The army on Thursday barred a red-shirt lawyer from meeting with the Phetchabun man arrested for allegedly disseminating a forged statement from the Royal Household Bureau about His Majesty the King's health.
Winyat Chartmontree, an attorney for the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, said the Judge Advocate General's Department denied him access to Krit Buddeejin, 25, who was arrested on Wednesday and is being held at the 11th Infantry Regiment headquarters on Phahon Yothin Road in Bangkok.
Krit Buddeejin, a 25-year-old musician from Phetchabun, is flanked by military officers at a press conference Wednesday. He is charged with allegedly disseminating a forged statement from the Royal Household Bureau about His Majesty the King's health. (Photo by Thanarak Khunton)
Mr Winyat was assigned to the case by UDD chairman Jatuporn Prompan to provide legal assistance to Mr Krit. He also had been asked for help by Mr Krit's relatives, who felt the musician had been treated unjustly.
Mr Winyat said when he asked permission to see Mr Krit, JAG officers turned him down on the grounds that Mr Krit is being kept in military custody for seven days for questioning as allowed under martial law.
The lawyer argued that although martial law is still in force, the suspect should get humanitarian protection under the constitution.
Mr Jatuporn, speaking on the red shirt Peace TV channel, admitted Mr Krit was a “100% UDD member”, but claimed he was a “victim of the cyber world” and was being treated unfairly by security officers.
He said he did not know the suspect personally but recognised him as they had met at the funeral of former deputy House speaker and UDD core member Apiwan Wiriyachai in Nonthaburi in October.
“Mr Krit was not the person who forged the announcement. He is merely a victim of the cyber world,” Mr Jatuporn said.
“I confirm he is a 100% red shirt, but he had no intention [of committing lese majeste]. The government must bring the perpetrators [to justice]. Whoever plotted this move are very heinous and evil.”
He accused the military and police officers involved in the investigation of being "over-enthusiastic" and of double standards for treating the 25-year-old Phetchabun native as a high-profile criminal while no legal action was being taken against Niran Yaowapha, who oversees ASTV Manager website that allowed the same statement to be briefly published.
Mr Niran on Tuesday complained to Chana Songkhram police that some somebody distributed the statement which was later posted on ASTV Manager’s website.
Executives of the news agency have agreed to remove Mr Niran from his position and cut his salary in half. They also pledged additional action against him for the mistake.
Mr Jatuporn said both men were victims of falling for the false announcement. Therefore the authorities should treat them equally and Mr Niran and ASTV Manager should face charges of violating section 112 of the Criminal Code dealing with lese majeste.
He accused security officials of trying to paint red shirts as violent anti-monarchists by linking them with Sunday’s pipe bomb incident outside Siam Paragon shopping centre and the false statement.
“They even try to link [the red shirts] to the bombing in Min Buri and at the Saman Metta Mansion,” the UDD head said.
He was referring to bombings in Min Buri on March 29, 2014 and the Saman Metta Mansion in Bang Bua Thong district, Nonthaburi province, on Oct 5, 2010
UDD spokesman Worawut Wichaidith complained that Mr Krit was unfairly being singled out for the spread of the bogus announcement online because he is a UDD member, arguing that he was only one of many who shared it.
The military, however, argues that Mr Krit did more than share it. He was the one who put it online first, officials claim.