Jaran Ditapichai is one of the 31 exiles that the military dictatorship wants back in Thailand so they can be locked up. Prachatai has an excellent account of Jaran’s history of activism and his current role.
Jaran is 68 years old and the police issued an arrest warrant for him on 16 June 2014, following the military coup. On 26 August 2014 a further arrest warrant was issued on a lese majeste charge. This was for his role as “the chief organizer of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the 14 October 1973 student uprising, where ‘The Wolf Bride’ was performed in October 2013 at Thammasat University, Bangkok. Two theatre activists were sentenced to two years and a half for their involvement in the alleged lèse majesté play.”
Jaran had earlier fled on 27 May to a neighboring country before leaving for France in June.
Long a dedicated activist, he is now a “coordinator of Free Thais for Human Rights and Democracy (FTHD), an anti-junta group in exile, and the coordinator of red-shirt supporters and pro-democracy activists in Europe.”
Jaran’s view remains that, for Thailand, its political future lies in a revolution. He has few hopes about returning home as the lese majeste charge hangs over him.
Political Prisoners in Thailand 