Case

14 February 2015

 

Resistant Citizen Group organized “My Dear Election” activity in front of the Bangkok Art and Cultural Center at 4.00 pm. The activity had been updated on the Group’s Facebook gradually. The personnel had taken control the area since the afternoon.    

 

At around 4.00 pm. After the activity had been started for a while, Siravich was detained inside the Bangkok Art and Cultural Center by uniformed and plain-clothed personnel. Then he was taken to Pathumwan Police Station by a TukTuk.     

At first, Siravich was charged with causing disturbance, and was fined 100 Baht. However, Siravich was not released.

 

At around 6.00 pm, after the activity was finished, Anon and Pansak, the organizers and Wannakiet, a volunteer, were all taken to Pathumwan Police Station.  

Anon, Pansak and Wannakiet were detained in an interrogation room, along with Siravich, who had been arrested before. Later that night, Col. BurinThongprapai, Staff Judge Advocate (SJA), arrived at Pathumwan Police Station. He discussed with police officers in the Investigation Inspector’s room.  

After the discussion, the police officers informed 4 activists that Col. Burin filed charges against all 4 for defying the NCPO announcement no 7/2014 that prohibiting the political gathering more than 5 people. 

 

While Anon, Pansak, Wannakiet and Siravich were kept in the interrogation room, there were a group of students and people gathered in front of the Police Station to encourage them. All this time, Anon and Pansak kept updating the situation in the interrogation room on their Facebook.    

 

The 4 accused were detained overnight. Until almost 3.00 am, the police officers granted provisional release to all the 4. Anon used his legal profession to bail himself out, both Pansak and Wannakiet were released upon their 20,000 Baht bail. The 3 were released without any condition. But Siravich submitted a 40,000 Baht bail because he was charged additionally with the violation of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) not to get involved politically. All 4 had to report to the Police Station on 16 March 2015. 

 

 

4 March 2015 

 

At Pathumwan Police Station. Anon Nampa, one of the accused, was informed the charge under Section 14 (2) of the 2007 Computer Crimes Act (CCA) for posting 5 messages on Facebook accusing the Army of intervening the Police’s duties. It occurred during he was detained in the interrogation room on 14 February. Col. Burin Thongprapai filed this charge against him.

 

 

12 March 2015

Anon, Pansak, Wannakiet and Siravich handed an open letter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court via the Criminal Court for demanding the Chief and the officials of Judiciary to stand for their judicially power and criminal legal procedure, whose power enable them to try civilians and to reject military court’s power over civilian cases.

 

14 March 2015

Khaosod Online reported that around 07.00 am, Pansak started walking from his home in Bang Bua Thong District to the Memorial of Nuamthong Praiwan, who committed suicide because his disappointment towards the 2006 Coup, at the flyover in front of the headquarter of Thai Rath newspaper.

 

At around 08.30 am, after had been walking for 5 kilometers, Pansak was arrested by the police from Bang Bua Thong Police Station and was taken to Pathumwan Police Station by a van.   

 

At 09.10 am, the police escorted Pansak to Pathumwan Police Station. Pol.Lt.Gen. Amnuay Nimmano, Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 1 met Pansak as well.

Pol.Lt.Gen. Amnuay added that the walking was politically influenced, because there had been schedules announced on social media. This activity in front of the headquarter of Thai Rath newspaper had not been approved by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). It was concerned that the activity would cause unrest in the society, so it had to be stopped. 

 

At noon, Thai Student Center for Democracy (TSCD) started walking from Thammasat University, Tha Prachan Campus, to visit Pansak at Pathumwan Metro Police Station and to demand justice.  

 

At around 4.00 pm, Pansak was released. Pawinee Chumsri, a TLHR lawyer informed the reason that Bang Bua Thong Police arrested Pansak was because there was a misunderstanding about the condition of the 14 February release. But there was no condition and Pansak didn’t escape. Then Pathumwan Metro Police Station released him without any charge.     

 

15 March 2015

 

Prachatai reported that at 09.00 am, Pansak started activity “March for Justice” by reading poems and laying flowers and wreaths on the spot where Sher was shot dead. Then he walked on to lay flowers and wreaths at the Memorial of the Revolution and carried on to Thammasat University to lay flowers and wreaths at 6 October 1976 Massacre Memorial and at Pridi Banomyong Monument. 

 

16 March 2015

 

At 07.00 am, Pansak, Anon, Wannakiet and Siravich started walking from Thammasat University to Panfa Leelard Pier and took the Khlong Saen Saep express boat service to Wat Pathum Wanaram, where a volunteer nurse, Kamonked Akhad, and other 5 victims were shot dead during the 2010 Thai military crackdown. Flowers were laid to commemorate the deceased. 

 

Later, the 4 walked on to the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, and made a statement about the activity they set up on 14 February 2015 that led to their arrests. They then walked to Pathumwan Police Station at around 10.00 am. 

 

Manager Online reported that around 2.00 pm, at the Bangkok Military Court, an inquiry official from Pathumwan Police Station filed a charge against the 4 accused to the military prosecutor to consider the case. This was because the 4 defying the NCPO announcement no 7/2014, prohibiting political gathering more than 5 people, from the activity “My Dear Election”, which was held at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre on 14 February.  

 

At around 5.30 pm, a group of students who made the campaign “No Civilians to be Tried by Military Court”, at Thammasat University, Tha Prachan Campus, walked to the Military Court to encourage the 4 defendants. They used megaphone to libel the Military Court’s duty. They criticized that the procedure in the Military Court wasn’t in line with the principles of the justice system, and told that civilians shouldn’t be tried by the Military Court.     

The Army personnel at the Court closed the gates immediately. 

 

At around 6.30 pm, the Military Prosecutor rejected the remand application, and reasoned that the 4 accused had a permanent residence and no absconding intended. The judges scheduled to hear the military prosecutor’s opinion on whether to file the charge on 27 March.    

  

27 March 2015

 

At the Bangkok Military Court, the Military Prosecutor postponed the case order to 22 April, 10.00 am because the 4 accused wanted the inquiry official cross-examine 4 more witnesses, who were Nidhi Eoseewong, Chaiwat Satha-Anand, Somchai Preechasinlapakun, and Prapart Pintobtang.  

 

 22 April 2015

 

Schedule to hear the military prosecutor’s order

 

Matichon reported that the Court postponed the schedule again to 14 May 2015 because there were 4 witnesses to be cross-examined. So the Military Prosecutor had to postpone the scheduled.

 

14 May 2015

 

Schedule to hear the military prosecutor’s order

 

A TLHR lawyer informed that the judge advocate postponed the schedule again to 4 June 2015 because the inquiry official hadn’t cross-examined the academic witnesses yet.