The police in southern Thailand inspected a freelance journalist about his political stands, asking whether he is linked with embattled anti-junta student activists in Thailand’s northeast and the Deep South insurgent groups.
On Wednesday afternoon, Pol Lt Col Parinya Heamachukietgun, the Chief Inspector of the Special Branch Police of the southern province of Trang, came to inspect the house of Pruchyakirati Waroe, an independent journalist, while he was not home.
Upon hearing about the police’s visit, Pruchayakirati contacted the police back. During the brief exchange, the police asked him about his trip to Khon Kaen on 12 - 14 June, which he took with five other persons all of whom are members of civil society organisations in the deep south, such as Patani Forum and the Federation of Pattani Student and Youth (PERMAS).
On the visit, they met with village activists from Ban Na Mun-Dun Sat Environmental Protection Group, an activist group which has been campaigning against gas drilling in the Northeast of Thailand, and Dao Din Group, a student activist group based in Khon Kaen.
Pruchyakirati told the police that meetings with the activist groups in the Northeast was to exchange experiences on environmental and social situations.
The police then probed him further whether he is associated with the northeastern anti-junta student activists and the Deep South insurgent groups. The police officer also wanted to know about the journalist’s political stands.
Pruchyakirati explained to the police that he is a journalist who reports news about conflicts between communities and the state, such as conflicts on Pak Bara Development Project or the coal power plant projects in Trang and Krabi Province.
The journalist said that the police invited him for further discussions because they wanted to know about his political attitudes, but he declined, saying he was unavailable.
He added that he was the only one of the six who travelled to Khon Kaen to meet the activist groups to be called upon.