handcuffed and detained.

KHON KAEN: Sixteen core members of the Khon Kaen faction of the anti-government Ratsadon group reported to police on Monday morning to hear charges in connection with three anti-government rallies.

The first rally was held at Khon Kaen University on Feb 12, when the protesters lowered a national flag from the pole. The second was in front of the Muang police station on Feb 20 and the third on March 1 in front of a police office at Khon Kaen University.

At the rallies, the protesters reiterated three demands of the Ratsadon group - the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the amendment of the constitution and the reform of the monarchy.

Summonses were issued for the 16 to report to Muang police on Monday to hear three charges - lowering the national flag, a violation of the Thai National Flag Act, violating the emergency decree, and breaking the Disease Control Act.

The 16 were: Vachiravich "Safe" Thetsrimuang, who is leader of Khon Kaen faction of the Ratsadon group, Atthapol "Khru Yai" Buapat, Chaithawat Nammaroeng, Nitikorn Khamchu, Kornchanok Saenprasert, Pachara Santhiyakul, Thanasak Potemi, Veerapat Sirisunthorn, Panupong Srithananuwat, Sarawut Nakmanee, Jatuporn Sae Ueng, Chettha Klindee, Siwakorn Namnuad, Jetsarit Namkhot, Issaret Charoenkhong and Wisalya Ngnamna.

Four companies of police, from Khon Kaen and nearby provinces, were deployed in front of the police station to block supporters of the 16 from entering the premises.

A large number of Ratsadon supporters turned up and set up a tent on Klang Muang road in front of the station, giving moral support to their leaders and applying pressure on the police.

The protest leaders were accompanied by counsel from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

Mr Vachiravich said the lawyers had prepared to file requests for their release on bail after they were formally charged.

Before reporting to the police, Mr Vachiravich burned his summons and ground the ashes under his foot, in a symbolic show of defiance.

The Isaan Record, an online media organization based in Khon Kaen Province, is under surveillance by police officers. This is not the first time, and it occurs after they report on monarchy reform and anti-dictatorship activities which other media find distasteful.

On 10 March, Hathairat Phaholtap, the Isaan Record editor, told Prachatai English that police officers came to their office 4 times in one day. She was informed by vendors close to the office that police had asked them about the agency. The police did not approach staff directly.

This took place after the agency reported on an activity organized on 8 March by Femliberate, a feminist activist group, who shrouded the statue of Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat with women’s sarongs with a banner reading “Justice died 8 March 2021,” a symbolic action against the oppression of women and the court decision to keep in detention Parit Chiwarak, Panusaya Sitthijirawattanakul and Panupong Jadnok ,3 leading pro-democracy activists.

Prachatai English contacted Pol Col Chatchai Kengsarikit, Superintendent of Khon Kaen Police Station, but received no response. Pol Lt Col Wirot Nanongkham, the Deputy Superintendent (Investigation), said he was not informed about the police operation as he had just finished 4-month training in Bangkok.

“Them snooping around like this is harassing us. If they came in the normal way, then come along and have a coffee. If they come and ask what we do, come along. We are not afraid because we feel that we have not done anything wrong.

“We are not afraid that they will come to arrest us. If you come, then tell us what we’ve done wrong and give us the documents, don’t arrest us out of the blue or kidnap us. ... We know that we use our freedom, but we feel that we use freedom of the press,” said Hathairat.

In September 2020, Isaan Record interviewed Anon Nampa, a human rights lawyer who is now in detention pending trial for royal defamation and other offences, about his ideas on monarchy reform. Later, Hathairat said an officer told her that officers from Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) came around looking for the office as well. Targeted by pro-monarchy people and mainstream press

Manager Online, a well-known media agency, also reported the event at the monument on its local branch Facebook page MGR Online Isaan Ban Hao but in a different tone.

“A great number of Khon Kaen people and Thai people who have seen this photo, have put their hands on their chests, not thinking that they would dare to do anything like this. They also wrote obscene messages that civilized people cannot accept (C-U-N-T Wins)” stated in the post which referred directly to the Isaan Record’s coverage, using its photos. But the photo of the message was not taken by Isaan Record.

Hathairat believes the coverage is another reason for the police action as it originally referred to Isaan Record’s coverage.

Out of concern for possible misunderstanding, she had to ask the Page administrator to remove the photo not taken by the agency. The admin deleted it, but also sent her a comment ‘If staying in the homeland causes you suffering, then go and stay in another country’.

The row did not stop there. On 13 March, Manager Online for the northeast region reported news with the headline “Don’t stand for it! Khon Kaen people love the institution [of the monarchy]. Attack KKU, ask its position on whether they want the monarchy or not after allowing gangs who want to abolish the monarchy to hang out there,”.

The news item reports that a pro-monarchy group blames the Progressive Movement, from the now-dissolved Future Forward Party, for being the mastermind behind the student movement in Khon Kaen in the past year. They also questioned Khon Kaen University for letting public figures who spoke about democracy and monarchy reform give lectures to the students.

The piece also mentioned the activity at the statue of Field Marshal Sarit on 8 March and used photos taken by Isaan Record.

As pressure increases locally and countrywide, Hathairat said Isaan Record is planning to launch a series of reports about the lèse-majesté cases in northeast Thailand.

“When there are arrests of people for lèse-majesté, it will make people more afraid. But we think it is our freedom. The more the mass media is afraid, the more people dare to speak”, said Hathairat.

87 members of the Bang Kloi indigenous Karen community, who travelled back to the location of their former village in the Kaeng Krachan forest, have been forcibly taken out of the forest and arrested by park officials, police, and military officers.

The community members were taken by helicopter flights down from Chai Phaen Din, the former location of their village from which they were forcibly evacuated in 2011, on Friday morning (5 March).

Waraporn Utairungsee, a lawyer from the Human Rights Lawyer Association (HRLA), said that of the 87 people arrested, 36 are minors, but the authorities did not press charges and have released them. 29 others were arrested and received a fine, while 22 were taken to Khao Kling Prison.

Waraporn also said that the team from HRLA asked to meet the community members at 14.00, but were prevented from seeing them for around 4 hours, until the police held a press conference at around 18.00 to say that the community members were informed of their charges and were taken into temporary detention. She said that the authorities claimed that a lawyer from the Lawyers’ Council was already present during the inquiry, but she was not sure if the community members consented to this, as community representatives have already filed a request for a lawyer with HRLA on 25 February 2021.

According to Waraporn, it was too late to request bail on Friday (5 March). Later, on Saturday morning (6 March), HRLA announced on their Facebook page that they will be requesting bail for the 22 detained community members, and that they are arranging for 8 other community members for whom the police have an arrest warrant to turn themselves in on Monday (8 March). HRLA said that they will have to request bail for a total of 30 people, requiring a security of 60,000 baht each.

As they will need at least 1,320,000 baht in security, HRLA is requesting that any academic or university lecturer willing to use their position as bail security for the detained community members contact them. They will be requesting bail for the community members on Monday (8 March) at the Phetchaburi Provincial Court.

Transborder News reported that remaining community members at the Pong Luek-Bang Kloi village went to the park administration office after they learned of the arrest earlier on Friday morning (5 March), but were not allowed to see their relatives.

Kriangkrai Cheechuang, co-ordinator for the Karen network for Culture and Environment in Tanao Sri (KNCE), told Transborder News that the authorities began the inquiry without waiting for the community members’ lawyer and without a representative of the community being present to act as an interpreter.

There were also reports that No-ae Meemi, son of Ko-i Meemi, the community’s late spiritual leader, has also been arrested and sent to prison, and that at least two of the women currently detained have young children.

Reports of No-ae’s arrest caused concerns among the community, as he has said on several occasions that he would commit suicide if he is forcibly evacuated from Chai Phaen Din again.

The Bang Kloi community has already been forcibly evacuated from their ancestral home twice: in 1997, and once again in 2011, when park and military officials burned down their houses and rice barns, and forced them to relocate to the Pong Luek-Bang Kloi Village.

For the past 25 years, the community has constantly faced unresolved community rights issues. They were not allocated land for agriculture as the authorities promised them, and the land they did receive was not suitable for growing crops, while they are not able to practice their traditional rotational farming method. Many members of the community are also still in the process of getting Thai citizenship, and missed out on land allocation and welfare.

Community leader and indigenous rights activist Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen also went missing in 2014 after he was last seen in the custody of park officials. In September 2019, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) announced that they had found charred bone fragments in an oil drum in the Kaeng Krachan Dam, DNA evidence from which matches Billy’s mother. However, even though the DSI laid charges against four suspects, including the then-national park chief and two other officials who took Billy into custody, the public prosecutor decided in January 2020 to drop all but one of the charges, that of official misconduct, against the park officials, citing lack of evidence that Billy had died.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also worsened their situation, as many community members employed outside the village began to lose income. Around 70 – 80 members of the community therefore decided to leave the Pong Luek-Bang Kloi village in mid-January 2021 and returned to Chai Phaen Din to live according to their traditional way of life.

The community would also like to perform the final funeral rites for Ko-i, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 107. The ceremony requires his descendants to grow rice on the land at Chai Phaen Din and use the rice to feed people who participated in the ceremony.

Since the start of February 2021, the community have faced intimidation from state officials. Park officials, police, and military officers were stationed in the Pong Luek-Bang Kloi Village and have been patrolling the area every day, while food donations are blocked at park checkpoints and prevented from being delivered to the community members who returned to Chai Phaen Din. Community leaders faced pressure from the authorities, while phone signals in the Pong Luek-Bang Kloi village were periodically cut.

Despite the signing of an MOU with community representatives promising to allow the community to return to Chai Phaen Din to live according to their traditional ways and to end intimidation against the community, there were reports on 22 February 2021 of helicopter flights taking military units up into the Kaeng Krachan forest, as well as reports that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment had ordered all community members to be forced out of Chai Phaen Din by 18.00 of that day. By the end of that day, it was reported that 13 community members had been detained and taken back down to Pong Luek-Bang Kloi.

Thailand, along with 143 other countries, is a signatory to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Article 10 of which states “Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories. No relocation shall take place without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous peoples concerned and after agreement on just and fair compensation and, where possible, with the option of return.”

Ms. Supriya Jaikaew, pro-democracy WHRD and administrator of Free Youth student group from Chiang Rai (the capital city of the eponym province in northern Thailand) was charged with lèse-majesté and Computer Crime Act and subsequently arrested, before being granted bail at around midnight. According to TLHR, this marked the 60th lèse-majesté case filed against pro-democracy defenders since late November 2020.

BANGKOK — A number of reporters said Thursday they were prevented from witnessing riot police’s crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators during a protest on Saturday.

Several journalists who were covering the Feb. 13 rally near the Grand Palace told Khaosod English that officers ordered them to stay behind the police line while they dispersed the protesters. They also said police intervention was the reason why only a few reporters were able to capture the outburst of violence on that night.

“I didn’t see what was happening in the frontline,” said Sirote Klampaiboon, who was covering the protest for Voice TV. “All I could see was there were clouds of smoke behind the police and I heard several bangs. I was only let go when the police managed to take control of the situation.”

Read: Police, Military Deny Knowledge of Mysterious Men at Protest

A photo widely shared on social media also shows members of the press being confined between rows of riot police facing each other in front of the Supreme Court building – a police tactic known in Western countries as “kettling.”

“I can’t do my job properly because I am strucking behind the police line with several other reporters,” BBC Thai’s Paris Jitpentom said in the caption. “Please follow news from other channels. I’m sorry.”

Sirote from the Voice TV said there was no explanation from the police as to why journalists were prevented from leaving the police’s encirclement. He said he and his crew got there in the first place because police instructed them to do so.

“There was a commotion when we were told to get behind the police line,” Sirote said. “There were several bangs at that moment, so I thought it was safer to follow what the police said. But once we got inside, police set up a formation that appeared to deliberately prevent us from leaving.”

He also said that a man who appeared to be a commanding officer threatened to detain reporters should they refuse to comply with police orders.

“They said something like we will also arrest reporters if they don’t listen to police orders. I can’t remember the exact word they used,” Sirote said.

A riot police officer runs with a rifle during a crackdown in Bangkok, Thailand, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. Sirote said he attempted to leave, but it was difficult since he came with a TV camera crew that would have caught the attention of police officers.

Erich Parpart, a correspondent for Thai Enquirer news agency, confirmed Sirote’s account that police were threatening reporters with arrest.

“I was in front of the Supreme Court when they ordered us to get behind the police line. It was understandable since there was a commotion and there was no sign that they would prevent us from leaving,” he said in a phone interview. “Some reporters argued with the police and they were threatened with arrest.”

Erich said he was briefly held back behind the police line for a few minutes. He was able to escape when riot police fell out of line to arrest demonstrators, hence avoided being kettled any further by the police.

“It’s definitely deliberate,” he recalled. “It’s also against the Constitution, which protects freedom of the press. We should be able to film the arrests, but police attempted to block our view. The public deserves to know what is happening.”

Police disputed the allegations, saying they just want to make sure that everyone is safe.

“We have no intention to prevent the media from reporting,” metro police spokesman Piya Tawichai said by phone. “We are trying to accommodate the media and ensure that they are safe. Normally, we would designate a location where reporters can do their job safely without interfering with police operations.”

Khaosod English correspondents at the scene heard the police’s loudspeaker ordering reporters to move away.

“Reporters, go to the side for your safety,” the voice said. “Reporters, I ask for your cooperation. I give you 10 seconds.”

Pro-democracy protesters form a line as they try to march forward during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit) Another reporter, Yiamyut Sutthichaya, who was on the ground covering for Prachatai English, said he believed what the police did could either be an innocent intention to protect reporters, or a deliberate tactic to prevent reporters from capturing violent arrests.

A total of 11 people were arrested during a crackdown on remaining demonstrators near the Grand Palace, some of them, including a volunteer health worker, could be seen being repeatedly hit by riot police with truncheons.

“It could mean either way,” Yiamyut said. “But since there is no official explanation from the police, I don’t know what was their intention. They used to do this in the past when they made arrests.”

Journalists can be seen being told by police to stay behind the police line in this Facebook Live by Prachatai at 2:11:00 mark.

Khaosod English correspondents were further away from the police line and therefore were able to continue reporting the crackdown as it unfolded, but riot police still attempted to block their view when making arrests.

Khaosod English was also the only news media agency to have filmed police beating of a medic volunteer on the night of Feb. 13 while other journalists were being kettled by the rows of riot police.

Spokesman Piya said the media can record police operations as long as it does not interfere with the officers.

“We can’t really prevent the media from doing their job,” Maj. Gen. Piya said.

Journalists were generally free to cover the series of anti-government protests that broke out in July, though police arrested and briefly detained a reporter for Prachatai during a crackdown on protesters on Oct. 16. The journalist, Kitti Pantapak, was later released without charges after several media organizations protested his arrest.