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Military court detains Chiang Mai political clan over letters criticising draft charter

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The Military Court in northern Thailand detained 10 northerners, including a former member of the parliament of Chiang Mai accused of sedition over letters criticising the junta-sponsored draft-constitution.

The Military Court in the northern province of Chiang Mai on Thursday, 4 August 2016, granted the police the custody permission to detain Tassanee Buranupakorn, former Pheu Thai Party MP for the northern province of Chiang Mai, Boonlert Buranupakorn, former chief of the Chiang Mai Provincial Administrative Organisation, Khachen Jiakkhajorn, mayor of Chang Phueak Subdistrict in Chiang Mai's Mueang District, and seven other persons, the Thai Lawyer for Human Rights (TLHR) reported.

The 10 will be detained for the first custody period for 12 days at Chiang Mai’s Prison and Women Corrections Institute with the possibility of the custody permission for them being renewed. The Military Court denied 100,000-200,000 bail requests from the 10, reasoning that they might intervene with the evidence.

The authorities accused them of violating Article 116 of the Criminal Code, the sedition law, Article 210, a law against criminal association of five or more persons, and the controversial Article 61 of the Public Referendum Act for reportedly involving in attempts to distribute thousands of letters in northern Thailand between 12-15 July which contained materials allegedly criticising the draft constitution.

They were arrested and taken to the 11 Military Circle in Bangkok last month. The military invoked authorities under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)’s Head No. 3/2015, which gives security officers nearly absolute power to maintain security, to detained them at the military for interrogations at the military base.

Initially, 11 people were arrested on the case, but the court granted bail to Wisarut Khunnitisan, a 38-year-old civil servant of Chiang Mai, accused of the same charges. He is, however, still under custody in Bangkok for interrogation.

Tewarat Winta, driver of Boonlert Buranupakorn, and Netitat Aphiratimai, Khachen’s secretary are also accused of being involved with the letters. Tewarat already reported himself to the police while the authorities are now seeking custody permission for Netitat.

The Thai authorities reported that 11,181 copies of the letters were found and confiscated from Chiang Mai, Lampang and Lamphun Province.

According to the TLHR, the content of the letters only point out how important the 7 August draft constitution referendum is to the future of the country and discusses about the policies for universal health care, 12 years of free schooling and allowances for senior citizens under the provision of the 2016 draft constitution in comparison to the previous constitution.

Up to now at least 17 northerners, 14 from Chiang Mai and three from Lampang Province, were detained for having allegedly involved with the letters.  

Tassanee Buranupakorn (third from the left in white shirt) in front of the Military Court of Chiang Mai on 4 August 2016 (Photo from Winyat Chatmontri's Facebook)


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