BANGKOK — Thailand's military leader told reporters over lunch today that he felt inspired by Abraham Lincoln after watching a Hollywood film about the American president.

"I watched this film the other day — I have taught myself to start watching meaningful films — I watched it during my haircut. It's a film about President Lincoln," Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha said, referring to Steven Spielberg’s 2012 historical drama about Lincoln's efforts to abolish slavery in the United States. 

Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha eating with reporters at the Government House in Bangkok, 28 May 2015.

"He fought for the end of slavery," continued Gen. Prayuth. "It took so long before he could amend it. I like his words when he said, 'equality is not real in the world, but we can build equality by writing laws.' This is what we are doing, the laws that we are writing. I also like his other quote about how people's protests are not wrong; insurrection is wrong." 

Gen. Prayuth came to power by staging a coup d'etat against an elected government on 22 May 2014, following months of rival pro- and anti-government street protests. He has suspended democracy and clamped down on freedom of expression with the stated aim of healing Thailand's political divisions. Elections are tentatively scheduled for September 2016.

Known for his hot temper and volatile relationship with the press, Gen. Prayuth sought to don a more friendly disposition today by joining reporters at their cafeteria tent inside the Government House compound. 

The junta chairman commented on various topics during the meal, including his newspaper-reading habits.

"Nowadays I read newspapers. Whichever newspapers are credible, I accept their words and I clip out the articles. I will use them to improve my work."

He also said the junta is trying to solve numerous problems in the country, and has no intention to "bully" anyone.

When a reporter asked whether he has ever watched his weekly TV address, and whether he felt bored of the program, Gen. Prayuth replied, "I have, and I feel bored, but I want people to listen to something useful. I'd like to ask the people to endure me." 

ROI ET — Soldiers have disrupted two meetings organized by Pheu Thai politicians who were gathering in northeastern Thailand this week to discuss their legal defense for a pending impeachment trial.

Twenty former MPs were scheduled to meet at a hotel in Roi Et province today to discuss their legal strategy for a trial before the junta’s parliament, which is deliberating on whether to impeach 250 Pheu Thai politicians for their attempt to amend the constitution in 2012 to make the Senate a fully-elected body. If found guilty, the MPs would be banned from politics for five years. 

However, the group decided to "indefinitely postpone" today’s meeting after they arrived to see soldiers posted at the venue, said Chusak Sirinin, the head of Pheu Thai Party's legal team.

"Even though we tried to reach an understanding with them, we had a hard time talking to them," Chusak said. "Although we believe this is not a political meeting, for the sake of peace of mind for former MPs in the area and all relevant officials, we decided to postpone the meeting indefinitely." 

Political activities of any kind are still banned by the military junta, which came to power after staging a coup d'etat against a Pheu Thai-led government and dissolving the constitution on 22 May 2014. 

Yesterday, soldiers showed up to a similar meeting that was being held between Pheu Thai's legal team and 31 former MPs and other high-ranking politicians, including former Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat, at a hotel in Udon Thani province.

The meeting was allowed to go ahead on the condition that two soldiers were present during the discussion at all times. Reporters were not permitted to observe the discussion. 

Speaking after yesterday’s meeting, former PM Somchai said the meeting strictly concerned preparing the MPs for their trial.

"In this discussion, no politics was involved," said Somchai, who is a brother-in-law of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, the de facto leader of Pheu Thai Party. "When the military negotiated for participation in the meeting, we gave them permission. We had nothing to hide. It was for the sake of peace of mind of both sides. We didn't do anything that posed a threat to national security." 

He added that he still regularly talks to Thaksin on the phone.

"I talk to him as a brother and relative," said Somchai. "We ask each other about what we go through in our daily lives. Thaksin has told me he's done with politics. He'd rather stay still. He already has grandchildren, so he prefers taking care of his grandchildren."

Thaksin has been living in exile since 2008, when he was convicted of corruption two years after being ousted in a military coup.  

Since the May 2014 military takeover, Thailand’s anti-graft agency has aggressively pursued impeachment trials against members of the former government. In January 2015, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) successfully lobbied for the impeachment of former PM Yingluck Shinawatra, resulting in a five year ban from politics.

Yingluck, a younger sister of Thaksin, was charged with dereliction of duty for allegedly neglecting to stop massive corruption in government’s rice program.

The NACC has also launched a criminal case against Yingluck in the Supreme Court for her alleged negligence. If found guilty, the former PM may be jailed up to ten years. 

Earlier this month, three top officials from Yingluck’s government were also impeached for their involvement in the rice program. 

Pheu Thai supporters say the impeachment rulings are an effort to curb the influence of the party, whose allies have won every national election for the past decade. 

BANGKOK — Six former leaders of the Yellowshirt movement were sentenced to two years in jail today for occupying Bangkok's Government House for nearly four months during a protest in 2008.

All six defendants are founders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), an umbrella organization of the Yellowshirt movement that first organized street protests against then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2005.

The 2008 protests were launched in an effort to oust the government led by a political party allied to Thaksin, who was removed in a coup in 2006.

Yellowshirt protesters at the Government House, 28 August 2008

On 27 August 2008, tens of thousands of PAD protesters seized the Government House in Bangkok and held the venue as a headquarters until the protests came to an end on 3 December, following a court ruling that dissolved the ruling People’s Power Party.

The six men – Chamlong Srimueng, Sondhi Limthongkul, Pipob Thongchai, Somkiat Pongbaiboon, Somsak Kosaisuk, and Suriyasai Katasila – were found guilty today of intruding into a state agency and damaging public property.  

The criminal court dismissed the activists' defense that they tried to dissuade protesters from damaging property inside the Government House.

"Although the six defendants contested that they had no knowledge about the intrusion into the Government House by the demonstrators, and that they had tried to encourage the demonstrators not to cause damages inside the Government House, the court sees that those are only dubious claims that can be dismissed," the court said.

The verdict continued, "As for the defendants' argument that it was an unarmed protest, the court sees that intrusion into the Government affected the rights and liberty of others, and does not constitute as a peaceful assembly under the Constitution."

Another part of the verdict read, "Although the defendants have an intention to protect the national interest, they are guilty as charged." 

The court then handed down a sentence of two years in prison for each of the six leaders. 

PAD camp site at the Government House, 11 September 2008

Suwat Apaipakdi, the lawyer who represented the men, said his clients will appeal the court verdict. He said he has posted a bond of 200,000 baht for each defendant to secure their release on bail. 

The six PAD leaders are also facing separate charges for occupying Bangkok's two international airports as a part of their anti-government campaign in 2008.

The court has postponed the trial for the airport intrusions 18 times over the past six years. The latest postponement was ordered in December 2014, with a new trial date set in July 2015. 

BANGKOK – Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) listened to testimony from student activists who say they were abused by security officers who forcefully broke up their anti-coup protest last week.

The protest was organized by student activists in front of the Bangkok Art and Culture Center in downtown Bangkok on 22 May 2015 – the first anniversary of the coup d'etat that brought the current military junta to power.

Plain-clothed officers drag a student activist away from the BACC anti-coup protest on 22 May 2015.

The demonstration was planned as a peaceful “sit-in” that would last 30 minutes, but security officers (mostly plain-clothed) quickly moved in and aggressively dragged each student away, arresting all 33. They were released the next morning without charges.

Niran Pitakwachara, director of the NHRC's subcommittee on civil rights, told reporters today that the Commission spoke to some the students who were at the protest last week.

"During the crackdown, many students were physically assaulted. They were beaten and kicked," Niran said. "Some also reported being electrocuted. And there were reports of security officers lifting the students up and throwing them on the ground, and of officers taunting students to fist fights."

The students provided video footage and photographs of the crackdown to the NHRC as evidence, Niran said.

Female officers drag a student activist away from the BACC anti-coup protest on 22 May 2015.

Public protests of any kind are currently banned by the military junta, known formally as the National Council for Peace and Order. Police also arrested activists who held two other small gatherings to mark the coup anniversary on 22 May 2015 in Bangkok and Khon Kaen province.

Kraisak Choonhavan, another member of the NHRC, said he believes the students' protest was lawful.

"I don't think the students have done anything that is above the boundary of the laws," said Kraisak. "It's just their expression of opinion may be different to the government. Based on the subcommittee's inquiry, we found no instance of the students violating other people's rights." 

Kraisak said the NHRC will summon police and military officers who were involved in breaking up the 22 May protest to give testimony next week. 

However, speaking to reporters today, junta deputy chairman Prawit Wongsuwan dismissed the allegation that security officers abused the students at the protest.

"We didn't suppress anyone, and security officers did not harm the students," said Gen. Prawit, who also serves as Minister of Defense, "There were [problems] when they tried to control the situation, so there were slight clashes. It is because the students broke the laws."

The general added, "We have opened space for them to speak, but the space is not opened for display of conflicts. Anyone who broke the laws has to be treated accordingly."