Academics claim harassment, demand talks with the PM
A GROUP of academics supporting 14 detained student activists said yesterday they would request a meeting with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) chief, if the students were not freed and if alleged harassmen
“We the lecturers endorsing the first statement will meet the prime minister and NCPO [National Council for Peace and Order] leader to ask for clarification if we are still being harassed and the students detained,” representatives of the group said in a statement.
Lecturers from Kasetsart University read the declaration in front of the Bangkok Remand Prison.
They said they issued the statement because the junta had not acted in response to their first statement, which demanded the unconditional release of the 14 students.
They claim the students were being treated like criminals, being separated from other prisoners to undermine their morale.
Several lecturers complained they were being harassed with summonses to the Army barracks or by repeated calls.
“All of these [actions] are against rights and freedom of expression of people in a democratic society,” their statement said.
Despite the claimed harassment, the number of lecturers endorsing the statements has grown from 280 to more than 550.
The Remand Prison had more than 40 visitors yesterday who came to offer support for the detained students on the last day of the first round of pre-trial detention.
Apart from their friends and families, several writers and academics such as Wannasingh Prasertkul, Suchart Sawasdsri, Prajak Kongkirati, and Sarinee Achavanuntakul were also seen in front of the prison.
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