A group of energy reform activists gets ready to begin their march to Chatuchak Park, but they were quickly stopped by police. They ended up eating noodles at a roadside stall near the Victory Monument. PHRAKIT JUNTAWONG
By Terry Fredrickson
Yesterday afternoon, seven activists, including Veera Somkwamkid, coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, found out the five means five. That’s the limit on the number of people allowed in a politically-related gathering.
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Martial law arrests
This rather blurred photo of Veera Somkwamkid, coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, indicates that he did not go with police willingly. PORNPROM STARABHAYA
Under martial law, political gatherings of more the five people are prohibited.
Yesterday afternoon, seven activists, including Veera Somkwamkid, coordinator of the Thai Patriots Network, found out that five means five. Dividing into small groups doesn’t help.
They were arrested during an energy reform event after groups of activists — with less than five people in each group — began marching from the Victory Monument towards Chatuchak Park but police stopped them at the entrance of Soi Phaholyothin 2.
Seven of the activists were detained. Deputy Metropolitan Police Bureau chief Amnuay Nimmano said the activists arranged the march via social media and they insisted on continuing even though police urged them to stop.
They will be detained at a military camp for seven days under martial law.
Mr Veera was recently released from Prey Sor prison in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on a royal pardon. He was sentenced to eight years in prison for espionage by a Cambodian court in February 2011.
Vocabulary
activist: someone who takes part in activities that are intended to achieve political or social change, especially someone who is a member of an organisation - นักกิจกรรม
arrest: (of the police) taking someone to a police station because they are believed to have committed a crime - การจับกุม
blurred: less clear, difficult to distinguish clearly - ไม่ชัดเจน, เบลอ
coordinator: someone whose job is to organise the various parts of an activity and make sure that all the people involved work well together - ผู้ประสานงาน
deputy: a person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation - รอง
detained: kept in a place and not allowed to leave - กักตัว ควบคุมตัวหรือฝากขัง
espionage: the activity of secretly getting important political or military information about another country or of finding out another company's secrets by using spies - จารกรรม
gathering: an occasion when many people come together as a group - การรวมตัว, การประชุม
indicate: to show that something is true, exists or will happen - แสดง, ทำให้รู้
insist: to say very firmly that something must happen or must be done - ยืนกราน
martial law: direct control of an area or country by the armed forces - กฎอัยการศึก
metropolitan police: the police in responsible for a city - ตำรวจนครบาล
monument: a statue or building that is built to honour a special person or event - อนุสาวรีย์ หรืออนุสรณ์สถาน
network: a large system of connected parts, organisations, people, etc. - เครือข่าย
pardon: an official decision to forgive someone for committing a crime and to free them from full or further punishment or to have their punishment reduced - การอภัยโทษ
patriot: someone who has strong feelings of love, respect and duty towards their country - คนที่รักชาติ
prohibit: to not allow; to ban - ห้าม
reform: a change that is intended to correct a situation that is wrong or unfair - การแก้ไข การปฏิรูป
release: to allow someone to go free - ปล่อยตัว
sentence : (of a court of law) to give a punishment - ลงโทษ
social media: the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc. - เครือข่ายสังคมออนไลน์
stall: a large table or a small building that is open at the front, used for selling things (or for giving people information) - รถ หรือแผงขายของ
urge: to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take - ผลักดัน, กระตุ้น
via: using, by way of, through - โดยทาง, โดยเส้นทาง, ทาง
willingly: not objecting to or resisting doing something - อย่างสมัครใจ, อย่างเต็มอกเต็มใจ
