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November 2015: Arrest warrants issued for numbers of lese majeste cases. Students’ activities banned. Fahhai TV shut down.
Period | 22 May 2014 – 30 November 2015 | November 2015 |
---|---|---|
Number of individuals summoned | 798 | 8 |
Number of individuals arrested | 501 | 16 |
Arrests at peaceful demonstrations | 212 | - |
Individuals prosecuted before military court | 152 | 3 |
Individuals prosecuted before civilian court | 47 | - |
Number of individuals charged with lese majeste offense (Article 112) | 56 | 2 |
Number of individuals detained under lese majeste charge | 46 |
The Royal Thai Police Headquarters announced the arrest warrants issued for 4 more high-ranking police and army officers for lese majeste. Mor Yong died while in custody.
Lese Majeste Case for Expression reoccurred
Ekkachai, the convict of ABC's news documentary CD case is free at last.
Ekkachai, the convict of ABC's news documentary CD case, was released.
15 November 2015. Ekkachai, a convict of the criminal code section 112 case, and was found guilty of selling ABC’s news documentary, was now released from Bangkok Remand Prison after serving the sentence.
Ekkachai was arrested in March 2011 while selling CDs at Sanam Luang after attending a Red Shirt rally. Ekkachai was granted bail while defending his case. But he was convicted and sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in March 2013 by the Court of First Instance. In May 2014, the Appeals Court upheld the Court of First Instance’s ruling, which remained 3 years and 4 months imprisonment. Then in October 2015, the Supreme Court
reduced his sentence to 2 years and 8 months. This made him free and he was released in November 2015.
Electricity shut down, Chairs removed, and being watched at the cinema. Public Activities prohibited in November 2015.
20 November 2015. A group of social activists got together to see The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 at the cinema, Siam Paragon. According to iLaw’s observation, at 17.40 hrs., there were about 15 people who turned up for the event, and at least 20 plainclothes officers in front of the cinema. The officers took some pictures and recorded the activities. One of the activists informed that the movie banners were removed from the cinema foyer. Booking tickets for this timeslot and for the activists was very difficult. They could not book online or buy from an automatic machine. They had to buy from the staff only. The informant also mentioned that the seats behind theirs were fully booked for the whole row. They thought that the officers could have been there watching them in the cinema.
21 November 2015. New Democracy Movement (NDM) and League of Liberal Thammasat for Democracy (LLTD) held an exhibition and a talk titled “Camouflage corrupts the Nation” at Sri Burapha Auditorium, Thammasat University, Tha Prachan Campus, from 12.00 – 20.00 hrs. The exhibition and another talk titled “Field Marshal Sarit and the legacy of development era” were held. In the afternoon the officers asked the organisers to remove some of the exhibits. They were about the military hardware and Rajabhakti Park. And only the exhibits of Field Marshal Sarit could still be there. If the organisers did not cooperate they would be forced to finish the event. So the organisers did and the event went on till 18.30 hrs., when University staff shut down the electricity in the Auditorium. The organisers came out and held the talk with a megaphone.
25 November 2015. The Democracy Study Group held an event “Loy Krathong and Chasing Away Bad Dictatorship” at Thammasat University. One of the activists said about the intervention. Before they began the officers asked the organisers not to hold this. The officers were worried about the event poster that had faces of the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister. The informant also mentioned that the officers forced them to finish by 20.00 hrs. or they would lock the wheels of the speaker truck that they had hired.
“Targeted Individual” were “visited” continually.
Other Freedom of Expression Cases in November 2015
University Lecturers were charged for holding a news conference “Universities are not barracks”.
24 November 2015. 5 university lecturers; Mana Nakham of Khon Kaen University, Attachak Sattayanurak, and Somchai Preechasinlapakun of Chiang Mai University, Charoon Yuthong, and Nattapong Jitnirat of Thaksin University came to meet the inquiry official at Chang Phuak Police Station to hear their allegation for violating the NCPO’s Order No., 3/2558 (2015).
The charge occurred after the academics read out their statement titled “Universities are not barracks” on 31 October 2015 at Ibis Hotel, Chiang Mai. They wanted to reaffirm the academic freedom. It was a response to the NCPO leader when he criticised the higher education curriculum that might be against the Government.
The two leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship were taken to military base, en route to Rajabhakti Park
After media reported the corruption scandal of contracting Rajabhakti Park, Nattawut Saikuar a leader of UDD would ask Jatuporn Prompan, the Chairman of UDD, to visit the Park to find out the truth on 27 November 2015. Both leaders said on 29 November 2015 that after they announced that they would visit the Park, there were army vehicles parked and watched in front of their house.
In the morning of 30 November 2015 which was the day of the visit, a great number of police and army personnel were all over Mahachai market, which was the place for Jatuporn and Nattawut to line up their caravan. The arrests of the two leaders happened at about 10.20 hrs. Both of them were taken by vans to some unknown location.
After the arrest, Kokaew Pikulthong, another UDD leader, demanded the army to unconditionally release both of them, and to reveal the facts of constructing Rajabhakti Park. Col. Winchai Suwaree, NCPO spokesman, informed that the two were arrested because of trying to cause a political unrest. There was announcement and incitement. They also gave unclear information to the public, especially when saying “corruption”, when there had been no authority or individual concluded investigation yet.
On the same day, officials from the National Security Agency met two other UDD leaders; Somwang Asarasi and Thanawut Wichaidit, at a petrol station in Ratchaburi province. They were summoned to talk in Rat Burana district, Bangkok. They were asked to stop any political activities before being released.
Shutting down Fahhai TV
18 November 2015 Col. Burin Thongprapai, Staff Judge Advocate, by referring to the power of the NCPO’s Order No. 3/2558 (2015), brought army personnel to search Fahhai TV Satellite Station. There was a report of a TV programme’s content that could have been incited and caused unrest.
After searching, the personnel brought in 5 individuals to be charged. One of the suspects was Porntipa Supattanakul, aka DJ Fah, the owner of the TV station and a former PDRC activist. It was believed that the search and arrests could have been a result of Pol. Gen. Sereepisuth Temeeyaves hosted the TV show and criticised the Government.
Criticism about Rajabhakti Park Scandal on Facebook led to the Section 116 charge.
30 November 2015. Pol. Lt. Gen. Sanit Mahataworn brought in Juthatip to the inquiry official after the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) intercepted Juthatip’s post about the Park’s corruption scandal in Prachuap Khiri Khan province. The information was not correct and deemed defame others. So the charge was reported to Phra Khanong Metropolitan Police Station. Juthatip was charged for incitement under Section 116 of the criminal code and the Computer Crime Act.