Amnesty denounces the indictment of almost 300 minors in Thailand for attending protests against the Government

8 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The NGO Amnesty International has denounced this Wednesday the accusation of at least 300 minors in Thailand for attending the wave of protests against the Government that took place in 2020 and demanding greater democracy in the Asian country.

Thus, it has warned of the “serious repercussions” that this may have for their future and has indicated that “children with their whole lives ahead of them now face these consequences for the simple fact of participating in peaceful protests.”

In this sense, Chanatip Tatiyakaroonwong, an NGO expert on Thai affairs, has asserted that some activists under the age of 18 risk “spending decades behind bars.”

Thousands of people participated in these marches in 2020 to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister, General Prayuth Chan Ocha, and a reform of the monarchy. The protests subsequently subsided due to the coronavirus pandemic and a crackdown by the authorities.

As Amnesty has pointed out in a report, dozens of minors have been charged with violating the lèse majesté law, which can carry penalties of up to 15 years in prison and which has been used by the authorities to quell protests and silence opponents. The youngest minor arrested during the demonstrations was 11 years old.

The NGO has expressed its concern about violence against minors in this context and has lamented the “intimidation techniques” used by the Police, such as the pressure exerted on parents. In addition, he has warned that many of the protesters are in danger of being abused.