BANGKOK — Thai junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha says he has sent a letter of protest to the United Nations' refugee agency for reportedly helping a lese majeste suspect flee Thailand.

According to The New Zealand Herald, Ekapop Luara, aka Tang Acheewa, was assisted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in his escape from Thailand to Cambodia shortly after the military staged a coup on 22 May 2014. 

Speaking to reporters today, Gen. Prayuth said he has already sent a letter of protest to the UNHCR for its alleged role in helping Ekapop escape.

"They claim it's an assistance based on humanitarian aspect, so what can I do?" Gen. Prayuth said. 

Ekapop, 23, is wanted by Thai authorities for allegedly insulting the Thai monarchy, a crime punishable by up to 15 years in prison under Section 112 of Thailand's Criminal Codes. He posted on his Facebook several weeks ago that he is now living in New Zealand, claiming to have been granted asylum by NZ authorities. His Facebook account has since been deactivated. 

After the New Zealand Herald report spread across social media, aided by a translation to Thai that appeared on the right-wing Thai newspaper Naew Na, a number of royalists in Thailand started advocating a boycott of the UNHCR for allegedly helping the "anti-monarchy" suspect.

The campaign, which appears to be coordinated by several Facebook pages, has urged Thais to refrain from donating to the UN agency. Some Thai commentators claim to have already ceased their monthly donations to the UNHCR. 

However, Gen. Prayuth said today that he disagrees with the royalists who withdrew their donations to the UN refugee agency.

"They have to realize that it's a different matter," Gen. Prayuth said. "The UNHCR's donations are used to help people around the world, not only Mr. Tang [Ekapop]."

He also told reporters that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent letters of protest to "7-8 countries" that are believed to be harboring Thai lese majeste suspects. According to Gen. Prayuth, none of those foreign governments have responded to the letters.

"They haven't given us any answer, so we can't do anything about it, because we are not strong enough to fight the entire world," Gen. Prayuth lamented. "We should wait until we are the superpower first before we think of doing anything like that."

On 6 January, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a diplomat from the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok to express its concern over reports that Ekapop is residing in New Zealand.

The MFA also asked the New Zealand authorities not to allow anyone who violates Thai laws to use its country as a base for political activities.

The New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok has not responded to Khaosod English’s requests for comment.

Since the 22 May 2014 coup, the prosecution of lese majeste suspects has risen considerably. Gen. Prayuth, considered a hardline royalist, has also granted military courts – which do not permit appeals – jurisdiction over lese majeste cases.

Among those currently facing prosecution are two theatre activists accused by the military of insulting the Royal Family through a play about a fictional monarch in October 2013. The two activists have been held in prison since they were arrested last August, with the court repeatedly denying their requests for release on bail. 

The growing persecution has forced a number of activists and academics to flee Thailand and seek asylum in foreign countries. Apart from Ekapop, other notable exiles include transgender activist Saran Chuichai and historian Somsak Jeamteerasakul, who say they are living in France, as well as Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a political science scholar who lives in Japan. 

NARATHIWAT — A teacher was injured by a roadside bombing this morning in the southern province of Narathiwat, where separatist insurgents have been waging a bloody campaign against Thai security forces for the past decade.

Police say the IED went off on a road in Baco district at around 8:30 am, while public school teacher Somjit Wongketchai and her bodyguards were passing through the area. 

The blast reportedly damaged the vehicle that Somjit was riding in, and she was "slightly injured" by the explosion, medical workers at Bue Cho Hospital say. 

Damage caused by the blast, Narathiwat province, 19 Jan 2015.

Security officers believe the attack was launched by Islamic insurgents who have been battling Thai authorities in the southern border provinces of Narathiwat, Yala, and Pattani since 2004. The separatists aim to revive the independent sultanate of Pattani, which was incorporated into modern-day Thailand in the early 20th century.

More than 6,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the simmering conflict over the past decade, according to data compiled by rights groups. The insurgents regularly target public schools and teachers, presumably because they are viewed as "instruments" of the Buddhist state.

Nearly 200 teachers have been killed in the region, known as the Deep South, since 2004. Many teachers now travel with a large convoy of bodyguards and soldiers. 

Police say it is the third time Somjit was targeted by insurgents. In 2014, her convoy was bombed in Bacho and Saiburi districts, police say.

According to official data, there are 5,640 public school teachers in Narathiwat province. Three hundred of them have requested "relocation" this year, citing fears for their safety, officials told Manager ASTV on 16 January. 

BANGKOK — Thailand's unelected military ruler has asked the public to think of what is best for the nation when they vote, instead of relying on their "familiarity" with the candidates running in an election.

"One needs to know many things in order to run a country. I haven't studied about it, but I had to learn about it," said Prime Minister and junta chairman Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha, a career soldier who seized power from Thailand's elected government on 22 May 2014. "Therefore, whoever will run the country next has to know more than I do. Don't just elect the same group of politicians you have elected in the past."

He continued, "Don't elect the relatives of the previous group. Don't just elect the people you know. Today we have to make politicians display their vision on how they will run the country."

Gen. Prayuth, who was speaking to teachers at the Ministry of Education on the occasion of National Teacher's Day, did not mention any politicians by name, but appeared to referencing the political dynasty of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Although Thaksin was removed in a coup in 2006 and has lived in self-imposed exile since 2008, political parties backed by the former PM have won every national election since his ouster. 

Thaksin's sister, Yingluck Shinawatra, led the government toppled by Gen. Prayuth in the 22 May 2014 coup.  

Gen. Prayuth has promised to hold a new election in 2016, if "national reforms" and "reconciliation" have been achieved. In today's speech, the junta leader asked all Thais to cooperate with the military regime to help accomplish those goals.

"The government cannot do everything alone," Gen. Prayuth said. "Otherwise, there may be opposing thoughts that cause conflicts. It takes time, because some issues need a new foundation, which may not be as fast as some of you have hoped. The government cannot think like rich people or educated people. We have to think like poor people, too."

He added, "Today Thai society must teach about cooperation. Different thoughts and arguments are allowed, but don't let them cause disputes. That way, we won't fall into the trap of democracy."

At today's ceremony, Gen. Prayuth was reunited with the teachers from his high school years. Per tradition, he knelt in front of them and offered a traditional "wai" to show his gratitude.

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