Anon Numpa, an important figure in the pro-democracy movement in Thailand and charged with insulting the monarchy, was released on Monday February 28 after spending more than 200 days in detention.
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Last Thursday, another protest leader, student Parit Chiwarak, better known by the nickname “Penguinand who faces 23 lèse-majesté charges, was also released on bail after almost 200 days in prison. Dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, Anon, a 37-year-old lawyer, was greeted by a crowd of well-wishers outside Remand prison in Bangkok after a court in the Thai capital granted him release on bail. “Until the country is democratic, prisons will be the home of activistsAnon told reporters outside the prison.
He said he would abide by the bail conditions set by the court, but did not rule out giving speeches at future rallies. His supporters chanted his name and carried signs asking: “Free our friends“. In selfies taken with his supporters, he performs the three-finger salute adopted by pro-democracy protesters.
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Protests organized by students in 2020 demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha and making unprecedented calls for the reform of the monarchy in Thailand, a taboo subject, drew tens of thousands of people to their apogee. The movement has since waned due to the coronavirus pandemic and the arrests by authorities of most of its top leaders. Nearly 160 activists, including 13 minors, have been charged under Thailand’s tough royal libel laws which carry a jail term of up to 15 years per count.