Amnesty International, describing Watana as a “prisoner of conscience”, said this was the third time he “has been held in military detention without charge or trial on the basis of his peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression.”

In its statement dated Tuesday, Amnesty International also urged people to write to Thai authorities calling for immediate and unconditional release of Watana.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch yesterday condemned the junta for Watana’s detention and called for his immediate release. HRW said the NCPO showed its intolerance to criticism and opposition by arresting and detaining Watana simply for publicly opposing the draft constitution. “The Thai junta, by gagging a prominent critic, has heightened the climate of fear ahead of the constitutional referendum,” said HRW’s Asia director Brad Adams.

“The detention of Watana Muangsook for openly opposing the draft charter is a clear warning that the junta is prepared to use intimidation and arrests to get [its] way in the referendum,” he said.

Also yesterday, the detained politician’s daughter Weerada Muangsook, submitted a letter to the US Embassy, requesting the US investigate whether the NCPO violated human rights in dealing with her father. There was a large presence of Special Branch police officers at the embassy when Watana’s daughter entered the compound. Weerada had made similar appeals to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the European Union recently.

The politician’s family planned to visit him today at 9th Infantry Division headquarters in Kanchanaburi province. It was also reported that red-shirt leaders including Jatuporn Prompan and Nuttawut Saikuar would also visit Watana at the military camp.

The NCPO was convinced some people were pulling strings behind Weerada’s moves, in a well-coordinated attempt to involve foreign countries and international organisations, its spokesman Colonel Piyapong Klinpan said yesterday.

“The goal is to involve foreigners to pressure the NCPO. We have no worries because we believe that foreign countries and organisations have a good understanding of the NCPO’s work,” he said.

Piyapong said he did not think a demonstration in support of Watana by the Resistant Citizens group tomorrow would ignite widespread opposition against the NCPO. “It’s because people have become fed up with political protests,” he said.

The spokesman also said the military would allow visits by Watana’s family members only.

Watana was expected to be charged with violating an NCPO order in a day or two, according to an NCPO source.

His lawyer Narinpong Jinapak said yesterday he expected Watana to be in military detention for seven days.

The politician was expected to appear before the Criminal Court next Monday to face accusations of violating the Computer Crime Act.

Meanwhile, anti-junta activist group Resistant Citizen staged a symbolic event for the second consecutive day yesterday, protesting against Watana’s detention at a busy skywalk adjacent to Chong Nonsi BTS station.

Activists Sirawith Serithiwat and Anon Nampa led yesterday’s event, which followed an activity at Victory Monument on Tuesday.

The seven protesters stood silently. Sirawith said if Watana was not released by noon today, “more intense activities” would follow.

After two minutes of “just standing”, the activists were taken to Yan Nawa Police Station to sign a memorandum of understanding to agree that any political assembly must be permitted by the authorities. Sirawith, however, told reporters that he would continue to hold such activities and would not seek permission because he did not accept orders imposed by the coup-makers.

Yesterday’s event was staged during the evening peak rush hour.

Watana’s daughter Weerada Muangsook said she wished to see her father regain his freedom.

In the most recent detention, Watana was summoned for allegedly violating the junta’s Announcement Number 39/2557, which could entail a 21-year jail sentence and/or a Bt40,000 fine, a source in the National Council for Peace and Order said.

Watana allegedly broke an agreement he had made with the NCPO to keep a low profile, which he signed earlier as a condition for being released after previously being detained.

Before the most recent detention, Watana prepared letters with his signature that cited rights abuses by the NCPO, which he expected his family and lawyer to submit to human-rights-related agencies, said Pheu Thai spokeswoman Sunisa Lertpakawat.

The politician’s daughter said she could not sleep because she was worried about her father, adding that she had temporarily suspended her studies although she had to prepare for university admission exams. She also denied that Watana had planned to flee abroad.

Watana has promised to file a petition against authorities addressing his detention if he is not released by 3pm on Monday, according to a message posted on his Facebook page last Monday before he was detained.

As of 6pm yesterday, Watana was still being detained.

Weerada said she would follow up her father’s case at the 11th Military Circle in Bangkok to ask when her father would be freed.

Another NCPO source said Watana had reported to the 11th Army Circle base on Monday and had been detained at the 9th Infantry Division Headquarters in Kanchanaburi province.

Security officials also invited Watana’s family to tell them why he had been detained, including showing them documents that he had signed. The meeting lasted about 20 minutes and authorities offered to provide a vehicle to take the family to visit Watana in Kanchanaburi but they refused, saying they would visit him today.

The NCPO source said Watana was staying in an air-conditioned room and rarely went outside.

Authorities are telling him to cooperate or face charges for violating NCPO orders, the source said, adding that he may be detained for less than seven days.

Meanwhile, the Resistant Citizen group yesterday gathered at Victory Monument in Bangkok to protest against the NCPO and campaign for Watana to be freed, said group leader and student activist Sirawith “Ja New” Seritiwat.

Sirawath said the group did not care about Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan’s previous warning telling the group not to protest. The activist said participants would wear white T-shirts and protest for about 30 minutes, but did not disclose other details of the campaign.

AHEAD OF the referendum on the constitution draft, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday confirmed that all parties would be prohibited from campaigning either for or against the charter.

The prohibition will be fully enforced after the draft bill that will govern the referendum process receives royal endorsement, Prayut said, claiming that such measures were necessary to keep order.

Prayut may have been referring to Article 62 of the referendum bill, which prohibits people from inciting disorder during the referendum election with a possible penalty of three years in jail and a fine of Bt200,000. Courts could also revoke offenders’ right to vote for five years.

If Article 62 offenders organise in groups of five people or more, they could face one to 10 years in jail and fines ranging from Bt20,000 to Bt200,000, and possibly have their voting rights revoked for 10 years.

Disruptive actions are judged to include incitement to violence, threats and distorted information sent via social media channels, which might induce people not to vote or influence their decisions.

Sceptical commentators have questioned the definition of “wrongful” messages as specified in the draft and asked the government and the Election Commission to provide a clarification. There are also worries that junta authorities could interpret the ambiguity as they chose.

The government has mounted its own campaign to encourage people to vote in the August 7 referendum, although authorities say the effort is not intended to influence people to vote in favour of the draft.

Since seizing power in 2014, the military has banned political activity but for the most part has not prevented political parties from commenting on relevant issues, including the draft constitution.

Prayut said the referendum draft bill would help prevent politicians from “playing backstage”, a concern that has been raised by Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) chief Meechai Ruchupan.

“They will be put in jail for 10 years if they do so. Let them do it if they are not afraid,” Prayut said. “Once the bill arrives, the law will be the law.”

All parties have to cooperate with the junta as “there must be rules and other components [to follow] as well”, he said.

“Don’t say democracy is equal to elections and freedom. It’s not like that,” Prayut said after a Cabinet meeting yesterday. “We’re not going to adopt what’s bad.”

Prayut‘s comments followed the recent public backlash in response to the final version of the charter draft. The Network of Academics for Civil Rights group on Sunday joined many other movements encouraging the public to reject the draft on the grounds that it would tend to deprive people of power.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan also has said people were not allowed to campaign regarding the draft, which includes a ban on “Vote No” or “Vote Yes” T-shirts.

“Don’t campaign and don’t influence the referendum. Let people be free to think,” Prawit said yesterday. “If you disagree, then just tick that box.”

After restating Prawit’s earlier point of view on the ban, the prime minister added that he had informed the Cabinet about it.

Academics will also be banned from campaigning once the referendum draft bill is in effect, he said.

However, CDC member Prapan Naikowit said the referendum bill did not ban campaigns outright, but prohibited activities that are deemed to convey distorted information, defame others, cause chaos or encourage destructive political movements.

The EC has claimed that they used Political Development Funds for their trips.

According to the law, the EC manages the fund totalling about Bt200 million each year by allocating sums to political parties based on the number of their MPs.|Parties with many MPs can receive as much as Bt30 million, while smaller parties with no MPs can apply for just enough to cover the rent for their party offices, which rarely exceeds Bt100,000 per year.

Sodsri explained that transactions were recorded by the EC for the sake of transparency.

The EC also spends Bt10 million annually on political development and advance election training. Politicians, government officials and people from the private sector who undergo training are given Bt20,000 to go overseas and funds to cover training expenses.

Sodsri said the EC spends Bt5 million earmarked for local elections on overseas trips. “I am not sure if this government will fund overseas excursions,” she said.

The fund has been working under an organic law that originates with the 1997 Constitution.

PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha is threatening to take legal action against politicians who violate National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) orders and announcements, insisting that these individuals will continue being “invited” for attitude-adjustment sessions for as long as they stir up unrest.

“Now, [NCPO] orders are law. But if you like how the country was before [the 2014 coup], then be my guest,” Prayut declared at his weekly news briefing yesterday.

The prime minister said he had told security officials to keep an eye on all political movements, and even ban the public voicing of opinions, especially by politicians, if necessary.

He said that politicians, despite their push for freedom, actually wished to be detained as they wanted to gain international attention to pressure the military-led regime.

“But I won’t let the world pressure us. I know that’s what they [the opposing side] want. They want us to continue detaining them, and I will continue doing so,” the PM said.

Prayut‘s response follows the detention of key Pheu Thai Party member and former commerce minister Watana Muangsook on Monday. This is the fourth time that Watana has been taken in for an “attitude adjustment” session since the junta seized power on May 22, 2014.

“He has been given so many chances, but he still chooses to violate laws,” Prayut said.

After, a political group calling themselves Resistant Citizen gathered at Victory Monument, calling for the release of Watana. They were led by Anon Nampa, 31 and Sirawith Serithiwat, 24 and Nattapat Akhad, who wore white shirts in a symbolic protest.

Metropolitan Police Division One deputy chief Col Attawit Saisueb led a company of anti-riot police to the area. The three protest leaders were rounded up and escorted to Phaya Thai police station, where their details were recorded. Officials from the 11th Military Circle then took them away.

About 50 protesters followed the three to the police station and sang songs about liberty. They lit candles and set up a table to seek signatures for opponents of the charter draft.

Watana’s family, meanwhile, has filed petitions with embassies and international organisations to push for his release.

Prayut said the Foreign Ministry had been told to explain the issue to embassies and international groups.

“They say we abused their rights, but did he [Watana] violate laws? Don’t they worry about that? All wrongdoers have to be punished equally,” Prayut said.

The NCPO has said it is not detaining Watana over charges of criticising the draft charter, but for breaking pacts he signed with the junta before being released from detention previously, a source said.

Watana reported at the 11th Army Circle base in Bangkok on Monday and has been detained at the 9th Infantry Division in Kanchanaburi.

NCPO spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree said the junta’s Announcement No 39/2557 specified that people summoned for “attitude adjustment” needed to sign a pact acknowledging the NCPO and promising to cooperate with it. Watana has signed this pact three times already – every time he was taken in for attitude adjustment – yet he continues staging political stunts, Winthai complained. “Watana initially cooperated, but his behaviour has changed, so we will have to call him to come to an understanding and provide greater cooperation.”

He added that Watana had not been detained this time for speaking against the draft charter. “That’s within his personal rights. Many people including Watana have shown signs of rejecting the draft charter as soon as it was completed.”

He also denied that Watana’s detention violated human rights, saying the junta was only enforcing the law and had been treating him with respect and dignity. “He has never been treated like a convict,” he said.

A source said Watana had violated the pact by discussing political issues with the press and posting political messages on social media.

Watana has been detained under the NCPO Announcement No 3/2557 this time, under which it will file a police complaint against him to press charges that carry a maximum jail term of 21 years and Bt40,000 in fines or both under Announcement No 39/2557.

Police are seeking Military Court approval to detain the politician.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, meanwhile, insists that Watana’s detention does not depict double standards and is not a violation of human rights.

“Don’t worry, he’s living well and we are taking care of him,” he said. “The government has sovereignty and we are asking for time and cooperation to run the country. We have already announced that a general election will be held next year. Don’t worry, Watana’s case will not blow things out of proportion.”

Another NCPO source said security officials had invited Watana’s family over to explain why he was being detained, providing documents that he had signed. He may end up being held no more than seven days, the source added.