Following the police crackdown on the protest at the Government House on 15 October, Nutchanon Pairoj, president of the Student Union of Thailand (SUT), was arrested along with student activist Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul on charges relating to a demonstration at Thammasat University.
Nutchanon's letter
Panusaya and Nutchanon were arrested at 08.45 at their accommodation in Khao San Road, after Panusaya read out the People’s Party statement on the crackdown at 07.00.
He was detained at the Thanyaburi Prison before being released on 20 October. During his detention, Nutchanon wrote the following letter:
If you see this letter, it means that I may not be out. But it’s all right. We are fine. No need to worry. This place can detain only my body but it cannot detain the principles of democracy that are flying away through the ceiling and I believe that we all have the same ideology in our hearts.
Right now the political situation is at a turning point which could be reflected by the dispersal of the protests and the arrests of many protest leaders. I am inviting everyone to join the fight at this critical time.
- I invite everyone to be leaders in joining together to organize the movement in every venue, every evening, all over the country to show the feudalists how large the power established by the people is.
- Cut their lifeline. Boycott the SCB.
In any event, I am thankful to the hearts of all the people who love democracy.
PS. Writing time is over.
