Thailand: Police arrest pro-democracy activists and rappers in crackdown on anti-government protests

Nine pro-democracy activists, including two rappers, have been arrested in a crackdown on growing protests in Thailand that have presented a serious threat to the country’s military-backed government.

Protesters have called for Prayuth Chan-ocha, Thailand’s prime minister and a former army general, to resign amid accusations of incompetence and corruption.

Mr Prayuth seized power in a 2014 military coup and then won an election in 2019 that was widely seen as unfair and biased towards his administration.

Dechathorn Bamrungmuang, a founding member of the group Rap Against Dictatorship, and a rapper from another group, who both appeared at a 18 July anti-government rally, were among those arrested.

Mr Dechathorn has received national attention in Thailand for songs including “Prathet Ku Mee” (What My Country’s Got) and “250 Bootlickers” that criticise the country’s conservative leadership and lack of political freedoms.

The student-led protests over the last two months have presented the most serious threat yet to Mr Prayuth’s government and have seen unusually direct criticism of the country’s monarchy.

The protest movement has declared three core demands: holding new elections, amending the military-imposed constitution, and ending the intimidation of critics of the government.

The public criticism of Thailand’s monarchy is virtually unprecedented as a lese-majeste law puts anyone found guilty of defaming the king at risk of a prison sentence of up to 15 years.

Earlier this month, demonstrators attended a Harry Potter-themed protest – an apparent reference to increasing injustices by the government – to demand changes to the monarchy and restrictions on its powers.

One of the activists who allegedly made critical remarks, Anon Nampa, was arrested on Wednesday and charged with sedition and violation of a public assembly law for participating in the protest on 3 August.

The other eight political and labour activists and artists were arrested on Wednesday and early on Thursday on charges of sedition and other offences related to the 18 July protest, Weeranan Huadsri, Mr Anon’s lawyer, said.

They were brought to the criminal court in Bangkok on Thursday and flashed three-fingered salutes, a sign of resistance borrowed from the film The Hunger Games.

Mr Anon said the group were released on bail under condition of them not repeating their offences.

“We’ve always affirmed that what we do isn’t illegal and is allowed under the constitution, and it is done with the intention of seeing our society become fully democratic,” the lawyer and activist said.

“We are sure that what we are doing will benefit the country.”

Human Rights Watch has called on Thai authorities to drop all charges against the activists.

“The Thai government’s repeated promises to listen to dissenting voices have proven meaningless as the crackdown on pro-democracy activists continues unabated,” said Brad Adams, the organisation’s Asia director.

“The authorities should right their wrong and immediately drop the charges and release Anon and other detained activists.”