Prominent anti-coup activist Ekachai Hongkangwan has again become a victim of violence. This time his car, which was parked in the compound of his residence in the Lat Phrao area, was burnt beyond repair by a group of unidentified arsonists.
The attack on the night of April 1 coincided with an assault against another activist, Anurak Jeantawanich, who sustained arm injuries.
Over the past two years, businessman-turn-activist Ekachai made headlines not only due to his anti-coup activities but also because of physical attacks on him that aimed to inflict pain and humiliation.
According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, one culprit, Ritthikrai Chaiwannasan, who assaulted the activist twice early last year, was arrested and released after paying a fine.
The first incident occurred on Jan 19 when the activist tried to satirically hand a wristwatch to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon, who was then mired in the luxury watch scandal.
Ritthikrai punched the activist again on Jan 23 when the latter was on his way home from a watch-related mocking demonstration at Government House. Three days later, a man attempted to set fire to his car, causing minor damage.
Another suspect, a 20-year-old motorcyclist, was arrested for attacking the activist on Aug 22, but he pleaded not guilty, claiming he was merely hired to transport the attackers. He never revealed the names of the mastermind, nor the reason for the attack.
The other attackers were also set free. While their motivation remains unclear, the violence appeared to follow Mr Ekachai's campaign activities.
On March 31, Mr Ekachai and Mr Anurak spearheaded a campaign as part of a group called the "People Who Want Elections" to impeach the embattled Election Commission (EC). The group set up a booth at a fast-food chain outlet in Ratchaprasong for people to sign a petition to remove the commissioners over alleged irregularities in the March 24 general election.
Before this, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, in his attempts to persuade members of the public to stay away from the March 31 demonstration against the election commissioners, made remarks likening those involved in the impeachment bid to "troublemakers", while the military top brass appeared to publicly defend the troubled EC.
They refuse to accept that peaceful demonstrations are constitutionally guaranteed and endorsed in the 2017 charter.
It should be of grave concern that violence against activists has escalated in parallel with the rise of hate speech. In past weeks, some ultra right-wing elements have used this to target people with different opinions, accusing them of harming the high institution. This is reminiscent of the 1976 massacre when ultra-royalist groups butchered student activists on the morning of Oct 6.
A report by Thai Lawyers for Human Rights showed that Mr Ekachai was assaulted six times in 16 months. His car became a target during that period. Each time he filed a complaint with the police, they did not appear to make any serious attempt to find or punish the culprits.
Mr Ekachai and rights groups have every reason to believe the lack of progress in the investigation was deliberate. That needs to change.
Peaceful demonstrations are not a crime. Police and state authorities must step up their work, and follow up on cases in a quick, fair and transparent manner. The culprits must be brought to justice.