REPRESENTATIVES of a labour network accompanied by other social activists today (Feb. 9) rallied in front of the building housing the Office of the Attorney-General to demand that charges in 774 protest-linked political cases that arose from July 18, 2020 to January 31, 2024 be dropped, Matichon newspaper said.
Participants in this gathering, led by Ms. Thanaporn Wichan from the Labour Network for People’s Rights and joined by some prominent social activists including Mr. Ekachai Hongkangwan, Mr. Sam Samath, Ms. Natthanit Duangmusit or Bai Por, and Mrs. Naphatsorn Boonree or Aunt Nok, wore light blue shirts and held up placards with a message calling for amnesty of political prisoners.
At 1 p.m. Thanaporn said in a statement that data from the Human Rights Lawyers Centre showed that from July 18, 2020 to January 31, 2024 at least 1,947 people have been prosecuted in 1,268 cases for expressing their political opinion.
Of this total 286 were children and youths under 18 years of age in 217 cases.
Prosecution statistics showed that of the 1,268 this category of cases, 494 cases had already concluded while there still being 774 cases at various judicial levels.
She pointed out that prosecutors play a vital role in prosecuting cases and maintaining fairness with most of these 774 cases arising during the time of Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha who orchestrated the 2014 coup as army chief to oust an elected government under Yingluck Shinawatra, then named himself head of a military-installed government and finally became head of a Palang Pracharath-led coalition government following the 2019 election.
Times have changed with a party backed by the people now leading a coalition government therefore cases arising from political rallies and political expression from 2020 onwards should be sorted out, she added.
After Thanaporn finished reading her statement, no one from the Attorney-General’s Office came out to receive their petition. She then went in to negotiate together with Ekachai after which Mr. Chakran Panichying, deputy director-general of the Criminal Justice Office, came out to receive their petition.
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Top and Front Page: Labour Network for People’s Rights members accompanied by social activists rallying in front of the Attorney-General’s Office today, Feb. 9, 2024. Photos: Matichon
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