The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship lodged a petition with the regional office of the United Nations in Bangkok on Friday accusing the military regime of harassment against their members and closing down their centres set up to monitor possible cheats in the upcoming referendum.
A letter of petition was submitted to the coordinator of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for Southeast Asia by UDD core leaders who include Jatuporn Promphan, Natthawut Saikua, Weng Tochirakarn and Thida Thavornseth among others.
Jatuporn told the media that police and military personnel had summoned heads of the anti-cheating centres for interrogation and confiscated their sign boards especially on June 17 when a head of the centre in Prachin Buri was taken into custody and his fate remains unknown.
He said that he didn’t view UN as an enemy and, therefore, the group’s petition to the UN about the political situation in Thailand and the regime’s harassment against them did not amount to “inviting an enemy” to interfere in domestic affairs.
Despite the harassment, Jatuporn said the UDD would go ahead with opening more anti-cheating centres and he would told his followers not to resist the authorities if they seize their sign boards or posters.
The UDD chairman challenged the military regime to arrest the core leaders instead of arresting their members in the provinces.
He said that they would a meeting with UN officials on Monday.
