All nine activists, musicians and student protesters arrested by the state in the past 24 hours have been released on bail, an opposition MP confirmed to Thai Enquirer late Thursday.
The government arrested the nine between Wednesday and Thursday and charged them with sedition for participating in anti-government rallies.
Opposition MP Amarat Chokepamitkul told Thai Enquirer late Thursday that through the work of opposition parties and rights groups, all nine have now been granted bail by the Bangkok Criminal Court.
“All nine activists have been let go, three were bailed out by the Move Forward Party, five by academics and rights groups and one by a Pheu Thai MP,” she said by phone.
Student-led protests have gripped the country over the past two months with students calling for a rewrite of the military-drafted constitution, the dissolution of parliament, and the end to the harassment of activists by the state.
The protests originally began in February after the dissolution of the progressive Future Forward Party but were abruptly halted due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. As the pandemic subsided in Thailand, the protests have started up again – fueled by economic uncertainty and anti-government sentiment.
Criticism from rights groups
Human Rights Watch senior researcher Sunai Phasuk told Thai Enquirer that the government’s arrests show that the government was not sincere in saying that they would allow freedom of expression.
“Each new arrest becomes proof that Prayut’s promise to allow dissent and respect freedom of expression is just a pack of lies [and] totally meaningless,” Sunai said. “As government repression intensifies, the Thai people’s resistance grows stronger and spread wider. It is clear that intimidation can’t suppress their aspiration for democracy and a better future.”
Pannika Wanich, a leader of the NGO the Progressive Movement and a former parliamentarian, told Thai Enquirer that the arrests show that the government was not sincere. She pointed out that many of those arrested were not even protest leaders.
“Their tactics are clear, they do not mean to negotiate but to repress,” Pannika told Thai Enquirer. “They lied to the protesters and said that they would not arrest them and were willing to negotiate and then carry out these arrests.”
“This will only anger the Thai people more and bring more people out into the streets.”
