The following is an updated list of university students, activists and musicians who have been arrested on sedition and other charges related to political rallies against Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha’s government since the first major protest on July 18.
The latest protest saw more than 10,000 people rally against Prayut’s administration at the Democracy Monument on August 16.
Protestors are asking for the government to rewrite the constitution that was drafted by the previous junta and led by the current prime minister, dissolve parliament to make way for a new election, and for Prayut’s government to stop harassing dissidents.
The prime minister and his coalition government said they are willing to listen to protestors’ demands via nationwide forums but then they began to arrest protest leaders instead.
The first protest leader was arrested on August 7, and so far, more than eleven people have been charged for sedition.
Here are the names of people who have been charged as of August 25:
- Anon Numpha: A human rights lawyer and political activist. Anon came from Roi Et and studied law at Ramkhamhaeng University. He became a civilian’s defense lawyer with the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights organization, specializing in helping people who have been convicted of political issues.
On August 7, he became the first to be arrested for sedition, violating the Public Assembly Act, the Sound Amplifier Act, and the Computer Crimes Act for organizing a pro-democracy protest on July 18. That protest resulted in a small altercation between the protestors and the police at the Democracy Monument. He was released on bail for those charges on August 8 with a surety of 100,000 baht.
On August 19, he was arrested for sedition and other charges related to the Harry Potter rally on August 3 before he was released on bail.
Anon was then arrested again on August 25 for sedition and other charges related to the Thammasat rally on August 10 where speakers broached the taboo topic of the monarchy. He was arrested at Nang Loeng Police Station when he went to listen to his charges related to another rally at the army headquarters on July 20.
Altogether, he is now being charged for four political rallies, including three sedition charges from three of them. - Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak: A student protest leader, age 22, from Thammasat University. As one of the founders of the Future Forward Party, he is seen as a key supporter of the progressive group but was not allowed to run as MP because he had not reached the necessary age.
Parit has been one of the most recognizable leaders of the recent student protest movement and he was first arrested on August 14 on sedition and other charges related to the Thammasat rally. He is one of the core members of the Thammasat movement that announced the ten additional demands to lower the power of the monarchy. - Panupong “Mike Rayong” Jaadnok: A student protest leader, age 24, from Ramkhamhaeng University. He is the leader of the Youngleaders Thailand student group which is part of the Rayong Progressive Movement. He was first detained by the police when he and his friend held up signs blaming Prayut’s government for the Rayong scandal, when the goverment allowed Egyptian soldiers to roam the province. One of them was later found to be infected with the coronavirus.
Mike was then arrested with Anon on August 7 for sedition and other charges related to the July 18 rally. After his release, he was arrested again on August 24 for the same charges related but for the Thammasat rally on August 10. - Baramee Chaiyarat: A political activist and adviser to the Assembly of the Poor, an NGO that aim to be a political voice for people living in rural areas around the country. Baramee was arrested on Wednesday night around 9:30 p.m. for sedition and several other charges related to the pro-democracy protest on July 18.
- Suwanna Tarnlek: A labor activist from the ‘June 24 for Democracy Group.’ She was arrested on Wednesday night around 11:45 p.m. and she is now facing similar charges as Baramee.
- Korakot Saengyenphan: A political activist from the Democracy Restoration Group, who was arrested around midnight. He is also facing similar charges.
- Dechathorn (Hockey) Bamrungmuang: A musician from the Rap Against Dictatorship band who is behind the famous song, ประเทศกูมี. He was arrested on Thursday morning at 8:30 a.m. He is now under arrest for sedition charges and joining and performing at the recent anti-government rallies.
- Totsaporn Sinsoombun: A university student and one of the leaders of the Free Youth Movement. He was arrested on Thursday morning at 9:45 a.m. He faces sedition and several other charges related to the pro-democracy protest on July 18.
- Thanee Sasom: A university student and one of the leaders of the Free Youth Movement. He was arrested on Thursday morning and now faces similar charges related to the pro-democracy protest on July 18.
- Nattawut Somboonsap: A university student and one of the leaders of the Free Youth Movement. He was arrested on Thursday morning and faces sedition and several other charges related to the pro-democracy protest on July 18.
- Thanayut Na Ayuthaya: A musician from the Eleven Finger rap group, age 19. He was arrested on Thursday afternoon for joining and performing at the pro-democracy protest on July 18.
Sunai Phasuk, a senior Thai researcher for Human Rights Watch, told Thai Enquirer that he believes the number of arrests will continue to grow.
“At least 11 have been charged with sedition so far and there will be more in future because university students and activists are not backing off,” he said.
“The repression and intimidation from the government do not seem to work in the way that they want which is to create fear and push the activists to lower their demands but it turns out that the more they arrest, the more committed the activists are becoming,” he added.
The protest leaders are now calling for another large rally on September 19 following the latest round of detentions.
