<p dir="ltr">Military freed an anti-junta facebook administrator after detaining him incommunicado for seven days.</p>
<p>According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), the family of Sarawut Bamrungkittikhun, the administrator of the Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/issuesopen">‘Poet Praden’ (Open Issues)</a>, who was abducted by military officers last week, reported that Sarawut was released from the 45th Army Division in southern province of Surat Thani at 8 am on Wednesday, 16 March 2016.</p>
By Human Rights Watch |
<p><a href="http://hrw.pr-optout.com/Tracking.aspx?Data=HHL%3d8-32%3d9-%3eLCE593719%26SDG%3c90%3a.&RE=MC&RI=4432086&Preview=False&DistributionActionID=95605&Action=Follow+Link">Thai</a> authorities should immediately disclose the whereabouts of an outspoken critic of the government who has not been heard from since his arrest on March 9, 2016, Human Rights Watch said today.</p>
<p>The Thai military have abducted the administrator of an anti-junta Facebook page who has been reported missing since last week, according to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).</p>
<p>TLHR on Monday, 14 March 2016, issued a public statement, urging the authorities to immediately release Sarawut Bamrungkittikhun, the administrator of the Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/issuesopen">‘Poet Praden’ (Open Issues)</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Thai Police have ordered a seminar about the new draft constitution to be aborted, saying that it is against the junta’s political gathering ban. </p>
<p>The Military Court has for the second time issued arrest warrants for anti-junta activists calling for an investigation into corruption allegations concerning a park constructed by the Royal Thai Army.</p>
<p>The Thai junta leader has scolded Amnesty International’s campaign for Thai political dissidents, saying that the organization encourages people who have violated the law.</p>
<p>After the abduction of Sirawit Serithiwat, a pro-democracy student activist leader, last week, Amnesty International (AI) started a campaign calling on its members to send letters to Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, the junta leader and Prime Minister, and Don Pramudwinai, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to demand that the regime drop charges against Sirawit and other dissidents.</p>
<p>A well-known embattled anti-junta activist who was abducted and reportedly abused last week, has filed charges against military officers while human rights organisations urge the junta to end arbitrary arrests and the ban on political gatherings.</p>
<p>Sirawit Serithiwat, a pro-democracy student activist leader from Thammasat University, at 2 pm on Monday, 25 January 2016, with Anon Nampa, a human rights lawyer, filed a complaint at Khlong Luang Police Station, Pathum Thani Province, against military officers who detained him last week.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Anti-junta youth activists facing arrest warrants have vowed to fight on despite intimidation from the authorities and the risk of detention.</p>
<p>Sirawit Serithiwat, 23, Chonticha Jaeng-rew, 22, Chanoknan Ruamsap, 22, Abhisit Sapnaphapan, 29, and Korakoch Saengyenpan, 23, five embattled pro-democracy activists currently facing arrest warrants, gathered at Thonburi Railway Station in Bangkok at 10:15 am on Saturday, 16 January 2016.</p>
<p>Two of the six academics charged with violating the junta’s ban on political gatherings by organising a public talk remain defiant at the risk of receiving jail terms, saying that the junta order can longer be enacted. </p>
<p>Attachak Sattayanurak and Somchai Preechasinlapakun, history and law lecturers from Chiang Mai University, at 2 pm on Thursday, 24 December 2015, submitted a document on allegations against them to Chang Puak Police Station in Mueang District of the northern province of Chiang Mai.</p>
<p>The Thai junta’s spokesman has claimed that activists demanding an investigation into the Rajabhakti Park scandals aim to sabotage and discredit the government.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="http://www.tnamcot.com/content/359527">Thai News Agency</a>, Col Winthai Suvaree, spokesperson for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), told the media on Saturday, 19 December 2015, that some of the activists demanding an investigation into the Rajabhakti Park scandals have repeatedly violated NCPO orders.</p>
<p>The criminal court has rejected a request from an anti-junta activist to free a fellow activist held at an unknown location while the National Human Rights Commission has pressed the authorities to disclose where he is being detained.</p>
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<p>The Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road, Bangkok, on Thursday at about 4 pm, 17 December 2015, for the second time rejected a plea to free Thanet A., a 25-year-old activist who was reportedly taken from his sickbed while waiting for a medical operation last week.</p>
<p>Thai military officers have intimidated the mother of a well-known anti-junta activist and attempted to summon her for a discussion, saying “whatever happens, you can’t complain.”</p>
<p>On the night of Saturday, 5 December 2015, military officers contacted Patnari Charnkij, the mother of a student activist from the New Democracy Movement (NDM) and Resistant Citizen, <a href="http://www.prachatai.org/english/category/sirawit-serithiwat">Sirawit Serithiwat</a>, and asked about Sirawit’s whereabout.</p>