The Thai Journalists Association (TJA) has issued a statement urging the government to stop violating people's freedom of expression by invoking Section 116 of the Criminal Code to intimidate the media and the public.
The statement on Thursday called on the government to refrain from threatening journalists and people by exercising Section 116 which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison for those found guilty of sedition or inciting people to commit wrongdoing.
The association said the government has exploited the law to silence those wanting to express differing opinions.
The statement comes after several journalists and academics were recently charged with sedition under Section 116 and the Computer Crime Act.
Earlier, Khaosod English's senior staff writer, Pravit Rojanaphruk, was charged with sedition for allegedly posting a message criticising the government and the National Council for Peace and Order on his Facebook page.
In July, Chayan Vaddhanaphuti, director of Chiang Mai University's Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development, and four other academics were also charged for holding a public gathering without permission after they attended an International Conference on Thai Studies in Chiang Mai.
Earlier this month, the TJA issued a statement urging police to drop charges against an Isra News Agency reporter accused of trespassing in an apartment believed to belong to former national police chief Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon, a younger brother of Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon.
According to Thursday's statement, the TJA said the government claim the people charged intended to incite chaos despite the fact that their acts were in compliance with Section 34 of the constitution which certifies the right to freedom of expression.
The TJA also accused the government of abusing its authority by citing national security concerns to prevent the media and the public from voicing their opinions for its own benefit. It also called on the state to stop taking actions which overstepped legal boundaries.