Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Year : 2, Issue : 20
A Thai activist accused of insulting the country’s monarchy has died in detention following a months-long hunger strike.
Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom died after her heart “stopped suddenly” on Tuesday morning, officials said.
The 28-year-old, part of a youth movement calling for royal reforms, had been detained since 26 January, facing seven separate charges – including two of insulting the monarchy.
She began her hunger strike the next day, only accepting water once again in late February, and food from April.
Ms Sanesangkhom was demanding reform of Thailand’s justice system, including changes to the notorious lese majeste law, which criminalises critical comment about the royal family.
If found guilty, Ms Sanesangkhom – a judge’s daughter who previously worked as a tutor – was facing up to 15 years in prison for each charge.
Thailand has some of the strictest lese-majeste laws in the world. According to legal aid group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, around 260 charges have been filed under the lese-majeste law since 2020.
Her heart stopped early on Tuesday morning, the statement said, with doctors attempting to revive her for several hours before she was sent to a nearby hospital where she was declared dead.
Thai MP Rukchanok Srinork from the reformist Move Forward Party – who is on bail while appealing against a six year sentence for convictions including lese-majeste – pointed out several other detained activists were also on hunger strike “demanding their rights”.
Source: BBC
