Sureerat Chiwarak, mother of student activist Parit Chiwarak, has received a summons from Thong Lo Police Station on a violation of the Emergency Decree charge.

Sureerat Chiwarak joining a protest at the Thanyaburi Provincial Court on 11 September 2021 to demand the release of her son and other detained activists (Picture from the Labour Network for People's Right)

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said that Sureerat has to report to the police station to hear the charges on 20 September 2021. TLHR also posted a picture of the summons, which stated that the charge was filed by Pol Maj Ithithon Praosetsak, investigation inspector at Thong Lo Police Station, and that former Red Shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar also faces the same charge. 

The student activist group United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration (UFTD) said that the charge is related to a protest at the Asoke intersection, organized by Nattawut. The UFTD also said that Sureerat only attended the protest.

This is Sureerat’s second summons for violating the Emergency Decree. According to TLHR, she previously received a summons from Thong Lo Police after a complaint was filed against her by Srisuwan Janya, Secretary-General of the Association for the Protection of the Constitution, who is known as Thailand’s “complainer-in-chief” for repeatedly filing police complaints against activists and politicians.

The UFTD said that Srisuwan’s complaint is related to the 3 September 2021 protest organized by the UFTD and the activist group Thalufah. However, TLHR said that the complaint is likely related to the 2 September 2021 protest at the Asoke intersection.

Sureerat looking at a picture of her son, which was displayed in front of iLaw's table at the 3 September 2021 protest at the Ratchaprasong Intersection, where people were invited to write letters to political prisoners. 

Sureerat has been active since the beginning of 2021 in the campaign for the release of activists detained pending trial, after her son was denied bail and detained in February 2021 along with 9 other activists. She became known, along with the mothers of other detained activists who spoke out to demand their children’s release, as the “Ratsamom,” a combination of “Ratsadon,” which means “people,” and “mom.”

Parit was released on bail on 11 May 2021, after being detained for 92 days. He was detained again on 8 August 2021 on charges relating to a protest in front of the Border Patrol Police Region 1 headquarters on 2 August 2021 to demand the release of 32 detained activists. The Criminal Court also revoked his bail on charges relating to the 19 September 2020 protest. He is currently detained at the Thanyaburi Remand Prison and has been denied bail at least 4 times.