The Thai junta’s spokesman has claimed that activists demanding an investigation into the Rajabhakti Park scandals aim to sabotage and discredit the government.
According to the Thai News Agency, Col Winthai Suvaree, spokesperson for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), told the media on Saturday, 19 December 2015, that some of the activists demanding an investigation into the Rajabhakti Park scandals have repeatedly violated NCPO orders.
He mentioned that some of the activists have been engaged in political demonstrations since February 2015 and repeatedly violated NCPO Order 3/2015, which prohibits political gatherings of five or more persons.
Certain members of the activist group, such as Sirawit Serithiwat (aka Ja New ), participated in a rally called ‘Lueaktang Thi Lak’ (Stolen Election) on 14 February 2015 and a gathering to commemorate the 2014 coup d’état on 22 May 2015. Sirawit currently faces charges for violating the junta’s ban on political gatherings.
Winthai said that from the behaviour of the activists, it is clear that they are trying to sabotage and discredit the government and that they have violated NCPO orders. Therefore, the authorities need to act in accordance with ‘law and order’.
Last Friday, 18 December 2015, Chanoknan Ruamsap, one of the key leaders of the New Democracy Movement (NDM), a pro-democracy activist group, told Prachatai she had received a summons from the Railway Police Station in Thonburi, Bangkok.
The letter orders her and 10 other activists who were intercepted and detained en route to Rajabhakti Park earlier this month, to report to the police station at 9 am on 22 December 2015. The summons states that she and her fellow activists have been accused of violating the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Order No. 3/2015.
The 11 activists listed in the summon order are; Sirawit Serithiwat, Anon Nampa, Chonticha Jaeng-rew, Chanoknan Ruamsap, Naya-neta Anantawong, Kititach Suman, Wisarut Anupoonkarn, Abhisit Sapnaphapan, Korakoch Saengyenpan, Koranok Kamda, Wijit Hanhaboon.
Out of the 11, Sirawit, Anon, and Cholticha have already been charged for violating the junta’s political gathering ban as a result of their previous political activities.
