Daranee Charnchoengsilpakul, who was given a new sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment for lèse majesté in December last year, has decided to appeal her case, according to her lawyer Prawase Praphanukul.

The lawyer posted on his Facebook page that he visited Daranee at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution on 19 Dec 2011. He had received donations for Daranee from three people, totalling 5,000 baht.  On her instructions, he deposited 1,000 baht in her account at the prison, and spent 649 baht to buy her food and other necessities.  He transferred 3,000 baht to her brother Kittichai’s bank account.  He spent 336 baht on food and other goods on another visit on 30 Dec, and 15 baht still remains with him. 

Anybody who wishes to make donations to Daranee can transfer money directly to Kittichai’s bank accounts without going through him, he said:

Bank of Ayudhya, Phunphon branch, 2971258055

Bangkok Bank, Phuket branch, 2644402980

Siam Commercial Bank, Phuket branch, 5374061160

During the recent floods, many convicts were transferred to prisons in other provinces and Daranee was sent to Khlong Phai prison in Nakhon Ratchasima.  However, more than one thousand female convicts remained at the Central Women’s Correctional Institution in Bangkok, and had to face severe hardships in the flooded prison.  Daranee was sent away so that she would not make any complaint, the lawyer said.

The Central Women’s Correctional Institution, which is located in the prison compound in Bangkok’s Bang Khen district, was flooded to a depth of about one meter.  Those who remained had to take a bath while standing in water up to their waist and were allowed only three dippers of water to wash themselves. They were also given only a small bowl of rice and boiled radish for their meals, he said.

Daranee and others who were transferred to Khlong Phai prison could not use their money while they were there because the Central Women’s Correctional Institution did not send their accounts with them.  Families and friends had to send them postal money orders instead, he said.

He handed Daranee a letter from one of the donors which gave her moral support.

‘Although we never met and we may not agree on every thing, your courage to stand up for what you believe has awakened my conscience to injustice in this country. You may not be the first person to be prosecuted on this charge, but you’re among the first to make us aware that our Thai society really has a problem with this. […] During this darkest hour when demons and ignorance are rampant, academics like the Nitirat group have set the fire going and ordinary people have now started to question what they have never questioned before. You are the one leading the way on this historic path. I hope to meet and talk with you unshackled and free,’ the letter said.