Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit said yesterday that the emergency decree was hindering the party's efforts to help detained red shirts. At present, more than 100 red shirts are in jail.
"The state of emergency makes it hard for us to contact those who need help," he said.Prompong was speaking after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) disclosed that many red shirts still remained behind bars because they could not find lawyers or enough money for bail.
"The Corrections Department has not restricted any access to legal services, but these red shirts don't know how to find a lawyer for themselves, and no redshirt lawyer has shown up to help them either," NHRC commissioner Niran Pitakwatchara said.
According to documents on the AprilMay crackdowns handed out by the People's Information Centre in midJuly, 45 red shirts are locked up in Ubon Ratchathani, 10 in Khon Kaen, 12 in Maha Sarakham, 23 in Mukdahan and 54 in Udon Thani for their alleged role in the redshirt rallies.
Apart from those listed in the documents, there are many red shirts under detention in other provinces.
So far, the court has only approved bail requests for those charged with taking part in illegal gatherings. Those accused of arson or terrorism are not eligible for temporary release.
However, Niran said he believes most of the red shirts in jail were not involved in arson or any attack, and were only arrested because they were present at the scene.
"They are just poor people fighting for others like them and their ideology," he said.
Niran is planning to consult legal agencies on how best to help the red shirts in detention. "We hope to help them secure bail, because they don't intend to flee anyway," he said, adding that his team was also in contact with the parents of a 16yearold who was arrested for unfurling a banner.
"The parents don't want to see their son undergoing a mental rehabilitation programme. They are afraid it will make their son's record look bad. We will see how we can help," Niran said.
The youngster has been ordered to attend a rehabilitation programme on August 16 and 17. However, the boy insists he has no mental problems.
"There's no need for me to undergo the programme because I am neither crazed nor insane. I am willing to cooperate if that's the normal procedure, but I'm worried the records will make me look bad," the boy said.
When asked about what is being done about the detainees, Prompong said his party had every intention to help.
"Contact us so we can start the bail process," he said, adding that all Pheu Thai MPs had already been told to reach out to the red shirts in detention.
Prompong said he expected those out on bail to keep in touch with his party. "There's no need to go into hiding or anything," he said.
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น