Police in Thailand raided a newly opened library in Bangkok and seized a children’s book on the 1932 revolution that overthrew absolute monarchy in the country, rights activists say.
Five plainclothes officers showed up this week at the 1932 People Space Library, which was opened on Jan. 22 and is housed in a Buddhist temple, and examined the books on the premises, according to staff at the small library.
The officers then seized a copy of a picture book for children about the 1932 revolution, which is seen by democracy activists as a seminal moment in Thai history.
They also confiscated several stickers calling for the abolition of the controversial royal defamation law, which criminalizes any criticism of the monarchy.
A librarian told a pro-democracy website that the officers had questioned staff about the events, activities and classes they had been holding, and one officer swore at the librarians.
“I’m so shocked. We did nothing wrong. We followed the law, and we have the academic freedom we should have,” a female librarian was quoted as saying.
There may be hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of people like me. Some people may not be brave enough to express themselves
Another activist at the library accused police of political interference. “The more they interfere, the more it shows that their power is shaken.”
Pro-democracy activists associated with the library said they felt the presence of the officers was meant to intimidate staffers and others who were vocal about their views on the need for democracy in a country ruled by a military-allied regime that seized power in a putsch in 2014.
“If we are reading quietly, that is allowed, but if we talk about it in public, the state tries to make this into something scary, to make it seem something we cannot do,” a student activist said.
“Does it have an effect? There may be hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of people like me. Some people may not be brave enough to express themselves.”
Thank you. You are now signed up to Daily newsletter
A senior police officer later denied that it had been a raid.
“We didn’t raid [the library]. We went to talk with the staff. I didn’t remove anything. I shall head to the place again. There has been a misunderstanding,” Thongpoon Lue-chak, a senior sergeant major, told a Thai online newspaper.
He added that he had taken the picture book to show his son and called the matter “a misunderstanding.”
The confiscated items have since been returned to the library by police.
The incident at the library came soon after some 30 officers raided the office of the progressive Same Sky Books and Magazine and confiscated the mobile phone and computer of its editor.
Rights activists say these raids have been part of a concentrated effort by authorities to suppress anti-monarchy sentiments among young Thais
In that raid on Jan. 20, police searched the premises for a book titled Monarchy and Thai Society, which presents a case for liberalizing the Thai monarchy, according to eyewitness accounts.
Rights activists say these raids have been part of a concentrated effort by authorities to suppress anti-monarchy sentiments among young Thais.
For nearly two years large numbers of pro-democracy activists have been calling for a reform of the institution during youth-led street rallies, including the abolition of the royal defamation law.
Authorities have charged some 170 of them with the same law, which prescribes up to 15 years in prison per offence.
Support UCA News…
….As we enter the first months of 2022, we are asking readers like you to help us keep UCA News free.
For the last 40 years, UCA News has remained the most trusted and independent Catholic news and information service from Asia. Every week, we publish nearly 100 news reports, feature stories, commentaries, podcasts and video broadcasts that are exclusive and in-depth, and developed from a view of the world and the Church through informed Catholic eyes.
Our journalistic standards are as high as any in the quality press; our focus is particularly on a fast-growing part of the world – Asia – where, in some countries the Church is growing faster than pastoral resources can respond to – South Korea, Vietnam and India to name just three.
And UCA News has the advantage of having in its ranks local reporters who cover 23 countries in south, southeast, and east Asia. We report the stories of local people and their experiences in a way that Western news outlets simply don’t have the resources to reach. And we report on the emerging life of new Churches in old lands where being a Catholic can at times be very dangerous.
With dwindling support from funding partners in Europe and the USA, we need to call on the support of those who benefit from our work.
Click here to find out the ways you can support UCA News. You can make a difference for as little as US$5…
Credit: Source link
