BANGKOK (THAILAD) – Thai police said on Monday they were looking into a complaint raised by a political activist who said he had been abducted by a group of unknown men and was interrogated inside a van for 12 hours before being left him stranded on the street.
Mongkol Santimetakul, 25, a volunteer guard for the protest movement, said at around 11 pm on Saturday on a street near his home in a province south of Bangkok he was forcefully taken into a van by a few men who put a hood over his head and also snatched his phone.
He said he was asked about an anti-monarchy sign, erected by protesters in a nearby area.
Mongkol told, “I was told to sign some document, which I refused and also told to cease all activism.”
Mongkol, however, pledged to continue his activism.
Deputy Police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen said the alleged abduction was not from police and an investigation was being conducted.
The Internal Security Operations Command, a military-linked security agency, also released a statement refusing any involvement after allegations were levelled against the agency, which appeared on social media.
Protesters also claimed authorities resorted to intimidation tactics after saying that police detained at least two other volunteer guards at the weekend, earlier their access to a lawyer was also restricted, before both were freed.
Piyarat Chongthep, a protest leader, told, “These tactics by the authorities will only generate more anger among the protesters.”
Yingcheep Atchanont of the legal monitoring group iLaw said anyone who was arrested should be allowed to see their lawyer or a relative before getting charges imposed on them.
Police, however, declined to comment.