Activists seek to postpone meeting with police today
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Met lawyer at Thammasat to seek a delay, Sirawith says he has an exam
ACTIVISTS summoned in relation to the Rajabhakti Park scandal are trying to postpone their meeting with police.
A police warrant demands that they report themselves today.
The activists, however, met yesterday with a lawyer from the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights at Thammasat University’s Tha Prachan campus, to formulate a petition to postpone their summons until Jan 9.
The suspects were intercepted on December 7 while on a train to Prachuap Khiri Khan province, where they planned to hold a rally at Rajabhakti Park.
Sirawith Seritiwat said yesterday he and the 10 other activists summoned had met the lawyer to seek a postponement. He said he could not go on the day specified in the warrant because he had another engagement.
“I have to sit an exam,” he said.
Sirawith also contacted authorities to inform them that the lawyer would visit the Thon Buri railway police station to discuss the summons. Police had already told him that a postponement was possible if he could provide evidence of a prior engagement, he said.
“The other activists and I will not follow the summoning order as it specified tomorrow [today], and we will discuss further plans after New Year,” he said.
Chanoknan Ruamsap, another of the activists, confirmed that the human-rights lawyer would go to Thon Buri station as their representative. Chanokan also said the group would postpone meeting police until the afternoon of Jan 9.
Colonel Burin Thongprapai, of the Nation Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) legal team, filed the complaint against the activists for gathering in a group of five people or more.
The warrant named 11 people, including Sirawith, 23, Chanoknan, 22, Anon Numpa, 31, Chalita Changlew, 22, Thanet Anantawong, 25, Kittichai Sumal, 33, Visarut Anukulkhan, 23, Apisit Supnapapat, 29, Korakot Sengyenpun, 23, Kornkanok Khamta, 22, and Vijit Hanhabun, 66.
Meanwhile, deputy police spokesman Pol Maj-General Piyapan Pingmuang said yesterday the summons was issued so the activists could officially acknowledge the charges against them.
He said if the accused did not come to hear the charges, a second summons would be issued.
“If after the second summons they still don’t show up, they will face arrest warrants,” he said.
