At least eight activists based in the Northeast have reported to the military. The military questioned their motives in signing the statement denouncing the coup and asked whether Prachatai instigated this dissent.
Seven of 17 individual signatories reported to local bases of the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) in the region on Friday, after one activist was captured by fully armed military personnel at his home and briefly detained at a military camp earlier this week.
The activists were forced to sign a statement, stating that they will stop any anti-coup activity, and that they are aware that if they stage any anti-coup activity again, they will have to be prosecuted under martial law, and will report immediately when summoned by the military.
Some of them were also forced to post public Facebook statements, stating that they were treated well during the brief detention, they did not intend to sign the anti-coup statement and that their names appeared as signatories by mistake, and that they will fully cooperate with the reforms of the NCPO.
Witoochan Thongbu, one of the 17 who reported to the military in Maha Sarakham Province twice on Friday told Prachatai that the military ‘asked’ him to stop anti-junta activity; otherwise he will be prosecuted. They also ‘asked’ him to cooperate with the provincial coup apparatus.
Moreover, during his interrogation, the military asked him whether the anti-coup statement was drafted and sent to him by Prachatai, which he denied, answering that the statement had been circulated via email before it was published and sent to the media.
The individual signatories of the statement who have met with the military are:
Suvit Kularbwong, Sirisak Saduak, Decha Kambuamuang, Yongyuth Dongpratha, Nattapon Rachamee, Panya Kamlarb, Sakda Ongsuebponb, and Chakapong Thanaworrapong.
Read related news: Isan activists denounce junta’s legitimacy, saying vicious cycle is back
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