Thai police have interrogated an anti-junta folk rock musician over the content of his songs before accusing him of violating the law by selling CDs at a public event on the upcoming draft charter referendum.

A plainclothes police officer from Chana Songkhram Police Station, Bangkok, at around 6:30 pm on Saturday, 30 July 2016, arrested Parinya Cheewinkulpathom, a guitarist in the folk rock band ‘Tubtim Siam’ (Siamese Ruby), known for its anti-establishment political songs, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) reported.

He was arrested at an event on the upcoming referendum on the junta-sponsored draft constitution, which was organised at the 14 October Memorial by Voices of Youth, a political group based in Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok.  

The police searched Parinya’s bag and informed him that the songs which he sang at the event might be illegal and took him to Chana Songkhram Police Station.

At the police station, the authorities confiscated 52 CDs of the band from Parinya and accused him of breaking the Consumer Protection Law because the CDs have no labels on the cover.

The authorities then interrogated him in detail about the content of the songs, the songwriters and purposes of writing such songs before releasing him at 00:20 am on Sunday on 7,500 baht bail. Up to now, the police have not filed any other charges against Parinya.

The police also summoned three people who were involved in organising the event and interrogated them until 2:15 am the next day.

The three informed the police that they had already asked for permission from the police prior to the event and that it was merely meant to inform and educate people about the upcoming draft constitution referendum, which will be held on 7 August 2016.

The event on the draft charter referendum organised by Voices of the Youth on 30 July 2016 at the 14 October Memorial, Bangkok