Sarawut : Defying NCPO order
Defendant
Case Status
Case Started
Complainant / Plaintiff
Table of Content
Sarawut had showed signs off called for releasing all Red Shirt leaders who were detianed at Meng Rai Maharaj Military Camp at Chiang Rai. He was detained at Meng Rai camp for 7 days. After that, he was taken to the court to request for a temporary detaintion and he got a temporary released on bail in the sum of 20,000 Bath.
Defendant Background
He graduated from the Sukhothai Thammathirat University in Faculty of Law. He is the owner of an optical store. He is a leader of Cyber Warriors for Democracy Group, which is an online activist group calling for democracy in Chiang Rai province (Red Shirt group). He and a group of the Red Shirts have presented evidences and filed a charge against Suthep Thaugsuban for delivering the speech that stimulated people to overthrow democratic system. The charge was based on the 2007 Constitution, Section 68 stating that no one shall exercise the rights and liberties prescribed in the Constitution to overthrow the democratic regime, as well as the Criminal Code, Section 113, 114, 116 and 117 with regard to any offences against the internal security of the kingdom.
Offense
Allegation
After the coup, he has been making campaigns and activities against the coup by showing anti-coup signs containing messages such as “Release Pho-Khun’s sons”, “Thinking differently is not a crime”, and “Holding a sign is not a crime” in order to demand from the military to release the Red Shirt leaders who were previously taken to Meng Rai Maharaj military camp in Chiang Rai province due to their violation on NPCO order No.7/2014. He has raised the anti-coup signs at many landmark places in Chiang Rai such as Mengrai intersection, in front of Chiang Rai Criminal Court, in front of a police station, and the City Clock Tower.
Circumstance of Arrest
On 31 May 2014, a military official went to observe around the accused’s neighborhood by claiming that he wanted to buy a land in the area, thus he asked his name and surname from a village headman. Afterwards, a small troop was sent to raid his house and since he knew that he was being after by the military, he went to his neighbor’s house and hid himself there. Although, the military failed to reach him; he was then summoned to report at Mengrai Maharaj military camp on 1 June 2014.