Thai Police are pursuing a red-shirt moderator for allegedly distorting the draft charter content. Another red-shirt leader said such legal prosecution does not benefit the August referendum.
On Thursday, 4 August 2016, police raided Peace TV, a TV station run by co-leaders of United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, aka the red-shirt movement, to search for Usmarn Lookyee, a moderator of red-shirt TV programs.
Weng Tojirakarn, the UDD key leader, told Prachatai that about 10 officers came to the station at around 3 pm asking for Usmarn. Weng revealed that Usmarn never received a summoning but the police just showed up with an arrest warrant. Usmarn is contacting the Royal Thai Police Office to report there since he is concerned that he will not receive proper treatment from local authorities.
“Until now, Usmarn and I haven’t been informed which messages have led to the charges. I heard that he is charged by the Referendum Act and the Computer Crimes Act but the authorities should treat him more gently,” Weng said. “We [the UDD] would like to protest that the justice system nowadays is treating the junta opposers like they are an appalling enemy. Everything proceed with force and that doesn’t benefit the 7 August referendum.”
In a related development, Pol Gen Sriwara Rangsiphramanakul, Deputy Commander of Thai Royal Police, visited the Deep South province of Yala, where Usmarn’s complaint was filed, to check out the security measures for the referendum on Sunday, Matichon Online reported on 5 August.
The Pol Gen said that the restive Deep South of Thailand has had many cases of the draft charter content distortion including the case of Usmarn, who distorted the draft’s content involving religious issues and disseminated it on Facebook. The police have already issued his warrant of arrest, and his charges have severe sentences. Pol Gen Sriwara also warned local people to be aware of insurgencies on the referendum date.
“The authorities are closely following the situation for the referendum. The insurgents might cause disturbances as they always do when there is a significant political event,” said the Pol Gen.
