About 200 people rallied outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday evening in support of two young activists now on the 42nd day of a hunger strike to press for freedom for political prisoners.
Tantawan “Tawan” Tuatulanon and Orawan “Bam” Phuphong have refused to leave their temporary shelter containing rudimentary medical equipment outside the court complex opposite Sanam Luang, despite the entreaties of doctors and supporters who say they need proper hospital care.
The pair discharged themselves from Thammasat University Hospital last Friday and insisted they would continue their fast at the court until all their demands are met.
The main focus of their campaign has been 16 people detained pending trial on charges arising from the anti-government protests that began in mid-2020. Some have had multiple requests for bail rejected, but over the past month the courts have approved the release of 13 of the detainees.
A decision is expected on Thursday on a bail application by one of the three remaining detainees. However, bail applications for two members of the hardcore protest group Thalu Gas were rejected. They had been seeking to be released while they appealed their convictions for possession of explosives.
The pair were sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of possessing cherry bombs at an anti-government gathering in 2021. Their bail application reached the Supreme Court, which said this week that they were a flight risk and should remain behind bars.
Ms Tantawan, 21, and Ms Orawan, 23, continue to insist that they will not stop their hunger strike until the last three prisoners are freed.
The two women began their fast on Jan 18. In addition to the release of all political prisoners, they are also calling for the abolition of the lese majeste and sedition laws and other justice reforms.
They are themselves facing charges under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, the royal defamation law, for taking a public poll last year about royal motorcades.
They went to court on Jan 16 to request the revocation of their bail as a gesture of solidarity with other detained colleagues. They began refusing food as well as water two days later. They subsequently agreed to take small amounts of water and some intravenous supplements as their condition deteriorated.
Krisadang Nutcharas, the lawyer for the two women, has said their stay outside the Supreme Court has been difficult. He said they had received threatening phone calls, were photographed by plainclothes police, and were disturbed by motorcycle riders wearing outfits of a group that opposed their cause.
Police have been keeping a close watch on the activities of the protesters outside the Supreme Court, but appear to have backed away from earlier attempts to break up the demonstration.
Officers earlier had engaged in a lengthy back-and-forth with members of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, who said the police would need a court order to break up the gathering and could not simply invoke the Public Assemblies Act by themselves.