Forum called off; hikers arrested

The military authority is not to be trifled with and strictly enforces the ban on gatherings of five people or more. A forum on justice scheduled for Tuesday was canceled and eight marchers were arrested along the way.

The eight are part of the Partnership of Energy Reform (PERM), which advocates a fairer and more environmentally friendly energy policy. They had begun their march to Bangkok on August 26 and had already passed through Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, two islands near oil concessions.

After returning to the mainland yesterday, they were arrested and taken to the Vibhavadi Rangist army camp in Surat Thani. Their arrest brings the number of detained protest walkers to 27. Among the eight are a former academic from Walailak University and the chairman of the Forest and Sea for Life Foundation in Surat Thani.

The canceled forum was a joint initiative of the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (THLR), Amnesty International and the Cross Cultural Foundation. It would bear the title Access to Justice in Thailand: Currently Unavailable, a title that does not make you very popular with the junta. According to AI, the organizers received more than thirty calls on Monday asking to cancel the meeting "because the situation is not normal". The 'request' was later confirmed in an official letter from the 1st Cavalry Squadron King's Guard.

“If people complain that they have problems accessing justice and express their views, or if they have suggestions about our human rights work, they should contact the [Dhamrongtham Center of] Ministry of Home Affairs and the Inspection and Grievances Bureau. ' said the letter.

Some ignored the order and came to the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand on Tuesday, where the forum was scheduled. They read a statement that speaks of 'threats and intimidation by the army'. In the homepage photo, a THLR member reads the letter from the military.

The THLR has issued a statement explaining that it was created to receive complaints from detainees and provide them with legal assistance. “We are simply doing our duty as lawyers and human rights activists. Since martial law is still in effect, which gives draconian powers to officials, an effort to assess the situation and disseminate information is therefore indispensable.”

THLR reminds the junta that it [the junta] has stated that it will respect human rights. This is laid down in Article 4 of the [provisional] constitution. The lawyers therefore call attempts to ban a public meeting on human rights a 'gross violation of those rights'. "The junta's threat of prosecution perpetuates the climate of fear and leads to further human rights violations."

(Source: website Bangkok Post, September 2nd; Bangkok Post, September 3nd)