Jatupat Boonpattararaksa
Jatupat Boonpattararaksa (Thai: จตุภัทร์ บุญภัทรรักษา), commonly known as Pai Dao Din (ไผ่ ดาวดิน—a combination of his nickname Pai and the student activist group Dao Din) is a human rights defender and activist from Thailand, who was arrested on 3 December 2016 on charges of lèse-majesté.
Prior to his arrest, Jatupat was a law student in Khon Kaen. He was politically active as part of the Dao Din Group and a founding member in 2015 of the New Democracy Movement. He was arrested alongside other members of the Dao Din Group in 2015 and detained.
He faced a secret trial in August 2017, accused of lèse-majesté for using Facebook's "share" function on a biography of the King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn published by the BBC as well as distributing material against Thailand's draft constitution. He was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on 16 August 2017.[1][2] Of the 2,600 persons who shared the biography online, Jatupat was the only one prosecuted.[2]
Several human rights groups have voiced outrage at the persecution of Jatupat and have initiated movements calling for justice.[3][4][5]
See also
References
- "Jatupat's action like 'destroying democracy'". The Nation. 2017-08-23. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
- Rojanaphruk, Pravit (2017-08-15). "Student Activist Jailed 2 and a Half Years for Lese Majeste". Khaosod English. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
- "Thailand: Lèse-majesté verdict must be quashed". Amnesty International. 2017-08-15. Retrieved 2018-01-05.
- "ONGOING DETENTION OF JATUPAT BOONPATTARARAKSA". Front Line Defenders. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- "Pai Dao Din awarded prestigious South Korean human rights prize". The Nation. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2018.