The first lèse majesté suspect under King Rama X claims that prison staff have repeatedly searched his rectum for drugs. 

 

On 5 January 2017, Jatuphat ‘Pai’ Boonpattaraksa, a key member of the New Democracy Movement (NDM) and Dao Din anti-junta activist groups, told Prachatai that every time he returns to prison from court, authorities order him to bend down so that his rectum may be searched. 

 

Despite Jatuphat’s protests that he should not be subjected to this treatment since he is a political suspect, not a drug suspect, staff still persist. While staff maintain rectal searches are a standard measure, Jatuphat says that he did not experience this treatment during his previous three detentions. 

 

Jatuphat was arrested on 3 December, only two days after King Rama X’s accession. He was accused of violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code for sharing on his Facebook account a controversial biography of the King published by BBC Thai.

 

Jatuphat’s statements came after Khon Kaen Provincial Court summoned him for his fourth custody hearing. The hearing was held in secret and only Jatuphat’s lawyers and parents were allowed to enter the courtroom. The court granted the police request to keep him in custody, on the grounds that the investigation is not yet complete. He will be detained at Khon Kaen Central Prison until 20 January when pre-trial custody may be extended again. 

 

Jatuphat currently faces several charges for organising and participating in anti-junta activities.