Srettha Thavisin, the prime minister, expressed his profound regret on Wednesday for the passing of political advocate Netiporn” Boong” Sanesangkhom and pledged to ensure accountability and justice.
Mr. Srettha expressed his sympathies to the 28-year-old activist’s community and stated that he had ordered the Justice Ministry to look into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Her passing on Tuesday has sparked concerns about how the Department of Corrections treats inmates in contrast to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been on parole.
Tantawan” Tawan” Tuatulanon and Natthanon” Frank” Chaimahabud, two different political activists who have been staging a poverty strike for political detainee release and loan right, have also been the subject of it.
When Netiporn’s respiratory arrest caused her death, Tantawan was in the same prison doctor clinic. Tantawan was moved by police to Thammasat University Hospital on Wednesday evening to be treated for stress and depression brought on by past day’s activities.
Netiporn had a heart attack at the Central Correctional Hospital on Tuesday morning, according to the Department of Corrections. She was pronounced dead at 11.22 am despite attempt to resuscitate her and the hospital’s emergency treatment.
Netiporn, who went on a starvation attack on Jan 27 to protest against the confinement of political activists, had started eating and drinking usually in early April, according to changes leaders.
However, she was suffering from failure and somewhat swollen limbs as a result of her previous anemia and vitamin and mineral deficiencies, which only got worse as a result of her poverty reach. According to the DoC, she continued to decline to take pills and medications to treat these problems.
Netiporn, a member of the Thalu Wang opposition party, is the first advocate to pass away in custody since the start of youth-led protests in 2020 asking for the monarchy’s reform.
According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights ( TLHR ), she was one of the 272 people who have been accused of royal defamation under Section 112 of the Criminal Code since 2020.
When asked about the rising need for the release of another young protesters, Mr. Srettha claimed Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong had heard the request and was scheduled to discuss it with justice-related organizations.
Single standards
Previous red-shirt head Jatuporn Prompan on Wednesday attributed Netiporn’s death to two specifications, noting the disparity between Thaksin’s treatment and Netiporn’s.
The young advocate should have been closely watched and had been resolute in her poverty protest, he said, noting that her case was in striking contrast to Thaksin’s.
After being found guilty last August of abuse of power and conflict of interest while in office from 2001 to 2006, the billionaire former top previously spent a single day behind bars. Within days of his arrival at the jail, he was transferred to the Police General Hospital. Before being granted pardon, he spent the following six weeks in a VIP clinic on the patient’s 14th ground.
Mr. Jatuporn pointed out that the office was quick to use its judgment on the first day of his confinement to move the former prime minister to the Police General Hospital.
He claimed that the Pheu Thai Party even made a point about the need to grant bail to offenders during the election battle last year but abandoned their efforts soon after taking office.
He claimed that if Boong had received the same level of care and care as Thaksin did, she may have lived.
The Srettha management should be held accountable for Netiporn’s death due to the disparity in care, he said, adding that if the state failed to address the problem, it would enhance conflict and divisions.
Wat Suthapot in the Lat Krabang city had host prayers for Netiporn and death from Thursday through Sunday, according to a Facebook see posted on Thalu Wang’s Instagram page. ( Story continues below )
Netiporn Sanesangkhom (center, computer ) poses for photos with members of the Bad Student group on September 19, 2020, in Bangkok as part of a protest against the government. On Tuesday, Netiporn passed away in custody after engaging in a limited hunger strike while she was awaiting trial for insulting the king. ( Reuters File Photo )
Lawyer has issues
When he arrived at Thammasat University Hospital to watch the post-mortem investigation, Krisadang Nutcharus, a solicitor with TLHR, on Wednesday questioned the way the case was handled.
He inquired as to whether Netiporn’s care was given to her while she was being held in custody and whether the Central Correctional Hospital could treat her.
” I’m calling on the justice minister to check. Death is a normal aspect of life but if it can be prevented, it reflects]double ] standards on the government’s part”, he said.
The National Human Rights Commission also demanded an inspection to ensure accountability and urged the appropriate state agencies to intensify their efforts to stop such tragedies from repeating themselves.
The DoC, however, defended its handling of Netiporn, saying she had been carefully monitored and cared for by skilled staff. Details of the examination may be provided as well as the circumstances surrounding her suicide, it said.
She started taking soft foods in early April, but she refused to take vitamins and minerals, even though she was n’t in a critical condition before her death, according to officials at a press conference on Wednesday.
” Her vital signs were ordinary, everything was normal until the emergency”, said Pongpak Areeyapinan, chairman of the jail doctor.
‘ Wake- up telephone ‘
The death of Netiporn, a court’s girl and former teacher, has made headlines around the world. Thailand’s authorities received a “wake-up phone,” according to Amnesty International, as a result of their investigation.
This is a startling reminder that Thai authorities are brutally denying pro-democracy activists their flexibility in an ostensible effort to silence calm expression of dissent, according to Piyanut Kotsan, chairman of Amnesty International Thailand. ” Several are now detained, with their right to temporary release on loan denied.
According to TLHR, since the beginning of 2024, loan requests for 27 social activists in post- test confinement, including 17 charged with der qualifications, have been rejected by the courts.