By Thai Newsroom Reporters
MOVE FORWARD MP Rangsiman Rome has begun to inquire as to who exactly is to be held responsible for today’s (May 14) death of a young woman activist due to a hunger strike during detention in prison.
Rangsiman said Netiporn Sanehsangkhom, also known as Bung Thaluwang, would not have died of the hunger strike if she had been earlier released under bail on internationally-upheld grounds of presumption of innocence.
The Move Forward MP said those who have been practically involved in denial of bail for Netiporn who had obviously held the fatal hunger strike in protest of it since the last 110 days would probably regret what they had done to prompt the death of the 27-year-old detainee.
“(The relevant authorities) could have released her under bail no matter how severe a legal penalty could possibly be delivered due to lese majeste charges. It was a tragedy which finally led to her death because they had denied her bail.
“Those who may have been involved in the judicial process must be held accountable for that,” Rangsiman said without elaborating or naming names.
He insisted the existing law pertaining to the power of the judicial branch to consider releasing detainees under bail be amended and that Netiporn’s death in protest of her being denied bail be the last phenomenon of its kind.
Netiporn had been arrested and detailed on lese majeste charges, also known as Section 112 of the Criminal Code, among eight other young activists after they had conducted an opinion poll in Siam Paragon area on royal motorcades in relation to Bangkok’s road traffic in 2022.
Three other street activists also charged with the draconian lese majeste law are reportedly sustaining their hunger strike in prison, including the 22-year-old Tantawan Tuatulanond who had been detained alongside Netiporn in jail.
At least 41 young activists including the trio on the sustained hunger strike are currently detained and have been denied bail on similar lese majeste charges.
CAPTIONS:
Netiporn Sanehsangkhom. Top photo: Thai Rath, Front Page photo: Sanook.com
Insert: Move Forward MP Rangsiman Rome. Photo: Thai Rath
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