By Tewarit Maneechai |
<p>Workers and activists in Indonesia and Bangladesh have held protests at Thai Embassies, demanding the release of Somyos Prueksakasemsuk. More protests will be held in Hong Kong and Australia this week.</p>
By Confederation of Congress of Indonesia Unions Alliance |
<p>Konfederasi KASBI (Confederation of Congress of Indonesian Unions Alliance) is deeply concerned over the re-arrest of labour activist Somyot Pruksakasemsuk and worried about his safety in the prison.Somyot Pruksakasemsuk was arrested on 30th April 2011 and is currently being held at Klong Prem Central Prison, in Bangkok. We believe this is part of a systematic repression against pro-democracy activists in Thailand.</p>
<p>On 18 May, the National Human Rights Commission’s Subcommittee on Civil and Political Rights held a discussion on the lèse majesté law, attended by academics, activists and individuals affected by the law.</p>
<p>On 19 May, groups of red shirts under the banner of Democracy Networks held activities to mark the first anniversary of the crackdown in front of Lumpini Park, performing traditional rituals to curse the masterminds who ordered the killings, and campaigning for the release of political prisoners and the repeal of the lèse majesté law.</p>
By Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA) |
<p>A Thai history professor who is outspoken on issues concerning the monarchy now faces a complaint of lèse majesté filed by the Royal Thai Army, the independent news website Prachatai.com reported.</p>
By Socialist Party of Malaysia |
<p>Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) is deeply concerned over the re-arrest of labour activist Somyot Pruksakasemsuk and worried about his safety in the prison.</p>
<p>The denial of bail for Somyos Prueksakasemsuk is like a verdict in advance, even though the court has yet to determine whether the content in Red Power magazine is offensive or not as it has not yet been proved, said Suwit Lertkraimethi, member of the 24th June Democracy group, at a press conference on 4 May.</p>
By Reporters Without Borders |
<p>Reporters Without Borders is concerned about the fate of Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, editor of the magazine Voice of Thaksin, who was arrested by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on 30 April and was placed in pre-trial custody today by a Bangkok criminal court on a charge of lèse-majesté. A request for release on bail was rejected.</p>
By Somyos Preuksakasemsuk |
<p>Here I sit in a cell behind the tight iron bars, or a “jail”. All my freedom lost, I am held in custody just by myself and am barred from communicating with the world. It causes me unprecedented and deepest grievance, physically and mentally.</p>
<p>If I were a criminal or a murderer who had caused someone to die, or had stolen from others, or had committed a grave immoral act, then I would have deserved such a punishment, as I had committed an offence or had caused trouble to others.</p>
By Article 112: Awareness Campaign |
<p>Since 19 September 2006, a large number of individuals have been directly and indirectly affected under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, also known as the lèse majesté law”. Statistics from 2005 to 2009 reveal that there have been 547 lèse majesté cases altogether. 247 cases have reached a verdict. In April 2011 alone, this law has been used against Thai citizens in a wide number of occasions, as reported in the news. Here are the cases: </p>
<p>On 1 May, Somyos Prueksakasemsuk was remanded at the Crime Suppression Division. He was visited by red shirts and former Triumph workers.</p>
<p>30 April 2011: Mr. Somyot Pruksakasemsuk, Founding Editor of “Voice of Taksin”, a magazine affiliated with the Red Shirts Movement, was arrested by the police at the Immigration checkpoint of the Thailand-Cambodia town today apparently on a charge related to lèse majesté or defamation of the monarch. His attorney dubbed this arrest a political ploy to suppress the opposition voices when the general elections are forthcoming. </p>