15 Hours After an Incident A Human Rights Activist Came Under Threats in Thailand, and Another Hour
On March 16 at 6:20 pm, the May 18th Memorial Foundation received a message from human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa (a winner of the 2021 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights) who led the democratic movement in Thailand and is now in custody. He said that prison guards tried to drag human rights activists out of their detention cells near midnight the day before, including Jatupat (a winner of the 2017 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights). In Thailand, there have been suspicious deaths of prisoners in the past. As a response, the Foundation sent a statement of warning in English to Thailand (19:10), which was then translated into Thai (19:45) and delivered to the Thai media. The Thai media reported on the story with such headlines as “The May 18 Memorial Foundation warns the Thai authorities – the World is Watching.” Civil society and activist in Thailand and overseas organizations expressed their appreciation to the May 18 Memorial Foundation for its fast response even ahead of activities and the media in Thailand.
On the evening of February 9, 2021, the Thai government accused and detained four human rights activists, including Arnon Nampa, on charges of the contempt of the royal family, the instigation of riots, etc. On March 6, a protest took place in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, where people criticized the royal family and urged Prime Minister Prayut to step down. The protest was triggered by the rejection of the application for pardon of protest leaders, including Arnon Nampa, in February. The protesters demanded their release and the abolition of punishment on the contempt of the royal family.
Going forward, the May 18 Memorial Foundation will move beyond national borders and collaborate on human rights and peace movements. While expanding the definition of transitional justice, we will closely collaborate with the UN and the international community in order to honor the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Uprising. Currently, the May 18 Memorial Foundation is engaged in the “Gwangju Solidarity to Oppose the Military Coup in Myanmar and Support its Democratization (or called the Myanmar & Gwangju Solidarity)” and is making efforts to designate May 18 as the Universal Day for the Prevention of Militarism and Authoritarianism and to register the May 18 Memorial Foundation with the UN.
As of June, Arnon Nampa has been released from detention but he is still not cleared of charges of the contempt of the royal family, the acts of instigation and the violation of the emergency decree.
