Police on Thursday interrupted a planned press conference on the problems of the Rohingya people on the grounds it would disrupt a visit beginning Thursday by Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who refuses to recognise Rohingya as citizens.
After negotiations, police allowed the group's organiser to make a statement, without questions.
Officers held long talks with members of the Rohingya Thailand Group, led by Haji Ismail, who had contracted to use the for a discussion of the problems of the Rohingya people in Myanmar.
On Wednesday, Lumpini police advised the group to cancel the event. Police officers told the organisers they were concerned that the event would disrupt Mrs Suu Kyi's visit and Thai-Myanmar relations.
Siwawong Suktavee, a Thai activist working on the Rohingya problem for the Coalition for the Rights of Refugees and Stateless Persons (CRSP), read his statement in Thai which got translated into English. Mr Ismail prepared an open letter that should be read out at the function but he chose to remain silent and instead distributed the letter addressed to Mrs Suu Kyi to reporters.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha told the media he had agreed not to discuss Rohingya, or raise the question of Rohingya migrants and refugees in Thailand.
As for the Myanmar leader, she has planned outings to visit migrant workers from Myanmar at the fish-packing centre of Samut Sakhon, and to a Karen refugee camp in Ratchaburi. The plan was cancelled later due to unfavourable weather conditions. However, she is not scheduled to visit any detention centres where Rohingya are held, or to meet Mr Islmai's group.
Inside Myanmar, the Muslim group is officially referred to as Bengali immigrants. Most live in Rakhine province next to Bangladesh.
There are an unknown number of Rohingya "boat people" in Thai detention centres.
Mr Ismail and his group are highly critical of the Myanmar authorities, and blame them for last year's disastrous outpouring of boat people from western Myanmar.
In a reference to Mrs Suu Kyi, the statement finally released Thursday said, "All our hopes in the leadership of democratic statesmen have faded away. Indeed we did not hope this sort of harsh and negative political stance and undemocratic rhetoric from our noble peace laureate."
The letter to Mrs Suu Kyi, also signed by CRSP, recommended changes to Myanmar law to provide Rohingya with citizenship and full civil rights.
"Stop discriminating against the ethnic minorities in Myanmar and consider acceding to international human rights treaties," it said.