Bangkok police have threatened to arrest pro-election activist Sirawith Seritiwat and his group while they were handing out homemade fans with a message urging people to join them at Government House on Tuesday.
Mr Sirawith, also known as “Ja New’’, led a group of New Democracy Movement activists to distribute homemade fans to people at BTS Asoke station on Friday. A message on the fans urged the people to meet them at Government House on May 22 to reiterate their demands.
The activists have three demands: they want the election to be held this year instead of next February as promised by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, they want the government downgraded to a caretaker status for a free and fair election and the army should return to the barracks and stopped backing the junta.
Plainclothes police deployed to the area asked the activists to present their ID cards but they refused. The officers then tried in vain to persuade them to stop their activity.
Mr Sirawith said police had tried to prevent his group from distributing the fans to people and threatened to take them to Lumpini police station. However, they stood their ground and continued with the activity. In the end, no one was taken to the police station.