The temporary "red-shirt" prison holding detainees on charges relating to the 2010 political unrest will close down when the last six inmates are sent to Ubon Ratchathani and Maha Sarakham today.
Prisoners load a truck with equipment and head off to new designated prisons in Bangkok. All inmates at the political prison are classified as low-risk. (Photos by Thiti Wannamontha)
Prison authorities on Monday relocated 16 prisoners to other jails around the country, leaving only six inmates at the Laksi facility.
Prisoners knew about the impending shut down of the prison, but many were caught off guard by their abrupt transfer.
Corrections Department chief Withaya Suriyawong, who took up the post a month ago, was not specific about the deadline for the transfers and the relatives of four prisoners from Ubon Ratchathani had made plans to visit Bangkok this month.
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“On Monday at 8am, 16 prisoners were ordered to pack their belongings and were taken away in prison trucks. We knew right away that it would be our turn soon,” one of the remaining six prisoners said Tuesday.
Thirteen of the 16 prisoners were sent to different zones of the Bangkok remand prison, one to Thanyaburi prison and another to Thonburi prison.
Naruemon Warunrungroj, who has another six months to serve, was sent to the Central Women’s Correctional Institute.
Laksi prison is a small building with four floors in the Police Club compound on Vibhavadi Road and was used to detain political prisoners during the Sarit Thanarat regime in the 1950s and 60s and again after the 1976 October crackdown on student protesters from Thammasat University.
It was reopened for red-shirt prisoners in January 2012.
The Truth for Reconciliation Commission had recommended that prisoners involved in political violence during the 2010 conflicts should be detained separately.
The inmates included those convicted for torching Ubon Ratchathani city hall, possessing war weapons in Udon Thani and shooting at a military helicopter in Bangkok.
No core red-shirt leaders had visited the prisoners since protests against the Pheu Thai-led government began last year.
“The red-shirt leaders should have more courage to work out another type of reconciliation bill with the junta. After all, we took part in activities driven by their political mobilisation and they should be more responsible for us,” said prisoner Sanong Katesuwan, 53.
“I have run out of words to say. Actually, since the May 22 coup, very few people have come to visit us at Laksi and now we are being treated as if we are refugees. I feel demoralised about what has happened,” he added.
Sanong echoed the desperation of three other inmates from Ubon Ratchathani who each received a jail term of 33 years and four months for setting the provincial hall on fire.
They are appealing against their sentences to the Supreme Court. Panupong Polsane, 31, and Komkrit Kamwisaeng, 26, who were sent to Laksi prison two days before the May 22 coup, would like officials to help them proceed with a request for a royal pardon.
The pair were convicted for collaborating in an arson attack on Maha Sarakham provincial hall.
Even though family will be able to visit them more easily when they are moved back to a prison in their native Maha Sarakham province, they are not looking forward to the transfer.
“Maha Sarakham prison is worse than here. We will have to sleep squeezed into one big room,” Panupong said.
As wardens watch, prisoners load a truck with equipment and goods to get ready for closing up the Laksi facility and a move to other prisons.