Thai pro-democracy leaders denied bail
BANGKOK: Three prominent Thai pro-democracy figures were denied bail in a Bangkok court yesterday after being charged with insulting the monarchy, as the government escalates a legal row with a youth-led movement that emerged last year.
The three activists – Panusaya ‘Rung’ Sithijirawattanakul, Panupong ‘Mike’ Jadnok and Jatupat ‘Pai’ Boonpattararaksa – were charged with violating royal defamation laws over a rally in central Bangkok in September, Prayut Pecharakun, a spokesman for the AttorneyGeneral
said.
They were also charged with sedition alongside 15 other pro-democracy protesters, the spokesperson added.
All three are facing other royal defamation charges.
At the peak of the protests, tens of thousands massed in the streets of Bangkok demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut ChanO-Cha’s government and a new constitution.
The movement also broke long-held taboos calling for reforms to the monarchy in a country where the royal family is considered untouchable and has been treated with reverence for decades.
The monarchy is protected by the kingdom’s harsh lese majeste laws – referred to as ‘112’ by its penal code section – which carry penalties of up to 15 years per charge if found guilty of insulting royal family members.
The activists marched to a Bangkok criminal court yesterday morning flanked by scores of supporters carrying posters of other detained protest leaders and flags. Jatupat posted on Facebook yesterday afternoon that he, Panusaya and Panupong had been remanded in custody. ‘Fight on everyone,’ he wrote. Riot police were deployed to the court compound, as dozens of protesters chanted for the release of the trio, but later dispersed.
Earlier Panusaya, who is facing eight other royal defamation charges, believes the prodemocracy movement will continue to exist although most of the leaders could be locked behind bars.