FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Police reject student activists’ appeal for delay

Police reject  student activists’ appeal for delay

POLICE yesterday rejected a postponement petition filed by 11 activists accused of rallying against the Rajabhakti Park scandal and issued a second summons for next week.

Human-rights lawyer Pawinee Chumsri filed the request for a delay on Monday with Thon Buri railway police on behalf of the activists, who were intercepted on December 7 while taking a train to Prachuap Khiri Khan province, allegedly to hold a rally protesting against corruption at Rajabhakti Park. 
Thon Buri railway police officer Pol Lieutenant Ausadayoot Thongswan said the 1st Railway Police Division investigation committee had rejected the activists’ request for a postponement until January 9 and instead required them to turn themselves in by 9am on December 29. He said the committee felt too much time would have elapsed by January 9, and because the day is a national holiday, it would be hard for police to coordinate with other relevant departments.
Head of the inquiry, Pol Lt-Colonel Songkod Pattanawaraporn, said that police would begin gathering evidence to support arrest warrants if the activists did not show up on December 29. Meanwhile, activist Sirawith Seritiwat said yesterday he had been told that the petition was rejected and a new summons issued. 
“Our request would have postponed the summons for only three weeks, which should be allowed in light of the issue. There have been many big names and well-known cases that have been allowed to be postponed for years,” he said. 
Sirawith posted yesterday on his Facebook profile urging people to send him information about cases that have been postponed for a year or more, which he would compile as statistics to be presented to officers in charge of his case.
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