The army chief has issued a stern warning against any politically-motivated gatherings at Rajabhakti Park after a group of anti-coup activists was stopped from visiting the park on Monday and detained.
Authorities accused the members of the student group -- which calls itself Prachathipatai Sueksa (Democracy Studies ) -- of having a political motivation to stir up unrest.
The members were taken to an army base in Nakhon Pathom, where they were detained. Some were later released after they signed an agreement promising not to engage in such activities again.
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A force of soldiers and police intercepted the group Monday at a railway station in Ban Pong district of Ratchaburi province, while they were on the train bound for Rajabhakti Park in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Hua Hin district, which had been unexpectedly closed.
The carriage the 36 activists, including 16 women, were travelling in was disconnected from the rest of the southbound train, and the rest were allowed to continue.
The activists were ordered to disembark and initially detained at Ban Pong train station before being taken by military buses to an army base in Nakhon Pathom's Phutthamonthon district.
The large army force at Ban Pong station, Ratchaburi, took supporters of the student group away for attitude adjustment. They included 16 women.
An army source said army chief Gen Theerachai Nakvanich had instructed military personnel at the base to dissuade the students from holding any politically-motivated activities again. They also conveyed the message to their parents.
The high-placed source said the military move was "an official warning" and the parents of the students were also warned to monitor their children under the threat of legal action against the families.
At press time, all of the students had been released from military custody. The majority of the students -- 30 -- had agreed to sign the agreement. Six refused to sign, according to the source.
Some of the students had admitted the trip was politically motivated, but did not reveal the organiser of the event.
Army spokesman Winthai Suvaree said the group was comprised of well-known activists who were making the journey with ulterior motives. He said they were stopped to prevent a confrontation with local residents who hold different views to them.
Meanwhile, Col Winthai said authorities were aware that efforts were under way to use the park as a venue for political gain, so they had to step in to maintain order.
Local people gathered at Ban Pong railway station, where the student group was initially detained, and shouted their disapproval of the students' planned activities.
The student group, led by Sirawith Seritiwat, a political science student at Thammasat University who refused to sign the agreement with the military, earlier said the group was going to the park to gather information about the controversy surrounding the construction of giant statues of former kings.
They also planned to read a statement revealing the problems surrounding the park controversy.
Gen Winthai said the group should have sought information on the park's construction through proper channels, rather than holding activities that could stir up unrest.
Government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said authorities had to stop the students' visit to the park because their activity breached a National Council for Peace and Order ban on political gatherings of five people or more.
The group's activity was clearly intended to cause disturbances, said Maj Gen Sansern said, adding authorities' actions had not violated any human rights.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) will discuss the issue of the students' detention at a meeting today, according to NHRC chairman What Tingsamitr. The NHRC will discuss whether their human rights were violated before considering any further action, he said.
Another group of student activists, the Prachathipatai Mai (New Democracy), issued a statement that slammed the military for violating freedom of expression by detaining the other students.
The Prachathipatai Mai group vowed to dig up any alleged irregularities in the one-billion-baht park project until "the truth is uncovered", said the statement.
Also on Monday, the British ambassador to Thailand, Mark Kent, said in a Twitter post, "I had hoped the fact 200 people [were] allowed to demonstrate at the US embassy, might be relaxation of freedom of assembly," referring to a rally that took place in late November in front of the US embassy in Bangkok against US ambassador Glyn Davies.
The protesters had gathered to slam Mr Davies' critique of the government's imposition of jail terms for lese majeste cases.
Following the incident Monday, the army abruptly closed Rajabhakti Park, claiming it was necessary to do maintenance work on its access roads.
The closure of the park on the last day of the long weekend to celebrate Father's Day left many prospective visitors disappointed. Many visitors parked their cars outside the park and attempted to get a glimpse the monuments from outside the park's walls. At the two security checkpoints on Phetkasem Road leading to the park, officers told visitors the park was closed for road repairs but declined to say when it would reopen to the public.
Local media speculated the park was shut down to prevent confrontations between local residents in Hua Hin and the Prachathipatai Sueksa activists.
A group of angry Hua Hin residents had reportedly planned to gather at the park to block the activists as they felt the place was a sacred royal venue and should not be "politicised".
