Sombat, better known as “Bor Kor Lai Jud”, was among the first political activists summoned by the NCPO soon after it staged the coup in 2014. However, he did not respond to the order and consequently was arrested less than two weeks later.

Sombat was prosecuted for failing to report to the NCPO as well as failing to abide by an order given by a legally authorised public officer.

The Criminal Court ruled that the NCPO’s announcement against dissenters, which carries the punishment of up to Bt40,000 fine and up to two-year imprisonment, came later after the action had already been committed. Hence, it should not have retrospective effect, the court said.

This is in addition to the fact that the NCPO’s announcement targeted certain people as enlisted in the summons. The court explained that it was illegitimate to issue a law in order to punish specific people.

However, Sombat remained guilty of violating Section 368 of the Criminal Code for his disobedience to the authority’s order, according to the ruling. He was fined Bt500, without being held liable to imprisonment.

But both the accuser and the defendant appealed the verdict. The Appeal Court last year ruled that he was guilty and should be fined Bt3,000 and serve two months in jail, but suspended the punishment for one year.

Sombat has other political cases ongoing in the court, including sedition and lese majeste charges.

“It’s a shame that politicians cannot do activities that could benefit the people, such as helping with the floods that are hitting many areas across the country,” party’s spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard said on Wednesday.

Political parties did not assist flood victims because they were afraid it could violate the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)’s ban, he said.

If the government looked at a politician’s role positively, hundreds of thousands of political party members across the country could help those affected by the flood, Anusorn said.

He said the government’s position today was unshakeable.

“We can wait until they [the NCPO] are comfortable before we carry out any activities, although personally I see that political parties should be given time to prepare for the upcoming election as the organic law on political parties has already passed,” Anusorn said.

Politicians would leave it to the discretion of the powers that be to decide whether or not to lift the ban, he added.

Anusorn’s remark came after defence minister and deputy prime minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwan said on Wednesday that he would unlock political parties when he feels like it.

Tillerson spoke to United States Embassy staff on Tuesday at the American ambassador’s residence during his visit to Thailand. He emphasised the long and historic nature of the US-Thai relationship, according to the US Department of State’s Official Blog website.

“We want to continue to grow that relationship, even in its ups and downs, which has been the history of this country. We have been treaty partners for over 184 years, and we’ve been allies for over 60. So, next year the US will mark 200 years of relations with Thailand,” he said.

“I think that’s significant because elections are scheduled here in Thailand next year, as well, to return the country to civilian control. We certainly hope those elections proceed as scheduled. And I think it’ll be meaningful that we’re celebrating 200 years at a time when the country is returning to civilian control.”

Tillerson met Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha at Government House on Tuesday to discuss regional issues and bilateral cooperation. He also met with Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss “topics impacting the Asia Pacific region and the two countries’ enduring ties”, according to the US Department of State.

Prayut reportedly maintained during his meeting with Tillerson that the “road map” for a return to democracy would proceed as scheduled.

He was referring to Resolution 2371, passed on Saturday, which targets North Korea’s primary exports and other foreign revenue sources.

The UN action is designed to force Pyongyang to abandon its programme to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.

Gen Prayut emphasised that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in their meeting yesterday attached no further conditions regarding North Korea.

“We’ve condemned nuclear weapons and supported the UN resolution,” Prayut said. “We’ve done those already.”

The rights watchdog in a statement on Wednesday called the criminal charges recently filed against the three men the latest examples of the National Council for Peace and Order’s (NCPO’s) contempt for the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful dissent.

“The Thai junta’s dictatorial reach has expanded well beyond traditional sources, to social media like Facebook,” said Brad Adams, the group’s director for Asia. “These dubious charges for peaceful Facebook commentary should be dropped immediately.”

The three critics are accused of sedition and computer crime, charges that have become common in the government’s dealings with anti-junta activists.

Adams pointed out that Thailand has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which prohibits restrictions on freedom of expression.

A recent compliance review by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) noted that political authorities are legitimate subjects for criticism and political opposition, Adams said. Such criticism should not be prohibited, the UNHRC asserted.

The government told the UNHRC during the review that it respected freedom of expression, Adams said, but its record has been poor. The authorities have repeatedly harassed and prosecuted people for verbal and written remarks, including online postings critical of the government, he said.

“After more than three years in power, the Thai junta has failed to show any real commitment to reversing its abusive rights practices or protecting fundamental freedoms,” Adams said. “Governments around the world should call out Thailand for claiming to respect rights while wilfully violating them.”

The TCSD yesterday charged him with one act of sedition while sparing him from a computer crime charge as it remained unclear whether his posts included false information, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), a non-profit group defending Pravit and other suspects in political cases.

However, it was not disclosed how many of his Facebook posts or what content violated the law.

Pravit, 49, was accompanied by human rights lawyer Yaowalak Anupan as well as representatives from the Canadian, British, French, German and Swedish embassies and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, European External Action Service and the International Commission of Jurists.

Despite the charge, which could land Pravit in prison for up to 14 years, the veteran journalist appeared in good spirits yesterday.

He insisted that criticising the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)-backed government was within the rights of the media and citizens.

Pravit also wrote on Facebook before reporting to police yesterday that it was an honour and a privilege to serve the country by defending press freedom and freedom of speech.

“One cannot defend freedom if one is not willing to sacrifice and pay the price,” he wrote.

He also thanked supporters who remained in solidarity with him throughout what he described as “a cloudy day”.

He was freed yesterday by authorities after being detained for four hours.

Since he revealed that he had been contacted by police and charged for allegedly violating Section 116 of the Criminal Code, which refers to sedition, a number of international organisations have issued statements of support and called for the junta to drop the allegations.

Pravit, widely known for his outspokenness and journalistic work opposing undemocratic rule, was previously detained twice for so-called “attitude adjustments” by the junta in 2014 and 2015 when he worked at The Nation.

Sedition is a criminal charge commonly brought against anti-junta activists, alongside alleged violations of the Computer Crime Act and other laws. The TCSD will consult with the policeman that accused the journalist of violating the Computer Crime Act before summoning him again next Friday, the TLHR wrote.

WHILE A MEETING between Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha and the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson yesterday covered regional tensions in the Korean peninsula and South China Sea as well as trade, investment and human trafficking, it made little progress on the prime minister’s previously announced trip to the White House.

Prayut said yesterday that his visit to US President Donald Trump should take place in October, although Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai admitted that a schedule had not been settled.

“I believe that the PM is also not totally certain about that,” Don said during a press briefing. “That can be our possible range of dates. Still, Thailand and the US continue to work for a mutually agreed upon schedule.”

However, the White House visit, first hinted at by the Thai government in June following Trump’s phone invitation to Prayut two months earlier, was included in talks between Tillerson and top Thai officials yesterday.

Tillerson is the highest US official to visit the Kingdom since the coup in 2014.

Tillerson met Don and Prayut in Bangkok separately before paying respects to the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej at the Grand Palace.

The Trump administration is widely seen as prioritising geopolitical benefits over a human rights agenda. As a result, Tillerson’s meetings in Bangkok did not touch on specific concerns about Thailand’s domestic human rights, Don said.

But Prayut told Tillerson that Thailand would follow the so-called “road map to democracy” in due time, Deputy Government Spokesperson Lt-General Werachon Sukondhapatipak quoted him as saying.

The denuclearisation of North Korea and a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea were among highlights of yesterday’s talks.

AFP reported that the US wanted Thailand to crack down on North Korean firms that used the capital as a trading hub through front businesses, according to acting US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian Affairs Susan Thornton. Tillerson also planned to lean on the Kingdom to tighten visa requirements for North Koreans entering Thailand and squeeze its diplomatic mission, Thornton added.

At Government House, Prayut said Thailand urged respect for the UN Security Council resolution that recently pressed sanctions against North Korea.

Over the weekend, the UN Security Council unanimously approved measures that could cost North Korea US$1 billion (Bt33.2 billion) a year. Experts said 90 per cent of North Korea’s foreign trade relied on China.

Thailand was also ready to “cooperate and support easing tensions for regional peace”, Prayut said, as quoted by Werachon.

Don added that Thailand had lessened trade with the regime in Pyongyang. From January to June 2017, Thai-North Korean trade saw decreases of 94 per cent compared to the same period in 2016, from $16.4 million to about $900,000, he said.

On the contentious South China Sea issue, Don said the Asean meeting in Manila had approved the framework to establish a code of conduct, but Thailand would continue to push for legally binding, tangible instruments to be implemented.

On bilateral issues, talks spanned the economy, combating human trafficking and intellectual property.

Prayut asked Tillerson for the US to review Thailand’s status on a “priority watch list” following Thailand’s attempts to cope with intellectual infringement.

Similar to earlier meetings with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other foreign guests, Prayut also noted developments in the Eastern Economic Corridor project. With Tillerson, he raised the U-Tapao airport, which involves several US investors.

Don added that expansion of trade and investment between the two countries could help ease US concerns on its trade deficit with the Kingdom as earlier expressed by the Trump administration.

Issues on military cooperation, including military hardware purchases, were not included in the talks, Don added.

Tillerson’s one-day visit to Bangkok took place after he attended the Asean ministerial meetings in Manila. His trip to Southeast Asia from last Saturday to today also took him to Malaysia to discuss bilateral and regional issues.

Phumtham said Yingluck was busy with the criminal case against her and had hardly anything to do with the party’s business.

The report that she was pushing for her sister to lead the party was erroneous, he added.

Moreover, Monthathip had not shown any interest in politics, he said.

In any case, he stressed, it was too soon to be talking about Pheu Thai’s leadership, and the party would choose an appropriate time to discuss the issue.

The new leader, Phumtham said, would be chosen “to fit the situation”, and the party had plenty of quality people to choose from.

The premier said he did not prohibit freedom of expression, but stressed that people should not violate the law.

Security officials are assessing the situation, as well as preparing for the coming funeral of King Rama IX, the PM said.

They will focus in particular on ensuring peace and order and the government’s stability, he added.

Prayut spoke after attending a meeting of the National Council for Peace and Order.

It is expected that a high number of Yingluck’s supporters will show up at the Supreme Court on the day in a show of moral support.

Police have said they are assessing the situation.

Chalermchai said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has not instructed concerned authorities to come up with special measures, although the situation is still being assessed.

However he said police will have the prime security role.

Chalermchai said police are obliged to probe any alleged irregular activities concerning the issue including the mass transport of Yingluck supporters via vans when she gave her closing statement in the case on August 1.

Any politically motivated or seditious acts are prohibited, and intelligence officers are looking into the matter, he said.