15-year-old “Yok” was ordered to be released yesterday (Thursday) by Thailand’s Central Juvenile and Family Court following his 51-day imprisonment at the Baan Pranee remand facility in the province of Nakhon Pathom on a charge of lèse majesté.
The police’s plea to keep her in jail was denied by the court, who ruled that the police’s argument that they are awaiting confirmation on whether to press charges is an internal matter and does not support ongoing detention.
Yok, a student at a renowned Bangkok school, is the youngest Thai national to have ever been detained on a lèse majesté allegation. She was detained at the age of 14 as a result of a complaint made against her by Anon Klinkaew, a member of a royalist group, about the spray-painting of a statement opposing the lèse majesté statute and an anarchist sign on the Grand Palace wall.
Yok, who was released from the remand facility yesterday, told the media that she had wasted 51 days there and questioned whether she deserved to be imprisoned for such a length of time, which affects her physically and psychologically and violates basic human rights.
Human rights and anti-establishment organizations protested Yok’s incarceration online and called for her release. Last week, after police filed a further charge of violating an archaeological site against Yok, nine “Talugas” protesters—including two former hunger strikers, Tantawan Tuatulanon and Orawan Phuphong—were detained after they went on the rampage at Samran Rat police station.
