Social activist Sombat Boon-ngamanong was arrested by police when he and his friends were conducting an activity to commemorate the deaths of red shirts at the Ratchaprasong intersection.  Over a hundred people have signed an open letter demanding his immediate release.

On 26 June, at about 6 pm, when Sombat and his fellow activists were commemorating the deaths of the red shirts by decorating Ratchaprasong intersection with strips of red cloth, he was arrested by police.  He was taken to Lumphini Police Station, and then to a police camp at Khlong 5, Pathum Thani, for detention.

Sombat Boon-ngamanong on Sky Walk, 26 June (photos by Yeera, Thailand Mirror)

'Scrap Emergency Decree' sticker pasted on 'I love Central World' messages (Photo by Deerhunter 14)

A few hours later (photo by Prachatai)

According to police, an arrest warrant had been issued against Sombat for his participation in a gathering of red shirts at Lad Prao 71 on 19 May, in violation of the Emergency Decree, when the government was cracking down on the red shirts in the Ratchaprasong area.

Over a hundred activists, students and other people have signed an open letter to call for the immediate and unconditional release of Sombat.

The arrest shows the government’s insincerity in its proclaimed reconciliation plan, the letter says, adding that the government should also release other detainees and revoke the Emergency Decree.

Sombat is the founder of the Mirror Foundation whose humanitarian works include empowering minority peoples in northern Thailand through education, helping victims of the tsunami in the south and of floods in Uttaradit, conducting anti-human trafficking campaigns, and assisting migrant workers.  He is also a well-known activist in cyberspace who took an important role in shutting down pornographic websites.

He has been a red-shirt supporter, and after the government crackdown in May set up a centre at the Mirror Foundation to receive complaints about people missing during the dispersal.