Da Torpedo’s lawyer has submitted complaints to the Corrections Department, asking for an explanation of what he alleged as discrimination against his client, including putting her in solitary confinement as a punishment and labeling her as a lèse majesté convict. He also suspected warders of eavesdropping on his talks with his client, and prying into confidential documents.

On 11 Sept, Prawase Praphanukul, lawyer for Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, submitted the complaints in four separate letters, dated 9 Sept, to the Director-General of the Corrections Department, Nathee Chitsawang.

According to the lawyer, he visited Daranee in the Central Womens Prison on 9 Sept, and found that she had been put in solitary detention as a disciplinary punishment.  He wanted the department to clarify on what grounds and under what law or regulation Daranee had been punished.

The prison has issued Daranee a new nametag which identifies her as a lèse majesté convict.  Prawase said it exposed Daranee to hatred from her fellow inmates and warders.  The prison’s practice of having inmates wear different uniforms according to the severity of their punishment amounts to discrimination.

The lawyer went on to complain that during his visit on that same day he went out to make photocopies and when he returned to give the documents to Daranee, he heard some officials criticizing part of the conversation he had had with his client.

He said that lawyers and clients had the right to confidentiality, and according to the law, information exchanged between them was considered privileged.  He raised the question as to how his conversation with his client through a phone line inside the room could be heard by officials.

Prawase said that on 15 June he had sent documents, including three CDs, for Daranee to verify, but the prison had not allowed Daranee to open the CDs to verify the information and had not told him so.  He had reasons to believe that someone had opened the CDs, which is a criminal offence.  As yet, the CDs have not been returned to him.