NHRC to summon lese majeste activist amid fears over violence
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The National Human Rights Commission will summon the leader of a royalist group to make sure it does not "over-exercise" its members' rights, commissioner Niran Pitakwatchara said yesterday.
Reacting to the announcement of Mongkutwattana General Hospital director Dr Rienthong Nanna – who set up the group “to eradicate the rubbish of the nation” – that its members might be armed for self defence, Niran said the commission was concerned about possible violence.
He said the NHRC might summon Rienthong to appear before it on May 12.
He said that on the same day the NHRC would investigate the murder of poet and anti-lese majeste law activist Kamol Duangphasuk, aka Mainueng Kor Kuntee.
Rienthong said he set up the organisation to establish a network to fight against people who “insult the monarchy” and the group would not use violence.
Meanwhile, ICT Ministry permanent secretary Surachai Srisaracam has visited Monk Buddha Issara at the Chaeng Wattana rally site to inform him that the ministry has not been negligent in trying to suppress lese majeste content circulated in social media.
The monk on Thursday led a group of protesters to see Surachai and petition him to increase measures against people who insult the monarchy.
However, Surachai was not available on the day.
Surachai said his agency had collaborated with the Technological Crime Suppression Division to tackle the issues.
But he said that blocking messages on Facebook was technically difficult and the agencies would need to ask for the cooperation of the Facebook operator in Singapore.
