The chief judge of the Bangkok Military Court has assured the 14 detained students of the anti-coup New Democracy Movement that they will be given a fair trial while the students — via their lawyers — deny all charges.
The 12-day detention period is set to expire Tuesday and police will ask the court to detain the students for another 12 days.
The military court will consider Tuesday whether to approve the extension of the students' detention.
"When civilians are on trial, three military court judges will be on the bench to ensure justice and transparency in the court proceedings," Maj Gen Panomthep Vesarajananda, the chief judge, said Monday.
For trials of military officers, the three-member committee on the bench will have only one judge, while two others are commissioned military officers.
However, the courtroom's space is rather limited and can accommodate only 20-30 people, so family members of the students, their lawyers, and journalists must choose among themselves who they will send to attend the military court hearing, Maj Gen Panomthep said.
The students were arrested on June 26 following a rally against the military regime. They are now detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison.
A lawyer for the students, Krisadang Nutcharut, said their legal team will oppose the police request for an extension of their detention.
He said the students have not tried to escape, and several of them have to return to their universities to attend classes. Some are ill and need medical treatment, he said.
Mr Krisadang said the students have denied the charges laid under Section 116 of the Criminal Code that they incited disorder and defied the National Council for Peace and Order's ban on political gatherings.
"If the court allows them to walk free, they will continue to gather together outside jail. If not, they will keep on fighting from their cells," Mr Krisadang said.
Meanwhile, Pathumwan police have now requested court warrants to detain seven of the 14 students who were involved in a separate anti-coup protest on May 22.
The seven students include Chonticha Jaengrew, the only female member of the activist group, who was admitted to the prison hospital with a nerve problem.
If the 14 students are released, Pathumwan police immediately will take the seven back into custody, Mr Krissadang said.
Army chief Udomdej Sitabutr reiterated that the 14 students have been detained because they had broken the law.
"The government is no one's enemy. We see the students as our children. But since they violated the law, we have to take legal action after repeated warnings," Gen Udomdej said.
"If we do not do anything, the situation might escalate into a mass gathering that may cause damage to the country."
Academics plan to meet Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha if the court approves further detention of the students.
Detcharat Sukkumnoed, Kasetsart University's economics assistant professor, said academics nationwide have called for their unconditional release, and that they be treated as dissidents, not as criminals.
"If the government doesn't give consideration to these issues, we will ask to meet Gen Prayut," said Mr Detcharat.
Suchart Sawatsri, a SEA Write laureate, said the students have sacrificed themselves to uphold participatory democracy, human rights, community rights, and peaceful activism.
"It's not a matter of colour-coded fights any more, since their actions accord with the government's roadmap to let the people decide the country's direction through elections. So authorities should stop slandering them as bad guys," Mr Suchart said.
Meanwhile, the Thai Students in Europe Network met Monday with the French Foreign Ministry's Ambassador for Human rights to discuss the military's detention of the 14 students.