NCPO launches legal action against marchers

By Chularat Saengpassa 
The Nation

 

 

People go network leaders defiant after being summonsed over civil rights rally

 

THE NATIONAL Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has lodged complaints against eight leaders of the People Go Network. 

 

In response to the complaint, police issued summonses to Lertsak Khamkongsak, Anusorn Unno, Nimit Tien-udom, Somchai Krajangsaeng, Saengsiri Trimankha, Nuchanart Tantong, Ubon Yuwa and Jamnong Nuphan. 

 

All of the accused work for non-governmental organisations, except Anusorn, who is the dean of Thammasat University’s Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology. 

 

The charges against them follow a rally that took place at Thammasat Rangsit Campus last Saturday, which drew about 150 participants and included anti-government speeches. 

 

The NCPO assigned a representative to file a complaint with Klong Luang Police in Pathum Thani province on Sunday and the eight have been directed to answer the summons this Sunday. 

 

“I think we will have to answer the summons,” Nimit said. 

 

A police source said if the accused fail to appear on Sunday without a good reason, a second summons would be issued. 

 

“And if they fail to answer again, they will face arrest warrants,” the source added. 

 

Surachai Trong-garm, a lawyer for the People Go Network, said authorities should stop citing the NCPO’s very broad order banning political gatherings to block people’s rights to free assembly.

 

“We will definitely fight back,” he said. 

 

He said he would have a meeting with several lawyers for the People Go Network today to plan a defence. 

 

Surachai also said he expected the Central Administrative Court to soon start holding trials regarding his complaint that police had tried to disrupt his network’s peaceful march. 

 

The march, known as “We Walk”, started at Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus last Saturday and, in order to avoid violating the NCPO’s ban on the gathering of more than five people, included no more than four individuals at any one time. 

 

The complaint was lodged with the Central Administrative Court on Sunday and although the court refused to immediately issue an injunction, trials are expected soon as the march continues. 

 

The organisers plan for the march to cover 450 kilometres and end in Khon Kaen province. It was organised to bring attention to the need for state welfare, universal healthcare, food security, freedom of expression, human rights and a just society for all.

 

“Because of pressure from the authorities, people do not dare show support for our group along our way,” Surachai said. 

 

Meanwhile, Ekachai Isarata of the NGO Coordinating Committee on Development’s Southern Branch said the junta’s legal action against the “We March” leaders showed it did not understand the concept of freedom of expression as enshrined in the Constitution. 

 

“Such freedom is the basic right of people,” he said. “I think the government has made a mistake in invoking legal measures to try to restrict people’s expression.” 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-1-23

8 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

They say the rally, which drew about 150 participants, included anti-government and slanderous speech.

today's thailand; in freefall

Excellent. Double down on the repression and let the resentment build and build...

10 minutes ago, baboon said:

Excellent. Double down on the repression and let the resentment build and build...

It clearly shows the junta is army.. they are great at shooting.. too bad for them its in their own foot all the time.

29 minutes ago, baboon said:

Excellent. Double down on the repression and let the resentment build and build...

Sooner or later this will end in tears.

That's "thai style -democracy" for you...

1 hour ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Sooner or later this will end in tears.

Sadly I can't see a happy ending. They will cling to power in every way they can.

Funny they are so worried about a couple hundred protesters that they go the whole 9 yards on hauling them over-the-coals. Hmmmm.....telling.

2 hours ago, baboon said:

Excellent. Double down on the repression and let the resentment build and build...

Just like waiting for Krakatoa  to let rip!

31 minutes ago, Sir Dude said:

Funny they are so worried about a couple hundred protesters that they go the whole 9 yards on hauling them over-the-coals. Hmmmm.....telling.

They know full well a couple of hundred could swell to a thousand in a blink of an eye if they don't stop the march in its tracks. 

They feel they have to prevent every demonstration of every kind, but of course finally that cannot end well.

There's that lovely reconciliation again.

10 hours ago, Siripon said:

They know full well a couple of hundred could swell to a thousand in a blink of an eye if they don't stop the march in its tracks. 

They feel they have to prevent every demonstration of every kind, but of course finally that cannot end well.

How about a few hundred thousands? Yep, get rid of the little general, nobody wanted him first place. 

 

The other day it was the wife's handbag, today it is 150 marchers calling for the protection of state welfare, universal healthcare, food security, freedom of expression, human rights and a just society for all. But the control freaks of the military are not interested in listening to this sort of stuff. 

There is huge potential for "loss of face" here and the heavy hand of the legal system has to be brought down hard to preserve the delicate ego of one man in particular.

 

Note to self : get wife to say she was on this march and fears persecution on return to Thailand. Forget the residence visa nonsense. 

13 hours ago, HiSoLowSoNoSo said:

Sooner or later this will end in tears.

You are right.

Seen the chosen route, it might be a redshirt do.

That club brought enough trouble already.

Including all things mentioned in the groups' statement.

 

4 minutes ago, hansnl said:

You are right.

Seen the chosen route, it might be a redshirt do.

That club brought enough trouble already.

Including all things mentioned in the groups' statement.

 

Because of course it is impossible to dislike the current state of affairs and not be in any way connected to the red shirts.

 

Christ almighty, what is the matter with some people?

16 minutes ago, hansnl said:

You are right.

Seen the chosen route, it might be a redshirt do.

That club brought enough trouble already.

Including all things mentioned in the groups' statement.

 

Seems like not just the redshirts want this junta gone. 

Those brave activists are still on the road. Kudos to them even with all the difficulties, they persist with the march down Mittraphap Road translated as Friendship Road. Good choice of the route. The junta doing their ugly best to deter besides taking legal action, confiscating their communication equipment and their logistic truck. Problems are quickly resolved by like minded junta hater supporters. Thumbs up. 

Those brave activists are still on the road. Kudos to them even with all the difficulties, they persist with the march down Mittraphap Road translated as Friendship Road. Good choice of the route. The junta doing their ugly best to deter besides taking legal action, confiscating their communication equipment and their logistic truck. Problems are quickly resolved by like minded junta hater supporters. Thumbs up. 

This makes me feel so much better about being in Thailand.

 

I remember there are thinking individuals here too.

 

People with will to stand up and say its not right.

 

Despite knowing the consequences of opposing the richard potatoes they have still done so.

 

Hope remains for the country.

19 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Those brave activists are still on the road. Kudos to them even with all the difficulties, they persist with the march down Mittraphap Road translated as Friendship Road. Good choice of the route. The junta doing their ugly best to deter besides taking legal action, confiscating their communication equipment and their logistic truck. Problems are quickly resolved by like minded junta hater supporters. Thumbs up. 

Yeah .....  let them go ....  it's not like the two of them will stop much traffic ....

 

Edited January 24, 20188 yr by steven100

5 minutes ago, steven100 said:

Yeah .....  let then go ....  it's not like the two of them will stop much traffic ....

 

Didn't stop you from reading and that's good enough for those brave hearts. They got visibility, attention and lots of good public image even with a small group and smart to evade the ridiculous public gathering law.  

But doesn't this illustrate how disingenuous this regime is about elections they keep promising?

If the elections are not so far away as they keep trying to assure the people, then shouldn't there be at the very least a partial relaxation in the harsh anti-criticism rules?

Otherwise at this rate when the opposition candidates start campaigning against the junta prior to the election then they too will risk being carted away for saying something "derogatory ".

Edited January 24, 20188 yr by midas

9 minutes ago, midas said:

But doesn't this illustrate how disingenuous this regime is about elections they keep promising?

If the elections are not so far away as they keep trying to assure the people, then shouldn't there be at the very least a partial relaxation in the harsh anti-criticism rules?

Otherwise at this rate when the opposition candidates start campaigning against the junta prior to the election then they too will risk being carted away for saying something "derogatory ".

I think you could safely place a substantial wager on any criticism of the junta being made illegal, should elections occour...

8 minutes ago, baboon said:

I think you could safely place a substantial wager on any criticism of the junta being made illegal, should elections occour...

That speaks for itself.  It already happened with the "referendum".

18 hours ago, YetAnother said:

today's thailand; in freefall

150 turned up, only 12 started walking. Not exactly a breakdown of Thai society.

 

As much as the media try to blow this up into hysterics, the numbers speak for themselves, 99.9% of Thais just don't care.

7 minutes ago, Air Smiles said:

150 turned up, only 12 started walking. Not exactly a breakdown of Thai society.

 

As much as the media try to blow this up into hysterics, the numbers speak for themselves, 99.9% of Thais just don't care.

Got the junta attention and got them paranoid. 

19 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

the junta’s legal action against the “We March” leaders showed it did not understand the concept of freedom of expression as enshrined in the Constitution. 

au contraire mon frère (on the contrary my brother),

It is because the junta fully understands the concept of freedom of expressions that it reacts so vehemently!

It does not fear the Constitution that merely serves as a tool of Thai-Style Democracy to calm the Thai people into a false sense of security.

Another reason for the PM to cry '...unrest in the country...election not possible...' 150 people...oh come on PM if it were elsewhere it would be a lot more.

Edited January 24, 20188 yr by TKDfella

They know full well a couple of hundred could swell to a thousand in a blink of an eye if they don't stop the march in its tracks. 
They feel they have to prevent every demonstration of every kind, but of course finally that cannot end well.

150 is totally pathetic. About the size of a wedding party.

They should have called it off but have now handed the junta a free pass.
The PM would be very happy right now