Two women arrested for wearing pro republican T-shirt
PhotosGeniques / Shutterstock.com
The independent news website Prachatai published the following message on September 7: Yesterday, the Association of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights reported that the authorities had arrested Surang (pseudonym) and her 12-year-old daughter in the morning. According to Surang's niece, more than 10 officers including 4 soldiers, 5 men in black and 2 female officers arrived in a gray van and arrested them when the two returned home from a market visit.
Without a search warrant, they searched the home for a T-shirt with the red and white striped logo of the Organization for a Thai Federation, a pro-republican movement. They seized Surang's t-shirt and smartphone and took her to a military base where she was interrogated. The daughter was dropped off at the school. The mother was released in the evening after she signed a statement not to participate in political activities.
The same morning, 7 military officers arrested Wannapha (pseudonym) in Samut Prakan province and detained her in an unknown place. The military also confiscated many of the controversial t-shirts. Wannapha's 12-year-old son said that soldiers visited their house in the afternoon and gave him 400 baht. They told the son that Wannapha will have to attend a "viewpoint adjustment session" but did not say when she will be released.
Later, the media reported that three or four more men had been arrested for the same offence.
Prime Minister Prayut stated that this pro-republican and federalist association is based in Laos and is now expanding its activities in Thailand. He said they are rebels and the government does not want to bully the population. Deputy Prime Minister Prawit called this group traitors.
The logo consists of the colors white and red, which represent the religions and people on the Thai flag. The broad blue band of the monarchy is missing.
prachatai.com/english/node/7811
www.bangkokpost.com/news/security/1538126/csd-charges-traitorous-t-shirt-seller
And today the Bangkok Post reports that a seller of these t-shirts has been arrested in Chonburi. She had a list of customers who had purchased the shirts. The Bangkok Post has closed comments on this post. It is very sensitive...
https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/1539214/prawit-thai-federation-member-arrested-in-chon-buri
So be careful. As an Indonesian descendant, I have two Indonesian flags hanging on the inside of my front window of the car, red and white…
It was almost impossible to imagine that it would be possible, but the dictatorship is getting stricter.
I wonder when this will lead to another uprising.
Am afraid it will be very bloody because the military will try to hold on to power at all costs.
The upcoming election will also be a wash in my opinion as it will be manipulated without further ado and the current government will stay on again.
The house calls, taking people along for a 'good talk', re-education camps, etc. have been carried out by the junta from day 1. Why not imagine?
The junta says it is afraid of giving political freedom in the run-up to the time and time again promised and postponed elections. It seems that the junta only dares to confide in the people if the people vote the way the junta likes to see it. No contradiction, reconciliation!
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Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam admitted for the first time Monday that the reason the military regime hasn't lifted the ban on political activities is because the ruling junta known as the National Council for Peace and Order is “afraid.”
Keeping it cryptic, the junta advisor did not elaborate on what it is afraid of. The admission comes as calls grow for completely revoking the ban with elections promised just five months from now.
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http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2018/09/10/junta-afraid-to-lift-politics-ban-but-why/
Freedom of expression is not the same everywhere as in the Netherlands
There is no absolute freedom anywhere, not even of speech, Harry. In the Netherlands you cannot say 'Fire! Fire!' shout in a crowded cinema or accuse Mr Rutte of murder or rape without any evidence.
Before WWII, you could criticize the royal court for their lavish lifestyle, which consumed a quarter of the state budget. Between 1973 and 1976 there was a great deal of freedom of expression in Thailand. I'm sure the editors at the Thai newspapers know things they can't/should/dare not say. And under the current regime….
It is not too bad that the true nature of those who lead is only now emerging. Democracy, (legal) procedures, etc. remain difficult concepts.
This therefore concerns serious offenses such as wearing T-shirts with text. I often see Thais walking around in T-shirts with an English text on it, which I wonder if the wearer understands the text.
555 indeed. My wife's aunt once wore a shirt that read "You can look but not touch." I translated it into Thai and she ran home wailing and holding her breasts….
Democracy is not a difficult concept. In Thai it is ประชาธิปไตย prachathipatai. Pracha is 'people' and thipatai is 'power, sovereignty'. Most Thais would like that too, I assure you.
Yes that makes me think that when the king was cremated I say a woman with a black t shirt that says light my fire
According to Khaosod, there have been several arrests (3 more) recently. The Nation writes that according to Deputy Prime Minister General Prawit (of the watches), the emblem is tantamount to treason.
“Junta leaders yesterday said possession of black T-shirts bearing a small flag with red and white stripes was “treason” and threatened to arrest everyone involved.( ..) General Prawit, who oversees security affairs, said the movement was active in Laos , but also had a large network in the Kingdom where they sell T-shirts with the contentious emblem.”
In short, people who bought or sold this shirt are, according to the junta, traitors and a threat to the nation. Is question 1 natural whether all (seller) buyers knew what that logo stood for, question 2 whether they are (actively) involved in republican groups (that is punishable: not a millimeter of land may be lost and Thailand may not become a republic, say what other than committing treason).
It is striking that the army took these people with them, not the police, because the army also has the right under the junta laws and dictates to arrest civilians and detain them for some time without access to a lawyer or an explanation of why they are being held.
I myself wonder who made blue the royal color? In 1916, the then king designed a new flag with horizontal red-white-red-white-red stripes. This is because the old flag, completely red with a white elephant, was upside down at least once, according to anecdotes. That flag was ready in 1. But a columnist in the Bangkok Daily Mail Newspaper suggested changing the middle lane to blue. Red, white and blue in the flag would be more in line with the flags of world powers, it would be a tribute to Thailand's allies in the 1917st World War (Siam joined the allies in WW1 and sent troops to France , blue would also be royal. The king agreed with the opinion of the columnist and later in 1 Thailand got its current flag. If I read it that way, 'royal blue' was invented later.
1. http://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2018/09/11/3-more-arrested-over-black-t-shirts-lawyer-says/
2. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30354271
3. https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/th_his.html
I also heard that red/white/blue sometimes hung upside down. Hence red/white/blue/white/red. After all, it can never hang upside down.