Authorities prohibited an anti-coal power plant group in a northeastern province from hosting religious fundraising event, reasoning that it threatens national security.
Transborder News reported on Thursday, 24 March 2016, that military officers urgently summoned 30 villagers of Hannarong district, Chaiyaphum province, to their office.
The villagers are members of the anti-Hannarong coal power plant. They are about to host a religious charity event -- “Tod-Pha-Par” -- on 26 and 27 March 2016.
The officers told the villagers to cancel the event due to a message written on the envelop of event’s invitation letter which reads “to fundraise for the anti-Hannarong coal power plant movement”.
The authorities claimed that such message threatens national security and can stir up local conflict, Transborder News reported.
One of the villagers told Transborder News that they asked the officers if they could change the message in exchange for hosting the event, but the authorities refused.
The military officers also threatened that anyone who tries to continue with the event will be prosecuted, Transborder News reported.
(the event’s invitational letter stating that “to fundraise for the anti-Hannarong coal power plant movement”, source: Transborder News)