Young political activists have asked the government to quickly and transparently investigate the death in custody of their colleague Netiporn “Boong” Sanesangkhom and release political detainees.
The Thalufah (Through the Sky) group members including Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul and Patsaravalee “Mild” Tanakitvibulpon filed their request at the Government House complaint centre on Thursday.
They asked authorities to conduct a quick and clear investigation into the death of Netiporn, release political detainees on bail, postpone the arrest of political suspects pending an amnesty law, and speed up amnesty legislation which must cover people in political cases.
Lawmakers studying proposals for an amnesty law are still deciding whether it should include people convicted under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese-majeste law.
Ms Panusaya is facing 25 charges, including multiple lese-majeste accusations, for her role in the youth-led protests that began in 2020 against the military-linked government of Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha. She said she was saddened that Netiporn had died during the tenure of a civilian government under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
Mr Srettha, speaking on Wednesday before departing on a business mission to France, said he had ordered the Justice Ministry to investigate the circumstances surrounding Netiporn’s death.
Ms Panusaya also demanded that officials concerned elaborate on attempts to resuscitate Netiporn, adding that she was uncertain if the Department of Corrections (DoC) would release CCTV video of what happened in the prison hospital on Tuesday morning.
According to the department, Netiporn suffered a heart attack at the Central Correctional Hospital just after 6am on Tuesday. Despite resuscitation attempts and emergency care at Thammasat University Hospital, she was pronounced dead at 11.22am.
Receiving the activists’ request, Somkid Chueakong, deputy secretary-general to the prime minister, said the government was concerned about the death and that he would tell the activists next week how it plans to respond.
Lawyer Kunthika Nutcharus of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, writing on X, said on Thursday that the Central Correctional Hospital had not yet provided Netiporn’s medical records to the group.
She said requesting medical records is a standard procedure and questioned why it is taking the hospital so long to release them.
The DoC has said that prior to Tuesday, the prisoner had been eating since early April but had been refusing to take minerals and vitamins. Consequently, it said, she was weakened by the effects of the hunger strike that she began in late January, when she was detained after her bail was revoked in connection with a charge of lese-majeste.
Netiporn’s death has received widespread international media coverage, but the government has stressed that the actual cause has not yet been established. An autopsy was conducted on Wednesday at Thammasat University Hospital and results would take about seven days, said Nikorndej Balankura, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman.
In another development, the Facebook page of jailed human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa quoted him as reporting that several prisoners had shaved their heads as a gesture of solidarity following Netiporn’s passing.
Arnon has been convicted of two lese-majeste offences, with sentences totalling eight years, and is awaiting trial on 12 more charges. The father of two has repeatedly been denied bail since he was first sentenced on Sept 26 last year.
Netiporn’s family, meanwhile, brought her body from Thammasat University Hospital on Thursday morning to Wat Suthapot in Lat Krabang district, where prayers will continue through Saturday, with cremation on Sunday.