Two key Thai activists—Human Rights lawyer Anon Nampa, 36, and student activist Panupong Jadnok, 24—were released on Monday after spending five days in a Bangkok prison for breaching their bails. This was after the police declared to the court that they had no grounds to hold them further.
Nampa and Jadnok had played crucial roles in the ant-government protests and were arrested for it last month. They were sent to prison again last week after a court ruled that political activities carried out by the two activists violated their bail conditions. The pair, however, rejected the ruling.
No Cause for Detention
Interestingly, their release came due to the Thai police's assessment. According to a criminal court statement released on Monday, police from the precinct who initially arrested the duo repealed the request for detention. They said that a probe into their conduct while on bail revealed that there was no requirement for their detention. "The court considered this and issued an order for their release," the statement said.
At the forefront of Protests
Nampa and Jadnok have been active in their involvement with the protests calling for immediate changes to the government. The pair is known for their participation in the nearly daily protests for the past two months. Demands from the protesters have been the relaxation of the military's grip from politics and the removal of Prayuth Chan-ocha, Thailand's Prime Minister.
Prayuth had risen to power after a military coup in 2014 and usurping power from the caretaker government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Last month, Prayuth urged protesters to "not to create chaos" and added they could solve their problems together.
No Strangers to Arrests
This is not the first time that Nampa and Jadnok have served time behind bars. The duo has been taken into custody several times. Recently, they were charged along with over a dozen protesters for breaching regulations banning gatherings due to COVID-19 and inciting unrest.
"This is a good lesson to those wielding powers in this country that their use of power must be just," Anon told the media. When asked about any possible concerns surrounding his numerous arrests, Anon quipped, "Not at all, to catch a fish it's normal to get wet".
Anon also said that he and Jadnok "will certainly participate" in a protest planned on Sept. 19, by a student group. Jadnok also declared that the fight against the government will continue. "They can only lock us up physically but they cannot lock out our ideals and our fighting spirit," he said.
