The clock runs forward and not backward
"Wasn't three years in prison enough? Why are they still hunting me by associating me with things I know nothing about,” sighs Thanthawut Taweewarodomkul, a former lèse-majeste convict now living in exile after being drafted by the military in the weeks following the coup .
Thathawut, 42, is one of about XNUMX people who have fled the country after being summoned by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) for 'adjusting their attitude'. Some fled because they thought they would be imprisoned. Twenty of these sixty had their passports withdrawn.
According to the Internet Dialogue on Law Reform, in the two months following the coup, 563 people were summoned to appear before the military, with 227 detained and charged with offenses ranging from disobeying orders from the NCPO to lèse majesté.
Of those summoned and/or charged, 381 were associated with the Pheu Thai party or the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), 51 were associated with the Democratic Party or the People's Democratic Reform Council (PDRC, anti government movement), 134 individuals were academics, activists, DJs or radio hosts and 73 were independent anti-coup demonstrators.
For court-martial
But interested lawyers and researchers say an additional 100 or more individuals were likely "invited" to report to regional army units, such as Thanapol Eowsakul (pictured above), editor-in-chief of the magazine. Fah Diew Kan (an anti-establishment magazine, Tino) and Chiang Mai redshirt president Pichit Tamool. They were repeatedly asked to tone down their comments about military authority.
The XNUMX who fled must face a court-martial if they return, as have others who disobeyed NCPO orders, including former education minister Chaturon Chaisaeng (homepage photo), Nitirat leader Worachet Pakeerut (Nitirat is pursuing lèse-majeste reform, Tino) and Sombat Boonngaamanong, leader of the pro-democracy group Save Sunday.Twenty others must answer to the civil court.
The sudden surge in lèse-majeste charges over the past two months has caused serious concern at the National Human Rights Commission.
Although the NCPO has stopped summoning people via TV, it has asked many universities, such as in Khon Kaen, Maha Sarakham and Ubon Rachathani, as well as state and private schools across the nation, to call on their students and teachers to refrain from engaging in political activity.
Dissenters who chose to stay in Thailand have been intimidated to remain silent. They are harassed on the phone, their homes and offices are searched, their corridors checked and their internet traffic monitored.
Some say that the declaration of martial law on May 20 and the coup two days later resulted in no serious human rights violations, that there were no murders or disappearances and that those who fled are only a minority.
Media let it down
The media, which focuses mainly on what is happening in Bangkok, has refrained from investigating further or simply ignored the unpleasant state of those who were harassed, says Toom (not her real name), who works for a foreign company in Thailand and demonstrated in support of the United States' condemnation of the coup.
Most exiles or people in hiding are now more or less on their own. The organization 'Free Thais for Human Rights and Democracy', led by former Pheu Thai party leader Charupong Ruangsuwan, is not acting with the vigor that many demand. The movement has no real leadership as both the Pheu Thai Party and the UDD are paralyzed and most do not want bloodshed in their country.
"We therefore have to start the campaign for democracy from scratch," said Suda Rungkupan, 48, a former lecturer at Chulalongkorn University who has now gone into hiding following an appeal from the NCPO.
Captured, released, in exile
The self-imposed exile is like a second prison sentence for Thanthawut because his freedom is being restricted again. He was released with a royal pardon in July last year, after serving three years, three months and XNUMX days of a XNUMX-year sentence.
“I don't know how many years will pass before I can go home a free man. I am disappointed that people are trying to unfoundedly link me to a red shirt group in the United States. I learned a lesson in prison. They have let me down and why should I do business with them again?' says Thanthawut.
But he said the coup and the handling of former lèse-majeste prisoners (including Surachai Danwattananusorn of Save Siam) led him to take action again. His family is sympathetic to his unpleasant situation.
'They have seen how much I have tried to build a new life after my release. Just now that I can stand on two legs again, the junta is pushing me back,' says Thanthawut, who now has to miss his son's birthday in October again. Thanthawut has lodged a complaint with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for harassing his family, especially his parents.
Fled to Europe
Kritsuda Khunasen, 29, whose one-month detention by the NCPO prompted an urgent request for clarification from Human Rights Watch, has fled to Europe. She has been involved in financial and legal aid to red shirt prisoners and their families since 2010 and was arrested a few weeks after the coup in Chonburi.
Her voice from exile can be heard in an interview on YouTube. It is expected to shed new light on the situation in Thailand and show the true face behind the smiling mask of the coup.
Many red-shirt activists, including 51-year-old Rung Sira, poet and activist and now a lèse-majeste prisoner, believe the future of Thailand's democracy rests in the hands of individuals. “The genie is out of the bottle, and cannot easily be brought back again. The clock is moving forward, not backward,” said Sutachai Yimprasert, a Chulalongkorn teacher and another Red Shirt sympathizer who chose to remain in Thailand.
Kritsuda Khunasen
Some additional comments on the above Kritsusa Khunasen and a short report of the YouTube interview with her.
Kritsuda Khunasen was captured in Chonburi on May 28 and released on June 25. That alone is illegal because under martial law people can only be detained for one week, after which they must be brought before a court. It is not known where she was detained.
Initially, military authorities denied she was being held, but a video emerged a few days later showing the arrest. Then the junta stated that she was detained "to cool down and adjust her attitude."
On June 23, a video was shown on the TV channel 5 (of the army) on which Kritsuda says he was treated well. "I am happier than words can express," she says.
The interview has now been made public, in which Jom Phetchpradat, an independent journalist, asks her about the circumstances of her detention (see the link to YouTube below). Read the full story at the link below to the Prachatai website.
Choked, beaten, blindfolded, chained
Kritsuda says she was illegally detained, had her breath cut off to suffocation and beaten to force her to reveal a link between former prime minister Thaksin and the hard core of the red shirts. For the first seven days of her detention, she was blindfolded and her hands were chained. She was beaten several times and suffocated with a plastic bag until she was unconscious.
She initially denied everything but later admitted that Thaksin supported the red shirt prisoners and urged them to break the law. "But that wasn't true," she says. She was forced to sign a paper asking for extended detention herself. "That wasn't true," she says. She was asked to say kind words about her treatment in the video on television channel 5. She went on to say that her boyfriend was also arrested (for illegal gun possession) and beaten.
When asked why she fled to Europe, she replies: 'I have enough problems already. If you ask me to stay in Thailand…I really can't.' Both, Kritsuda and her boyfriend, have fled to Europe where they are going to ask for political asylum.
Tino Kuis
Tino's article is a translation of The deafening silence of those defying orders in Spectrum, Bangkok Post, August 3, 2014. Some passages have been omitted. The other sources used are:
http://www.prachatai.com/english/node/4267
Hear both sides: from a reliable source:
Andrew MacGregor Marshall
19 minutes ago near Phnom Penh, Cambodia
There is no doubt that Kritsuda Khunasen was intimidated and abused in Thai army custody, and that her treatment was disgraceful and shocking. But unfortunately her advisors encouraged her to exaggerate what happened, which has damaged her credibility. Fighting liars with more lies is a mistake. You need to fight them with the truth.
Andrew MacGregor Marshall is a jerk as far as I'm concerned. "No doubts"? May I know on what basis? Photos, doctor's note? Adversarial: Phrayuth denies the whole story. I don't know what the truth is, so I doubt.
Her advisers had advised her to thicken the case. I think so too because I wouldn't be surprised if one of those advisors is Andrew himself.
If you ask Andrew a really serious question (via Twitter or Facebook), he first refers to his book that will be released in October/November (in short: buy the book and you will read the answers to all your questions) and if you repeat your question (because you can't wait until October before you write that his book will undoubtedly become banned literature in Thailand) he blocks you. That happened to me.
Andrew is as reliable a source as a go-go girl in Soi Nana.
Thanks for putting this piece on paper Tino. I can only find it disturbing even if things are exaggerated by the likes of Kritsuda (which won't do anyone's credibility, if you get caught in 1 untruth it's easy to claim that someone's story must be rattling more).
Playing by the rules means accepting the status quo. If humanity had always done that throughout its history, it would still be living in caves today.
We now have houses, schools, factories, governments, taxes, weapons, laws, police, courts, prisons and iphones. That's called progress. Music, poetry and visual arts they already had in those caves if I am well informed. Sometimes I wonder how lucky those cavemen were.
Those cavemen were absolutely not so lucky because they had no Thailand blog. In fact, they didn't even know where Thailand is.
Correct. But what if people do NOT follow the rules in large numbers. I mention here the problems in Thailand related to corruption, extortion, murder and manslaughter, illegal construction activities, possession of firearms, drug use, gambling, drunk driving, forgery of documents, illegal surrogacy, tax evasion, conflict of interest. Should I continue?
If we were to change all existing regulations in this area with current practice as a benchmark, it would be a great chaos in this country. That's it actually.
Freedom and bondage are two sides of the SAME coin. Ultimate freedom now reigns in Central Africa and Northern Iraq is also well on its way to this 'ideal situation'. Complete freedom is synonymous with chaos.
Finally a little more background information about situations with the junta, but of course the Bangkok Post can't write much because of the censorship. People who are interested in the real news can of course google it and visit the site: http://www.prachatai3.info/english/ is also still available, although they are not so objective in my opinion.
The Tak Bai murders, the mosque, the disappeared human rights lawyer Somchai, the extrajudicial execution of drug suspects, the enslavement of the deep south, the incredible corruption, the theft of billions from the rice plan, all of them are suddenly small beer now finally agreed in my opinion good is cut in the corrupt gang that reigned here.
The USA with a big mouth about the coup but with secret torture chambers in Thailand. How silly and stupid can you be.
The deep poverty still due to the overtaken Sakdi Na, the super rich who don't care about the 80+ percent poor, and now the outrageous proposals to cut basic health care for the poorest.
But no, suddenly a lady who claims to have had a blindfold on is the most important item. One quickly forgets. Too fast. The murders in the past suddenly don't count anymore.
I charge consciously, you can read that. But there are things that have not yet been resolved and so should not be forgotten.
Well, many will think, 'as long as the NCPO doesn't touch my zip-off trousers, slippers, singha shirt and beer, I have no problem with it'. 😉
Incidentally, in line with this, because how will those react if the NCPO wants to decide to ban the many beer bars, a-gogos and the 'happy endings'? Will they continue to have such a warm heart for the current rulers?
However hypothetical it may sound, you often hear it said by many of them that nothing is excluded in Thailand, often with the addition 'This is Thailand' or its abbreviation…
Questions, questions and questions. 🙂
Is there someone from the NCPO standing next to you Chris who threatens you not to be critical of the current regime? It seems as if you and your (Thai) family are being threatened to convince as many Thailand bloggers/readers as possible that the NCPO is the only real savior from all evil in Thailand with regard to corruption, extortion, murder and manslaughter, illegal construction activities , possession of firearms, drug use, gambling, drunk driving, forgery of documents, illegal surrogacy, tax evasion, conflict of interest. Should I continue?
Still assuming that Prayuth cs have good intentions for Thailand, but wants to continue to watch it with critical mixed feelings, no different than with the previous governments.