Nattathida Meewangpla

When she was arrested, Nattathida Meewangpla was a 36 year-old volunteer nurse, accused by the military dictatorship of terrorism and lese majeste.

Some reports stated she was abducted by the military on 17 March 2015. Her lawyer says it was 11 March, being held incommunicado for six days by the military. She was then charged with “terrorism,” and was later accused of lese majeste.

The charge was made by Col. Wicharn Joddaeng, an officer in the Internal Security Operation Command (ISOC), a counter-insurgency agency, who claims Nattathida copied a text that insulted the monarchy from one chat room and posted it in two other chat groups.

This charge was simply meant to get her jailed as quickly as possible and to lock up another person considered a threat to the military dictatorship. Her particular threat to the regime was that she is a witness to the murder of six individual at Wat Pathum Wanaram Temple by soldiers during the crackdown on red shirts on 19 May 2010.

Earlier posts at PPT are here, here, here, here and here.

The courts consistently denied her bail until suddenly granting it on 4 September 2018.

The impression is that the regime, led by generals responsible for the 2010 massacre of red shirts, wants he silenced. Certainly, they have not been in any rush to proceed with her trial. Her first hearing is scheduled for May 2018.

The terrorism case made little progress, with the other three “terrorism” suspects released on bail in July 2017. However, Waen be kept in jail on the lese majeste charge until granted bail later.

Her lawyer argued that the case was bogus as her devices were confiscated on her arrest on 11 March 2015, “but the alleged message was uploaded about a week later.”

It is not unusual for the police and military to plant “evidence.”

Her lese majeste court hearings finally began on 20 July 2018, held in secret before a Military Court. He lawyer believed that the hearings were deliberately delayed.

Waen’s lawyer repeatedly reiterated that the evidence was scant and “witnesses” unreliable.

The military court finally allowed bail on a bond of 900,000 baht.

In early 2020, in a newspaper interview, Waen stated that she had been repeatedly sexually assaulted by soldiers.

On 28 January 2021, the Nonthaburi Provincial Court dismissed the lese majeste charge against Waen. It did so for lack of evidence. It said the only evidence provided “was a picture of the messages, and the person who was talking to Natthathida does not know her.”

As had been the case with all of her court appearances, the court met in secret: “The Court did not let anyone into the room when the ruling was read but Natthathida, claiming that it is a Covid-19 prevention measure.”

Her case was always a fake one, concocted by the military to cover up its murder of red shirts.

Media accounts of Nattatida’s case:

Thisrupt, 7 December 2020: “The sexual assault of Natthathida Miwangpla”

Khaosod, 4 September 2018: “Nurse Who Witnessed Temple Slaughter Freed on Bail”

Prachatai, 1 August 2018: “Witness of 2010 Massacre might be tried for another 2 years: lawyer”

Bangkok Post, 21 July 2018: “Eyewitness to injustice”

Khaosod, 21 July 2018: “Mental Health of 2010 Temple Massacre Witness in Question”

Prachatai, 27 April 2018: “Lawyers fund raise to bail witness of 2010 crackdown charged with royal defamation”

Prachatai, 25 July 2017: “Key witness of 2010 military crackdown detained further”

Khaosod, 25 July 2017: “Key Witness of 2010 Temple Shooting Detained Under 112 Charge”

Khaosod, 19 March 2015: “Terror Suspect Charged With Insulting the Monarchy“