By International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) |
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<p>The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a partnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Thailand.</p>
<p><strong>Description of the situation:</strong></p>
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<div>The mother of a jailed anti-junta activist has begged his university not to expel her son after a court refused to release him to take his final exams. </div>
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<div>On 12 January 2016, Prim Boonpattaraksa submitted a petition to Khon Kaen University asking for her son, Jatuphat ‘Pai’ Boonpattararaksa, to retain his student status.</div>
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<div>Jatuphat risks expulsion from Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Law since his incarceration means he is likely to miss his final exams on 17 January.
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<p dir="ltr">The military has prohibited university lecturers and students from organising an event in support of an anti-junta activist accused of lèse majesté, reasoning that the Thai people are still mourning for the late King Bhumibol. </p>
<p dir="ltr">On 11 January 2017, Asst. Prof. Winai Phoncharoen of Mahasarakham University told Prachatai that military officers had forbidden him from organising an activity to show solidarity with Jatuphat ‘Pai’ Boonpattaraksa, the first person charged with lèse majesté under the reign of King Vajiralongkorn. </p>
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<div>The first lèse majesté suspect under King Rama X claims that prison staff have repeatedly searched his rectum for drugs. </div>
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<div>On 5 January 2017, Jatuphat ‘Pai’ Boonpattaraksa, a key member of the New Democracy Movement (NDM) and Dao Din anti-junta activist groups, told Prachatai that every time he returns to prison from court, authorities order him to bend down so that his rectum may be searched. </div>
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<div>Despite Jatuphat’s protests that he should not be subjected to this treatment since he is a political suspect, not a drug suspect
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<div>The lawyer of the first lèse majesté suspect under the King Rama X has challenged a court’s decision to grant custody permission for his client, saying the hearing was done behind the suspect. </div>
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<div>On 28 December 2016, Athiphong Phuphiw, the lawyer of Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa, has submit a petition the Khon Kaen Provincial Court. The petition demands revocation to custody permission of Jatuphat, which the court granted two days earlier. The petition stated that the court granted the permission without asking the suspect’s opinion.
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<p dir="ltr">The court of appeal has denied bail for a well-known anti-junta activist accused of defaming King Rama X. </p>
<p dir="ltr">On 27 December 2016, an appeal court in Khon Kaen Province denied bail to Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa, the first person charged with lèse majesté under the reign of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The court reasoned that Jatuphat does not seem to respect the law or state authorities, adding that he could intervene with evidence if released.</p>
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<div>In a secret hearing, a provincial court has revoked bail in a lèse majesté case, ruling that the suspect insulted the authorities in a Facebook post. </div>
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<div>On 22 December 2016, Khon Kaen Provincial Court approved a police request to revoke bail for Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa, <a href="http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/6763">the first person charged with lèse majesté under the reign of King Maha Vajiralongkorn</a>. The court conducted the hearing in secret and ruled that the suspect has violated bail conditions.
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<div>Thailand saw its first lèse majesté case under King Rama X, only two days after the king’s accession. Experts argue that this case is different from cases that occurred under King Rama IX.</div>
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<div>Thailand’s deputy junta head has confirmed BBC Thai will be prosecuted for publishing a controversial biography of the newly instated King Vajiralongkorn.</div>
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<div>On 6 December 2016, deputy junta head Prawit Wongsuwan told media that the biography contains false information, so he has urged authorities to investigate whether the article is in breach of the law.
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<p dir="ltr">A provincial court has freed a leading member of an anti-junta activist group accused of lèse majesté for sharing a biography of the new King of Thailand published by the BBC Thai. </p>
<p dir="ltr">At 11:45 am on 4 December 2016, the Provincial Court of Khon Kaen granted 400,000 baht bail to Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa, also known as Pai Daodin, a key member of the New Democracy Movement (NDM) anti-junta activist group. </p>
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<div>Police officers in Thailand’s northeast have achieved a new standard of intimidation after pressing charges against two rights advocates for merely observing a seminar criticizing the junta-backed charter. </div>
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<div>On Wednesday, 31 July 2016, police officers in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen summoned six people to Mueang District Police Station to hear accusations against them. The authorities accused the six of breaching NCPO Order No.
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<div>A military court in Thailand’s northeast has granted bail for a hunger striking anti-junta student activist. A t-shirt with the word “commoners" has been also deemed a threat to national security by a court officer.</div>
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<div>On Tuesday, 23 August 2016, the military court in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen granted bail for Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa, also known as Phai, the pro-democracy activist who staged a hunger strike from 6 to 19 August.
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