Thailand activists face military court in landmark case News
Thailand activists face military court in landmark case

[JURIST] Four Thai activists will face military court on charges of violating junta orders banning public gatherings. The activists are members of a group called Resistant Citizen, which has held demonstrations around Bangkok protesting against military rule. Prosecutors have asked the men to report on March 27 to decide if charges will be pressed. On Monday Sunai Phasuk, Human Rights Watch [advocacy website] senior researcher on Thailand, said this a landmark case that could stir indignation at the country’s strict military rule. “Hundreds have been sent to military court since the coup but this case is an outright persecution of peaceful expression of dissent,” said Phasuk. Military rule has been in place since the May 2014 coup. Under martial law, gatherings of more than five people are prohibited.

Thailand has experienced great upheaval since the military coup of 2014. On May 20 Thailand’s armed forces, led by General Prayuth Chan-ocha [BBC profile], declared martial law [JURIST report] and began a regime of censorship. Two days later the military proceeded to take control [JURIST report] of the country and suspend the constitution. The governmental control was followed by the replacement of civilian courts with military tribunals, called National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) [MThai report, in Thai]. The military saw themselves validated in late July when the king expressed his support [JURIST report] for an interim constitution that would award great power to the NCPO. However, Thailand’s armed forces has faced resistance from the international community and the Thai people themselves. In August the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [official website] spoke out against Thailand’s prosecution and sentencing practices as a threat [JURIST report] to the right of free expression. Finally, in September, a group of Thai human rights activists denounced [JURIST report] the country’s martial law and called for it to end.