The deputy head of the ruling junta has told the media that a gathering in support of a detained Pheu Thai Party politician cannot be held, adding that the regime does not care about criticism from human rights groups and other nations.
Matichon Online reported that Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, deputy National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) head and Defence Minister, on Tuesday, 19 April 2016, told the media at Government House that Watana Muangsook, a politician from the Pheu Thai Party, is being well taken care of at a detention centre within an army base.
He told the media that Watana violated a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which he had signed with the authorities. Therefore, it was necessary to detain him for a so-called attitude adjustment session, a coercive lecture forced upon political dissidents by the junta.
When asked by the media about a gathering planned for 6 pm today at the Victory Monument, Bangkok, by the Resistant Citizen Group, a well-known anti-junta activist group, to show support for Watana, he said that the gathering cannot be held.
Gen Prawit added that the regime does not care about criticism from international human rights groups and other countries about the detention of Watana because the regime does not violate human rights.
He declined to tell the media how long Watana is to be detained.
On the same day, Weerada Muangsook, daughter of Watana, Narinpong Jinapak, a lawyer representing Watana, and Kittirat Na-Ranong, another Pheu Thai politician, submitted a letter to the Office of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Bangkok, Khaosod News reported.
The letter urges international human rights groups and the EU to investigate the detention of Watana and other measures taken by the NCPO to suppress political dissent.
According to Khaosod, Narinpong said that the EU representatives expressed concern about the detention of political dissidents and asked them about the upcoming referendum to pass the draft constitution, which will be held on 7 August.
Watana Muangsook yesterday reported to the military at the 11th Military Circle after he was informed by military officers last week that he will be detained for an attitude adjustment session.
He has been repeatedly taken in for attitude adjustment by the regime and is currently battling charges under the Computer Crime Act for posting criticism of Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, the Minister of Defence, over his remarks about Yingluck Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister.
Watana is among the first group of politicians and political dissidents to be detained at the junta’s brand new attitude adjustment camp. According to the NCPO, activities in the camp include waking up at 5 am, having a short period for leisure, working out in the morning and attending lectures on the goals of the junta’s administration followed by a ‘discussion session’.
According to an unnamed source in the NCPO, Watana was transferred from the 11th Military Circle to another military base outside of Bangkok.
Weerada Muangsook, daughter of Watana, on her way to submit a letter on the detention of her father to the Office of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) in Bangkok on 19 April 2016
