BANGKOK – Around 200 people gathered in Bangkok last night in a show of support for the 14 pro-democracy dissidents currently imprisoned for campaigns against Thailand's military regime.

Protests and political activities are banned by the junta that seized power from a democratic government in May 2014.

Last night's event, titled "Post-It for Freedom," took place on the elevated skywalk in front of MBK shopping mall in downtown Bangkok. Activists erected several planks of wood and encouraged people to cover it with post-it notes expressing their feelings for the 14 activists, who are facing up to seven years in prison on charges of inciting unrest for leading a small, peaceful pro-democracy demonstration on 25 June.

The event was initially scheduled to take place at a plaza in front of the nearby Bangkok Art and Culture Center, which is the site of an anti-coup sit-in that was violently dispersed by police officers in May 2015, but more than 100 police officers preemptively sealed off the area at around 5 pm.

Approximately 200 people visited the 10-meter wall to post their messages for the 14 jailed dissidents. Some activists also handed out cookies and sandwiches – the latter widely recognized among anti-coup activists as a symbol of dissent against the military junta. Police observed the event until the activists left the scene peacefully at around 9.30 pm. 

Sirawit Serithiwat, a prominent student activist who helped organize the event, said "Post-It for Freedom" was not organized to challenge the junta, but only to call for justice for the 14 activists, eleven of whom are university students. 

"They did not break any laws, and many people think that state officials should not do such thing to the students," said Sirawit, who is facing charges himself for staging a pro-democracy rally in front of the BACC in February. 

Sunai Pasuk, a coordinator of Human Rights Watch's Bangkok bureau, urged the junta to release the 14 activists immediately and without any conditions.

"If they continue to imprison [the fourteen], it will only damage the image of the country, because the people will no longer have faith in the government," Sunai told Khaosod as he was observing the event last night.

"The people do not want to live under a climate of endless intimidation and threats against those who think differently, as it is happening right now." 

The European Union, UN's regional human rights office, and numerous other rights groups have released statements calling on the junta to pardon the 14 activists, who are facing trial in a military court. 

Wibul Boonyapatraksa, the father of Chatupat Boonyapatraksa, one of the imprisoned activists, said the group has innocent intentions are not the puppets of any politicians.

"If the security officers want to know who is the person behind these people, let me tell them that it's me," Wibul said, "Taking away my son and other students will not do any good to them, because I am outside, and I can continue to fight like any other person who fights illegitimate power." 

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BANGKOK – The parents of two students who are currently imprisoned with twelve other anti-junta activists have insisted that their children are not backed by politicians, as the junta has alleged.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) convened a meeting today to listen to testimony from the parents about the arrests and jailing of the fourteen activists, who have been held in prison for a week on charges of inciting unrest.

They were arrested last Friday for leading peaceful pro-democracy demonstration, and are now awaiting trial in prison under orders from a military court.

Wibul Boonyapatraksa, the father of Jatupat Boonyapatraksa, an activist from Khon Kaen University, said his son has been campaigning with local communities in northeastern Thailand for many years, and has no connections to any political parties.

"Let me repeat: don't try to connect this to politics," Wibul said. "My son insisted to me he is not connected to any political group or any color. Even though many colors and many political parties have tried to get in touch with them [the activists], they wouldn't have any of it."

Members of the ruling military junta have asserted that the fourteen activists are backed by high-level politicians, but have not produced any evidence or identified anyone by name.  

Rewadee Sitthisurat, the mother of another activist, Ratthapol Supasopon, said several plain-clothed security officers visited her home yesterday and told her that they were soldiers on an assignment to take her to see their commander. However, when Rewadee reportedly asked to see their ID cards, the officers refused, so she declined the invitation.

"I felt unsafe and very suspicious of them," she said.  

According to Rewadee, the officers then asked if she needed any help, so she said their commander could help by releasing her son and his friends.

"They are not traitors. They love their country as much as you soldiers, and they want to express their opinion," Rewadee recalled telling the officers. "They don't want politicians to interfere with them. In the past ten years, our society has been awful, yet these kids have become activists. Isn't that something to be glad about? They are the future of our nation."

Today’s meeting was briefly interrupted when a man in a military uniform walked into the room unannounced and started taking photos of the participants, prompting NHRC chairman Niran Pitakwatchara to stop the discussion and ask the man to identify himself. The man said he was a security officer sent by the Treasury Department to take photographs and write a report about the meeting. 

Upon hearing the explanation, Niran told the man he had no right to be in the meeting and asked him to leave.

"This action is a violation of the NHRC's working, because the Treasury Department has not sent any letter asking for permission [to observe the meeting] to us. This is an intrusion," Niran said.

The NHRC chairman also warned that the officer would face legal action if he distorts information about today's meeting to his unit.

"I don't trust your ability to present the information accurately," Niran said.

The NHRC then resumed the session by listening to testimonies from other witnesses, including some residents from northeastern Thailand who said that Jatupat and his friends at Khon Kaen University have been defending the rights of their community for years. 

At the conclusion of the meeting, Niran said he would ask authorities to process the case justly. 

"Although [the junta] thinks the use of martial court is legitimate, in order to be legitimate they must uphold the rule of law and human rights. All evidence must be clear," Niran told reporters.

"I don't want this society to return to the incident of 6 October 1976," Niran said, referring to the massacre of student protesters at Thammasat University at the hands of Thai security forces. 

BANGKOK — Thailand's Minister of Justice has defended the decision to separate thirteen pro-democracy activists held in prison into different sections, which the activists say is an effort to puncture their morale.

Gen. Paiboon Kumchaya said the decision made by Bangkok Remand Prison was completely "in accordance with steps and regulations of the prison."

"For the first few days, inmates stay in Section One, and then they go through the categorizing procedure," Gen. Paiboon told reporters.

"Each person is categorized and separated into different sections. According to regulations, people in the same [criminal] case are not held together in the same area." 

The thirteen male activists are being detained in Bangkok Remand Prison, while another 22-year-old female activist is being held at a separate prison for women.

All fourteen – eleven of whom are university students – are facing up to seven years in jail after they were arrested one week ago on charges of violating the junta's ban on protests and inciting unrest with a peaceful pro-democracy demonstration. Bangkok’s martial court ordered the fourteen to await trial in prison. 

The thirteen male detainees were initially held together in prison’s First Section, where all newly-arrived inmates are kept, but were separated on the evening of 1 July. The activists’ lawyers have expressed concern that the separation will make it more difficult to arrange meetings with the group. 

Gen. Paiboon also said he has instructed Witthaya Suriyawong, the chief of Corrections Department, to inform the thirteen activists that they are eligible for the Ministry of Justice's fund to post bail.

"They can have their relatives and parents file for the bail fund," he said. "But if they don't want to post bail, that's also fine. The Ministry would hold it that we have already done our duty." 

Speaking to Khaosod at Bangkok Remand Prison yesterday, the thirteen activists repeated their resolve not to post bail because they do not accept the military court’s authority to try them.

Thailand’s junta granted military courts jurisdiction over all “national security” cases shortly after seizing power in a coup on 22 May 2014.

The thirteen men also had their heads shaved by the prison barber in a show of unity against the prison’s separation order.

"I believe it is a direct order from the NCPO [the junta] to stop us from talking and consulting with each other, and to pressure us into requesting a bail release," said one of the activists, Rangsiman Rome, through glass in the prison's visiting room. "But we insist that we will not post any bail, because we are confident that we didn't break any laws. If they want to release us, they have to release us as innocent people."

Witthaya, the Department of Corrections director, said separating suspects is standard practice.

"Let me insist that this separation of the students is not a special case," said Witthaya. "New inmates keep arriving in Section One every day, and there are few officials to take care of the prisoners. But once they are moved to new sections, there are more officials to take care of them. There's also CCTV monitoring safety of the prisoners 24 hours a day."

In a statement released yesterday, Amnesty International called the 14 activists "prisoners of conscience who have been stripped of their freedom for excercising their human rights in a peaceful way."

"We urge authorities to release the 14 students immediately and unconditionally," the statement said. Amnesty International also demanded that "Thai authorities repeal or amend any laws and orders aimed at restricting the exercising of rights and freedoms to peaceful assembly."

The United Nations, European Union, and Human Rights Watch have also publicly condemned the case this week and urged Thai authorities to swiftly drop the charges. 

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