Thai Military Court released another anti-junta youth activist demanding an investigation into a park constructed by the Royal Thai Army.

At 11:40 am on Friday, 22 January 2016, the Military Court of Bangkok rejected a police request to detain Abhisit Sapnaphapan.

Abhisit is one of the six anti-junta activists who currently face arrest warrants for violating the junta’s National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Order No. 3/2015, which prohibits political gatherings of five or more persons, for participating in a failed excursion to Rajabhakti Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province on 7 December 2015 to investigate corruption allegations at the park.

Unlike the four fellow activists Sirawit Serithiwat, Chonticha Jaeng-rew, Chanoknan Ruamsap, and Korakoch Saengyenpan, who were released yesterday, Abhisit was apprehended and taken to Chanasongkram Police Station after he came to support the four at Bangkok’s Military Court.

He was then transferred to Thonburi Railway Police Station and detained overnight.

On Wednesday night, Sirawit was abducted and reportedly abused by eight military officers before he was transferred to Nimit Mai Police Station. The three other activists were detained by police the next morning after they went to give him moral support.

After the abduction of Sirawit and allegations of abuse while in military custody, many rights organisations including Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), Amnesty International (AI), and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), have voiced concerns about the arrests and charges laid against the activists.

Angkhana Neelapaijit, the head of the NHRC Sub-Committee on Political Rights, yesterday said that the activists should have the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful political gatherings.

After his release, Sirawit yesterday vowed to gather evidence and press charges against the officers who abducted and harassed him during his detention.

In total, 11 youth activists have been summoned by the police over a failed excursion to Rajabhakti Park in December 2015. Only six, however, currently face arrest warrants as they have refused to cooperate with the police, saying that they did nothing wrong, but only performed their role as active citizens.

Last year, Sirawit, Chonticha, and Abhisit were arrested for participating in a commemoration of the 2014 coup d’état.

Abhisit Sapnaphapan in detention atThonburi Railway Police Station on 21 January 2016