Three student activists have filed a complaint against ultra-royalist group member Akkarawut Kraisisombat, after he posted their pictures and threatened violence against them.

The three students, whose names are withheld for safety reasons, filed a complaint against Akkarawut at Pathumwan Police Station last Wednesday (29 October). Their lawyer, Weerada Kongthanakunrot, said that they are pressing charges, and that the police will ask the students to come to the police station again to provide further statements.

The complaint stems from a 27 October post by Akkarawut saying that he will hunt down people who put up signs saying “We mourn citizens’ freedom” on electricity poles after the death of Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, was announced on Saturday (25 October). He also posted pictures of people he believed put up the signs.

The post gained over 3000 comments and 10,000 reactions. Most commenters encouraged Akkarawut and his group to attack people who put up the signs or to use the royal defamation law. The post has since been deleted.

Weerada noted that the police usually can proceed with a complaint even if a post is removed. Many people have been convicted for royal defamation for posts they had already deleted, and she hopes the police will proceed with this case too.

“We want the same justice for us,” Weerada said. When someone is accused of defamation over a post, she said, the defence is often that the post kills no one and that there was no threat. However, in the three students’ case, threats have clearly been made against them. She also noted that a few years ago, ultra-royalist group members attacked people and the police could not prosecute them. People may have different opinions, Weerada said, but the law should not be used for harassment and violence should not be used.

The three students, meanwhile, said that they feel unsafe and concerned at becoming the subject of a witchhunt.

Members of ultra-royalist groups have made threats against pro-democracy activists several times since the government imposed a period of national mourning for Queen Sirikit, asking members of the public to dress in black and white for 90 days and to dial down festivities.

One activist posted on social media that they were followed by plainclothes police after they took a picture of themselves flashing the three-finger salute in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) on Sunday (26 October). The activist wrote that they were attending an event about state welfare at the BACC and came out of the building after learning that the royal procession carrying the remains of Queen Sirikit would travel through Pathumwan Intersection. The activist wrote that as the royal procession went by, they were surrounded by 6 – 7 plainclothes officers, who followed them back into the event and stayed until the event ended.

The activist wrote that at around 17.30, while they were leaving for dinner with a group of friends, they were approached by a group of plainclothes police who asked them about signs being put up in front of the nearby Chulalongkorn University. The police also asked them to go to Pathumwan Police Station to give a statement. After calling their lawyer, the activist told the police to follow procedure and issue a summons if they wanted a statement.

The ultra-royalist group People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy reportedly went looking for the activist. Its leader, Anon Klinkaew, went live on Facebook on Sunday night (26 October) while in front of the BACC saying that he was looking for the activist who flashed the three-finger salute while the royal procession went through the Pathumwan Intersection. However, no further incident took place.

Anon posted on Facebook on 28 October asking why “such an event and behaviour” should take place in front of the BACC during a period of national mourning. He threatened an attack, saying that sometimes the law is too slow. The post contained a picture of the activist and several pictures of an art installation in front of the BACC. The installation is part of an exhibition called “Ghost:2568 — Wish We Were Here,” which opened on 17 October but was interpreted by some members of the group as anti-monarchy.

On Thursday (30 October), messages from an alleged group chat of Thammasat University students were shared on social media. Members of the group threatened violence against students who put up a protest banner on campus after Thammasat University cancelled the opening ceremony of its “Freshy Games” – a sports day for freshmen – after Queen Sirikit’s death was announced. One person threatened to bomb the Faculty of Political Sciences building over the banner.