NCPO launches legal action against marchers

THE NATIONAL Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has lodged complaints against eight leaders of the People Go Network. 
In response to the complaint, police issued summonses to Lertsak Khamkongsak, Anusorn Unno, Nimit Tien-udom, Somchai Krajangsaeng, Saengsiri Trimankha, Nuchanart Tantong, Ubon Yuwa and Jamnong Nuphan. 
All of the accused work for non-governmental organisations, except Anusorn, who is the dean of Thammasat University’s Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology. 
The charges against them follow a rally that took place at Thammasat Rangsit Campus last Saturday, which drew about 150 participants and included anti-government speeches. 
The NCPO assigned a representative to file a complaint with Klong Luang Police in Pathum Thani province on Sunday and the eight have been directed to answer the summons this Sunday. 
“I think we will have to answer the summons,” Nimit said. 
A police source said if the accused fail to appear on Sunday without a good reason, a second summons would be issued. 
“And if they fail to answer again, they will face arrest warrants,” the source added. 
Surachai Trong-garm, a lawyer for the People Go Network, said authorities should stop citing the NCPO’s very broad order banning political gatherings to block people’s rights to free assembly.
“We will definitely fight back,” he said. 
He said he would have a meeting with several lawyers for the People Go Network today to plan a defence. 
Surachai also said he expected the Central Administrative Court to soon start holding trials regarding his complaint that police had tried to disrupt his network’s peaceful march. 
The march, known as “We Walk”, started at Thammasat University’s Rangsit Campus last Saturday and, in order to avoid violating the NCPO’s ban on the gathering of more than five people, included no more than four individuals at any one time. 
The complaint was lodged with the Central Administrative Court on Sunday and although the court refused to immediately issue an injunction, trials are expected soon as the march continues. 
The organisers plan for the march to cover 450 kilometres and end in Khon Kaen province. It was organised to bring attention to the need for state welfare, universal healthcare, food security, freedom of expression, human rights and a just society for all.
“Because of pressure from the authorities, people do not dare show support for our group along our way,” Surachai said. 
Meanwhile, Ekachai Isarata of the NGO Coordinating Committee on Development’s Southern Branch said the junta’s legal action against the “We March” leaders showed it did not understand the concept of freedom of expression as enshrined in the Constitution. 
“Such freedom is the basic right of people,” he said. “I think the government has made a mistake in invoking legal measures to try to restrict people’s expression.”