Thailand court affirms right of "We Walk...Solidarity/Friendship" walkers, an initiative of the People Go Network.
This is an initiative of the ordinary people of Thailand - not political parties. The walkers are farmers, members of local communities, human rights defenders, women human rights defenders, community and land rights defenders, health rights advocates, environmentalists...and they are walking from Bangkok to Khon Kaen, about 450 kilometers from Bangkok.
See earlier post:-
Thailand - Walking 450 Km for Justice - Hope they succeed and no clampdown by Thai authorities?
"WE WALK...SOLIDARITY/FRIENDSHIP" still walking - an initiative of ordinary people?
We Walk march on after legal victory
national January 28, 2018 01:00
By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM
THE SUNDAY NATION
THE SUNDAY NATION
ADMINISTRATIVE COURT GRANTS NETWORK CONDITIONAL PROTECTION TO PROTEST
The human rights campaigners of the “We
Walk” long march may have won a legal battle for the rest of their
protest, but it is still not a guaranteed protection against the
National Council for Peace and Order’s (NCPO) ban on political
demonstration.
The Administrative Court issued an order on Friday night granting
legal protection for the People GO Network to continue their long march
from Thammasat University to Khon Kaen and also ordered the police to
perform their duty according to the Public Gathering Act to provide the
security the demonstrators needed until the march ends on February 17.
Environmental Litigation and Advocacy for Wants Foundation (EnLaw)
secretary-general Surachai Throngngam said yesterday that the court
order helped to reduce pressure on the campaigners, as they had earlier
faced frequent intimidation and obstructionist behaviour by police
officers since the start of the long march on January 20.
“Not only does the Administrative Court’s order obligate the Royal
Thai Police and the regional police on the way to Khon Kaen to
facilitate the marchers, but it is also legal assurance that the march
is legal as per the Public Gathering Act,” Surachai said.
The court ordered the police to follow their duty as per Article 19
of the Public Gathering Act to provide security, manage traffic and
ensure the protest follows the law and is peacefully arranged.
However, police still reserve the right to ask the court to cancel
the protest and to issue other
enforcement if the protesters violate the
laws.
Despite the court verdict being of great relief to many of those
involved in the march, Surachai cautioned that it only ordered the
police, who were the defendants in the case, to follow court
instructions. It did not, he said, provide the protesters with
protection from military officers, who may accuse the protesters of
violating the NCPO order 3/2558.
Earlier, a military officer had filed a complaint against eight
participants of the march for breaching the junta’s order by gathering
more than five people to stage a political protest and they were
summoned to report to Klong Luang Police today.
“Nevertheless, this court’s order can be an important proof that our
demonstration is the rightful exercise of our freedom of expression and
is legally staged as per the Public Gathering Act. I believe that the
military officers also respect this court’s order,” Surachai noted.
Pol Maj-General Thakoon Natthisri, Provincial Police Region 4 deputy
commander, said the police acknowledged the court’s order and gave
assurances that officers would provide good care and security for the
protesters when they reach the area under his responsibility.
“Nevertheless, we want to ask the protesters to refrain from
disturbing other people and breaking the law, and we will make sure that
the protest has minimal effect on other people and that there will be
no interference from any third party to cause chaos,” Thakoon said.
As of yesterday, People GO Network had stopped their march in Nakhon
Ratchasima to arrange a public discussion about the state welfare system
and the problems with the Universal Health Coverage scheme.
Meanwhile, at Songkhla’s Hat Yai District, public organisations in
the South gathered in a parallel demonstration under the same name, “We
Walk”, from the Hat Yai clock tower to Sena Narong military camp.
Dr Suphat Hasuwankit, one of the marchers in the South, reported that
a large police force had been deployed to stop the march, but they
successfully negotiated for it to continue to Sena Narong military camp
to hand the military a petition urging support for freedom of
expression.
In Bangkok, the People Go Network Forum led by Kasetsart University
lecturer Decharut Sukkumnoed will arrange a march at Lumphini Park every
evening from today until February 17 to show support for the main
campaign to Khon Kaen.
People GO Network was the consolidation of various public
organisations and launched the We Walk campaign to walk the 450
kilometres from Pathum Thani to Khon Kaen in order to raise public
awareness on state welfare, universal healthcare, food security,
community rights and environment protection, and political rights and
democracy. - The Nation, 28/1/2018
Photo from People Go Network Facebook page
Court allows ‘We Walk’ protest to proceed
Breaking News January 27, 2018 14:24
By The Nation
The Administrative Court on Friday issued
a court order to the Royal Thai Police to facilitate members of People
GO Network to carry on their long march from Thammasart University to
Khon Kaen. The order says police should refrain from conducting any
operation against the exercise of freedom of expression by the activists
until the end of the march on February 17.
The court ordered the police to follow their duty as per the Article 19
of the Public Gathering Act to provide security, manage traffic and
ensure the protest will follow the law and is peacefully arranged.
However, police still reserve the right to ask the court to cancel the
protest and to issue other enforcement if the protesters violate the
laws. - The Nation, 27/1/2018
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