BANGKOK — Police preemptively arrested an anti-coup activist at his home last night, hours before he planned to set out on a protest march to a martial court in Bangkok.

A group of police officers arrested Pansak Srithep shortly after midnight and brought him to Chanasongkram Police Station in Bangkok for interrogation.

Pansak Srithep arriving at martial court in Bangkok, 26 March 2015.

After 40 minutes of questioning, the commander of the Bangkok Metropolitan Police, Pol.Maj.Gen.Sriwarah Rangsipramkul, emerged and told reporters that "the arrest was in accordance with an existing arrest warrant" from the weekend that Pansak embarked on his first one-man protest march from his home to a police station in Bangkok.

Although police officers arrested Pansak an hour after he began the first walk on 14 March, they released him without charges and allowed him to continue the next day. 

However, a martial court then approved an arrest warrant on Pansak for "inciting unrest," defying the junta’s ban on protests, and violating the Computer Crime Act.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Sriwarah did not explain why officers waited until last night to arrest Pansak. 

"We followed the legal procedure," the police commander said.

Pansak was held at the police station overnight until he was transferred this morning to martial court, where he is facing trial for the charges pressed against him in connection with his protest walk on 14-15 March.  

Since seizing power from an elected government on 22 May 2014, Thailand's military junta has banned all political activities and tried violators in martial court, where military officers serve as judges and appeals are not permitted. 

Although prosecutors contested Pansak's bail release, the military court agreed to free him on a bail of 500,000 baht. His lawyer, Arnon Nampha, said a majority of the bond money was donated. 

An army officer holding the leaflets scattered by student activists near the martial court, 26 March 2015.

Security officers sealed off roads around the courthouse as Pansak arrived in a police van. Prevented from gathering outside the court, several student activists flashed anti-coup salutes near the barricade and threw flyers that said "Civilians must no go to martial court." Security officers did not intervene with the small protest.  

Pansak is also facing a separate trial in martial court for the pro-election rally he and his anti-coup group, Resistant Citizens, organized in Bangkok on 14 February. 

Pansak became an prominent progressive activist after his 17-year-old son Samapan Srithep was shot dead during the military crackdown on Redshirt protesters in May 2010. Witnesses say they saw soldiers firing at Samapan and a group of Redshirt protesters in Ratchaprarop district, though an official court inquest on Samapan's death has not been completed.

Related coverage:
Anti-Coup Marcher Allowed to Walk

By Cod Satrusayang and Kyaw Lynn

BANGKOK (DPA) — Ma Nu May and her husband started a small cashew nut farm near the coastal town of Dawei in southern Myanmar seven years ago, but life in the past two years has been far from peaceful.

Most of her cashew trees are still lying on the ground after being bulldozed in mid-2013 in preparation for a government-backed megaproject named the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

"I can't imagine selling my farm for only this amount of money," said Ma Nu May, who was offered 5,000 dollars for the land.

Covering just five acres, the produce from their farm brings in about 4,000 dollars per year.

"It's better for us to die rather than accepting such compensation," she said.

Time is against local farmers such as Ma Nu May.

A signing ceremony the capital Naypyidaw between Myanmar and its development partner Thailand is expected any day, starting the initial phase of development in what could be the largest project of its kind in South-East Asia.

If construction goes ahead the 50-billion-dollar Dawei SEZ aims to help Myanmar capitalize on its strategic location between India and China, after years of being deprived of foreign investment as an international pariah under military rule.

The port and industrial facilities, due to be built by Thai real estate giant Italian-Thai Development (ITD), will cover over 200 square kilometres and have the capacity to hold 250 million tons of cargo, more than the ports of Los Angeles and New York combined.

"Dawei is critical for regional infrastructure connectivity," said Chayut Setboonsarng, an analyst at a Bangkok-based think tank specializing in South-East Asia.

The zone will also feature factories, its own coal mine and power plant as well as golf courses and five-star hotels for visiting executives.

Using Dawei will shortening the travel time of freight from Europe and the Middle East to Asia as it allows goods to bypass the long oversea journey through the South China Sea, which has also been a source of regional tension in recent years.

Italian-Thai Development also say that the project will be good for the local economy by creating up to 100,000 jobs by the time the project is completed in 2025.

That's little comfort to tens of thousands of people living in the Dawei area who will be forcibly relocated, according to a local rights NGO.

"Although the project has not yet started, local people are already losing income because of land confiscations in preparation for the project," Chit Chit Win, a field researcher for the Tavoyan Women's Union, told dpa.

The group maintains that most of them will have their lands and livelihoods confiscated with little or no compensation.

"The Dawei project has barely begun, but is already destroying the economic backbone of our communities. It must be stopped before it proceeds any further," said the group's Su Su Swe.

The group may take heart from the fact that the project had previously been put on hold in 2013 after Italian-Thai were unable to secure financing.

It was put back on track by diplomatic efforts between Bangkok's new military government and Naypyidaw in late 2014.

A study by another non-governmental group, the Dawei Development Association, agrees that "the compensation process is deeply flawed."

The group concludes that the development of the Dawei Project "breaches many fundamental human rights."

ITD disagrees with this assessment.

"Most of the villagers want us to come to the area," said Pravee Kamolkanchana, the firm's marketing manager.

"We will provide many jobs both in the construction and once the factories and ports are completed," he said.

Pravee says that the company's officials have visited Dawei numerous times to talk to locals about its "new global gateway of Indochina."

The company has plans in place to build houses, hospitals, schools and even temples for the villagers in a relocation destination 10 kilometres away from the zone.

Chayut concurs that "Dawei significantly benefits local citizens and not just the major stakeholders."

Such an enormous project in the region's "prime real estate" is unlikely to be delayed, he concludes.

By Cod Satrusayang and Kyaw Lynn

BANGKOK (DPA) — Ma Nu May and her husband started a small cashew nut farm near the coastal town of Dawei in southern Myanmar seven years ago, but life in the past two years has been far from peaceful.

Most of her cashew trees are still lying on the ground after being bulldozed in mid-2013 in preparation for a government-backed megaproject named the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

"I can't imagine selling my farm for only this amount of money," said Ma Nu May, who was offered 5,000 dollars for the land.

Covering just five acres, the produce from their farm brings in about 4,000 dollars per year.

"It's better for us to die rather than accepting such compensation," she said.

Time is against local farmers such as Ma Nu May.

A signing ceremony the capital Naypyidaw between Myanmar and its development partner Thailand is expected any day, starting the initial phase of development in what could be the largest project of its kind in South-East Asia.

If construction goes ahead the 50-billion-dollar Dawei SEZ aims to help Myanmar capitalize on its strategic location between India and China, after years of being deprived of foreign investment as an international pariah under military rule.

The port and industrial facilities, due to be built by Thai real estate giant Italian-Thai Development (ITD), will cover over 200 square kilometres and have the capacity to hold 250 million tons of cargo, more than the ports of Los Angeles and New York combined.

"Dawei is critical for regional infrastructure connectivity," said Chayut Setboonsarng, an analyst at a Bangkok-based think tank specializing in South-East Asia.

The zone will also feature factories, its own coal mine and power plant as well as golf courses and five-star hotels for visiting executives.

Using Dawei will shortening the travel time of freight from Europe and the Middle East to Asia as it allows goods to bypass the long oversea journey through the South China Sea, which has also been a source of regional tension in recent years.

Italian-Thai Development also say that the project will be good for the local economy by creating up to 100,000 jobs by the time the project is completed in 2025.

That's little comfort to tens of thousands of people living in the Dawei area who will be forcibly relocated, according to a local rights NGO.

"Although the project has not yet started, local people are already losing income because of land confiscations in preparation for the project," Chit Chit Win, a field researcher for the Tavoyan Women's Union, told dpa.

The group maintains that most of them will have their lands and livelihoods confiscated with little or no compensation.

"The Dawei project has barely begun, but is already destroying the economic backbone of our communities. It must be stopped before it proceeds any further," said the group's Su Su Swe.

The group may take heart from the fact that the project had previously been put on hold in 2013 after Italian-Thai were unable to secure financing.

It was put back on track by diplomatic efforts between Bangkok's new military government and Naypyidaw in late 2014.

A study by another non-governmental group, the Dawei Development Association, agrees that "the compensation process is deeply flawed."

The group concludes that the development of the Dawei Project "breaches many fundamental human rights."

ITD disagrees with this assessment.

"Most of the villagers want us to come to the area," said Pravee Kamolkanchana, the firm's marketing manager.

"We will provide many jobs both in the construction and once the factories and ports are completed," he said.

Pravee says that the company's officials have visited Dawei numerous times to talk to locals about its "new global gateway of Indochina."

The company has plans in place to build houses, hospitals, schools and even temples for the villagers in a relocation destination 10 kilometres away from the zone.

Chayut concurs that "Dawei significantly benefits local citizens and not just the major stakeholders."

Such an enormous project in the region's "prime real estate" is unlikely to be delayed, he concludes.

BANGKOK — The Director of Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was turned away by officials at Bangkok Remand Prison today when he tried to meet with four men who say they were tortured by military officers.

The four men, who are awaiting trial on terrorism charges, told their lawyers they were beaten by soldiers who detained them at an army camp for six days before transferring them to police earlier this month.

One of the suspects said he was electrocuted on his legs “30 – 40” times by soldiers because he refused to confess. 

NHRC director Niran Pitakwatchara (R) arguing with prison wardens at Bangkok Remand Prison, 25 March 2015.

NHRC director Niran Pitakwatchara visited the prison today with forensic science experts from the Ministry of Justice in an effort to investigate the torture claims.  

However, prison wardens said the group could not meet with the suspects because the visit had not been authorized by the Department of Correction’s director. 

"I am here as a director of the NHRC," Niran fumed after an argument with the prison wardens ensued. "I am a state official. I am not an NGO." 

Speaking to reporters afterward, Niran said he sent a letter to the Department of Correction on 20 March. 

"They spent four days deliberating on the letter, and they have not yet agreed to allow the NHRC to visit the detainees." Niran said. "This kind of incident has never happened before. According to international human rights principles, visiting detainees in prison is a necessary measure to prevent human rights violations. We are not even required to alert supervisors at each agency, because if we did, they may stage a scene for us." 

The director continued, "This is an urgent matter. The United Nations and other human rights organizations around the world asked the NHRC to investigate this incident. Furthermore, it is an issue that has a lot of attention from society."

Niran added that although the Thai army chief and other government officials have denied the torture allegations, an impartial investigation is still needed.

"This is why I invited officials from the Forensic Science Department to come along with me. It is for the sake of credibility and transparency," Niran said.

He also noted that the delay of his meeting with the four men could affect crucial evidence in the case. "Time will reduce clear marks on the body for inspection," he said. 

Niran said he will summon representatives from all relevant agencies, such as the military, police, prison, and lawyers of the four suspects for a meeting at the NHRC headquarters on 30 March. 

One of the suspects, Sansern Sri-unruen, shows Prachatai news evidence of alleged electrocution on his leg applied by soliders, 19 March 2015 [Prachatai].

The four men, Sansern Sri-unruen, Charnvit Jariyanukul, Norapat Luepol, and Wichai Yoosuk, have been accused of participating in a plot to "create chaos" and draw an intervention from the United Nations by staging bomb attacks around Bangkok. Police say the network was responsible for the grenade attack at the Criminal Court on the night 7 March. No one was injured in the explosion, which caused minor damages to the court’s parking lot.

At least 17 arrest warrants have been issued in connection with the case so far.

All arrested suspects have been detained at army camps for up to seven days of interrogation prior to hearing their charges. They are now facing trial in martial court, where military officers serve as judges and appeals are not permitted.

Related coverage:
Martial Court Denies Alleged Torture Victim Bail
Army Chief Threatens Legal Action Over Torture Allegation