Ultra-royalists urged to rally after message sprayed at temple

FOLLOWING the arrest of an artist for spraying the message 112, referring Criminal Code Section 112, also known as the lese majeste law, on the wall of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha last evening (Mar. 28), an anti-bullying centre called on members of an ultra-royalist group to rally at various Metropolitan police stations today.

The anti-bullying centre at King Prajadhipok Institute said in its online message “111 (referring to the three-finger salute) has done too much” and Anon Klinkaew, a member of the ultra-royalist People’s Centre to Protect the Monarchy group, cannot accept it.

The message added that an army of protesters should gather at 1 p.m. and rally at all Metropolitan police stations where the ultra-royalists had filed reports to pressure for speeding up of all cases against three-finger-salute activists.

At 5.30 p.m. yesterday Pol. Col. Naphatphong Khositsuriyamanee, head of the Royal Palace police station, arrested Mr. Sutthawee Soikham, or Bang Aern, 24, an artist from Khon Kaen after he sprayed 112 on the wall of this temple.

A background check shows the suspect is an independent artist who belongs to the Free Arts group and often used two personal Facebook pages to post political messages aganist Criminal Code sections 112 and 116 but has never been arrested or prosecuted.

The two Facebook pages are “Suttawee Soikham (usually the deceased is in a good mood)” and “Bang Aern Khon Ching” and they have a large number of followers.

CAPTION:

The artist being arrested and the message he sprayed on the wall of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Photos: Thai Rath

Dear readers,

An error was made in the above report. The online message regarding 111 was posted by the Thailand Help Centre for Cyberbullying Victims. King Prajadhipok’s Institute has no connection with this organisation and does not endorse its activities

We sincerely regret this error.

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