Prachatai reports that a “military court has refused to release an embattled anti-junta activist after summoning him for a witness hearing.”
On 27 July 2017, Jatuphat Boonpattaraksa appeared before the Military Court of Khon Kaen for a witness hearing in the “case in which Jatuphat and six other youth activists were charged with violation of the junta’s political gathering ban of five or more persons for gathering at the replica of the Democracy Monument in Khon Kaen Province to commemorate the first anniversary of the coup d’état on 22 May 2015.”
With Jatuphat are “Aphiwat Suntrarak, Phayu Boonsophon, Phanupong Srithananuwat, Suwitcha Pitangkorn, Supachai Phukrongploy, and Wasan Setsit.”
This military court held the hearing in camera and proceeded to revoked the bail it had previously granted in this case, “reasoning that Jatuphat is also battling a royal defamation case.”
As we have previously stated, when it comes to lese majeste, Prachatai gets its terminology wrong. There is no “reasoning” involved and the concocted notion that lese majeste is about “royal defamation” has been disproved. In fact, lese majeste is a political charge used against political opponents.
Political prisoners, military courts and secret trials: that’s what Thailand’s military dictatorship does.
Political Prisoners in Thailand 