Over 500 youngsters slapped with politically related charges so far

By Thai Newsroom Reporters

MORE THAN 500 PRO-DEMOCRACY adolescents have been arrested on politically related charges since the Free Youth movement started in 2020, a human rights report says.

According to the Centre for Thai Lawyers for Human Rights’s report released today (Sept. 20) to ironically mark the National Youth Day, a total of 563 young activists have been arrested and detained for allegedly breaking emergency rule, enforced since the last few years and/or the sedition law and/or the lese majeste law, also known as the section 112 of the criminal code, since the last few years. Among those adolescent defendants, one is only 12 years old.

Following 2020’s Free Youth movement in pursuit of truly democratic rule supposedly by way of monarchical reform, constitution amendment and resignation of coup junta leader-turned-Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, those adolescent activists arrested on politically related charges included eight that year, 272 last year and 283 so far this year, the report says.

Of those young defendants, 17 have been specifically charged for breaking the draconian lese majeste law.

In addition, the report says, another 35 adolescents have been psychologically harassed and intimidated by the authorities so far this year.

Spyware has been allegedly used by the unidentified authorities in clandestine fashion to keep those activists in check.

CAPTIONS:

Top, first below and Front Page: “Bad Students” holding their “Bye Bye Dinosaurs” protest beneath BTS Siam station in November 2020. Photo: Thai Rath

Second below: Clashes erupted between police and protesters at Din Daeng hot spot in September 2021. Photo: Matichon

Third below: Protest against three retired generals at Ratchaprasong intersection on Sept. 4, 2022. Photo: Matichon