Sirikan Charoensiri: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Thai human rights attorney|bot=PearBOT 5}} |
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{{Dead end|date=December 2016}} |
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| name = Sirikan Charoensiri |
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{{Orphan|date=December 2016}} |
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| image = Sirikan Charoensiri.jpg |
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| birth_date = 1986 |
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| birth_place = [[Yasothon Province|Yasothon]], Thailand |
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| education = [[Triam Udom Suksa School]] <br/> [[Thammasat University]] |
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| occupation = lawyer |
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| nationality = [[Thailand]] |
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⚫ | '''Sirikan Charoensiri''' (also known as June Charoensiri, {{lang-th|ศิริกาญจน์ เจริญศิริ}}) (born 1986) is a Thai human rights attorney. She works with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) and is one of the legal representatives of the fourteen student activists from the New Democracy Movement (NDM). She has been the subject of harassment and threats from Thai authorities, as well as criminal charges related to her work as a human rights lawyer. She is the first Thai lawyer to have been charged with [[sedition]] by the military junta. |
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⚫ | '''Sirikan Charoensiri''' (also known as June Charoensiri, |
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Her work as a lawyer represents pro-democracy activists has led her to be subject to harassment from Thai authorities. Ms. Sirikan also faces several criminal charges related to her work as a human rights lawyer. |
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== Education == |
== Education == |
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Sirikan Charoensiri was born in Thailand in 1986 |
Sirikan Charoensiri was born in Thailand in 1986<ref name="Bangkok Post (2015)">{{cite news|title=ค้นรถทนายความ '14นศ.' ตามหมายศาลอาญา|url=http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/653893|access-date=11 December 2016|newspaper=[[Bangkok Post]]|date=27 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150628162818/http://www.bangkokbiznews.com/news/detail/653893|archive-date=28 June 2015|location=Bangkok, Thailand|language=Thai|trans-title=Search of the cars of "the 14"'s lawyers in the Criminal Court}}</ref> and was raised in [[Yasothon]], [[Yasothon Province]]. She attended [[Triam Udom Suksa School|Triam Udom Suksa High School]],<ref name="Chanwanpen (2016)">{{cite news|last1=Chanwanpen|first1=Kasamakorn|title=Young Lawyer Sirikan Charoensiri Finds Herself Being Prosecuted After Representing the New Democracy Movement|url=http://www.pressreader.com/@Su_Wilkinson.1/8v7GuSxheZax0MufURFEJANY3gr_3_nDvR1wa01v_Ng1|access-date=11 December 2016|newspaper=[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Sunday Nation]]|date=20 March 2016|location=Bangkok, Thailand}}</ref> obtaining a college preparatory education, and then entered law school, graduating from [[Thammasat University]] in 2009.<ref name="Matichon (2016)">{{cite news|last1=วรรลยางกูร|first1=วจนา|last2=พุกสุข|first2=พิมพ์ชนก|title=เมื่อทนายถูกตั้งข้อหา…ศิริกาญจน์ เจริญศิริ "ถ้าสิ้นหวังคงเป็นนักกฎหมายไม่ได้"|url=http://www.matichon.co.th/news/44471|access-date=11 December 2016|publisher=The Matichon Online|date=20 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160223101629/http://www.matichon.co.th/news/44471|archive-date=23 February 2016|location=Bangkok, Thailand|language=Thai|trans-title=When she was charged...Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri was asked "If a lawyer is not hopeless."}}</ref> After completing her degree, Charonsiri completed an internship with the [[International Commission of Jurists]] and then consulted with the [[Association for the Prevention of Torture]] and the [[American Bar Association]] on the prevention of torture, human rights concerns regarding the [[South Thailand insurgency]] and implementation of the [[ABA Rule of Law Initiative|Rule of Law Initiative]] for 2 years. In 2013, she enrolled in a master of laws program at the [[University of Essex]] to study [[international human rights law]].<ref>{{cite conference|title=5th Human Rights in Asia Conference|url=http://repository.essex.ac.uk/11730/1/human-rights-in-asia-conference-report-2013.pdf|date=7 June 2013|conference=The Human Rights in Asia Conference 2013|publisher=[[University of Essex]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211165806/http://repository.essex.ac.uk/11730/1/human-rights-in-asia-conference-report-2013.pdf|archive-date=11 December 2016|location=Colchester, Essex, England|access-date=11 December 2016|page=17}}</ref> |
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== Career == |
== Career == |
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[[File:Sirikan Charoensiri with Melania Trump.jpg|thumb|left|Sirikan Charoensiri of Thailand with [[Melania Trump]] at the 2018 International Women of Courage Award]] |
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Upon completion of her [[LL.M]], Charonsiri returned to work for the International Commission of Jurists. When the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] occurred, she recognized the need to set up a separate entity to deal with legal matters, as attorneys were being barred access to their clients and the military was arresting people without a |
Upon completion of her [[LL.M]], Charonsiri returned to work for the International Commission of Jurists. When the [[2014 Thai coup d'état]] occurred, she recognized the need to set up a separate entity to deal with legal matters, as attorneys were being barred access to their clients and the military was arresting people without a [[Arrest warrant|warrant]]s, detaining them without charges, and detaining them in secret camps. When she co-founded Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, it was initially created as a [[Crisis hotline|counseling hotline]]. Soon it expanded to a team of human rights lawyers, funded by international advocacy groups to work on violations of human rights.<ref name="Chanwanpen (2016)" /><ref name="Matichon (2016)" /> |
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In 2015, Charonsiri obtained the release of [[photojournalist]] Anthony Kwan Hok-chun, of the [[Initium Media]] organization from [[Hong Kong]]. Kwan, who had come to Thailand to report on the bombing of the [[Erawan Shrine]], brought protective gear including a [[flak jacket]] and helmet, unaware that the items were controlled under Thai weapon's laws. He was arrested in attempting to return to Hong Kong and his passport was seized.<ref name="Lee (2015)">{{cite news|last1=Lee|first1=Danny|title=Hong Kong photojournalist detained in Thailand for allegedly carrying bulletproof vest has passport returned|url=http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1855933/hong-kong-photojournalist-detained-thailand-allegedly|access-date=11 December 2016|newspaper=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=7 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105194839/http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1855933/hong-kong-photojournalist-detained-thailand-allegedly|archive-date=5 November 2015|location=Hong Kong}}</ref><ref name="Guardian (2015)">{{cite news|title=Hong Kong photographer to face trial in Thailand|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/12/hong-kong-photographer-anthony-kwan-hok-chun-trial-thailand|access-date=11 December 2016|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=12 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160730110101/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/12/hong-kong-photographer-anthony-kwan-hok-chun-trial-thailand|archive-date=30 July 2016|location=London, England}}</ref> |
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On 2 February 2016, Ms. Sirikan received a summons ordering her to report to Chanasongkram Police Station in Bangkok. She was accused of making a false police report and refusing to comply with an order of a competent official. |
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That same year 14 pro-democracy student protesters were arrested in June 2015 and charged with [[sedition]]. Charoensiri and other lawyers representing the students, protested that the students were being tried in a [[military court]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Fernquest|first1=Jon|title=Student protests: UN, EU slam charges against students|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-news/608368/student-protests-un-eu-slam-charges-against-students|access-date=11 December 2016|newspaper=[[Bangkok Post]]|date=30 June 2015|location=Bangkok, Thailand}}</ref> Seven months after the student's arrest, Charoensiri charged with refusal to comply with an official order and concealing evidence. The charges stemmed from her receiving her clients' cell phones when they were arrested and securing them in her car.<ref name="Chanwanpen (2016)" /> The following day, she filed a complaint against the police for unlawfully confiscating her car to complete their search.<ref name="Prachatai (2/2016)">{{cite news|title=Human rights lawyer accused of defying police order {{!}} Prachatai English|url=http://prachatai.org/english/node/5822|date=2 February 2016|newspaper=[[Prachatai]]|access-date=2016-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007122856/http://prachatai.org/english/node/5822|archive-date=7 October 2016|location=Bangkok, Thailand}}</ref> The claim resulted in additional charges being filed against Charoensiri for false allegations against the police.<ref>{{cite news|title=Police press charges against human rights lawyer for defying their orders {{!}} Prachatai English|url=http://prachatai.org/english/node/6160|date=13 May 2016|newspaper=[[Prachatai]]|access-date=2016-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516141601/http://prachatai.org/english/node/6160|archive-date=16 May 2016|location=Bangkok, Thailand}}</ref><ref name="Benar News (2016)">{{cite news|title=ทนายความศูนย์ทนายความเพื่อสิทธิมนุษยชน รับทราบข้อกล่าวหาโดยเจ้าหน้าที่ตำรวจ|url=http://www.benarnews.org/thai/news/TH-lawsuit-05132016191200.html|access-date=11 December 2016|agency=[[Radio Free Asia]]|publisher=Benar News|date=13 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211192850/http://www.benarnews.org/thai/news/TH-lawsuit-05132016191200.html|archive-date=11 December 2016|location=Washington, D. C.|language=Thai|trans-title=Allegations by the police for Attorney of Lawyers for Human Rights Centre}}</ref> |
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Authorities ordered her to appear at Chanasongkram Police Station for questioning, in relation to charges brought against her by Mr. Suriya Chamnongchok, an investigating officer in the case of the 14 NDM student activists. Ms. Sirikan had been accused of objecting to a search of her car by police officers on the night of 27 June 2015, and filing a false police report accusing the police of malfeasance in office under Article 157 of the Thai Criminal Code.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://prachatai.org/english/node/5822|title=Human rights lawyer accused of defying police order {{!}} Prachatai English|website=prachatai.org|access-date=2016-12-08}}</ref> |
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On May 12, 2016, the prosecutor of Dusit District Court, Bangkok informed Ms. Sirikan that police investigators have requested to press charges against her under Articles 142 and 368 of the Thai Criminal Code for propagating false accusations against investigating officers and disobeying police orders.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://prachatai.org/english/node/6160|title=Police press charges against human rights lawyer for defying their orders {{!}} Prachatai English|website=prachatai.org|access-date=2016-12-08}}</ref> |
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On September 29, 2016, Ms. Sirikan reported to the Dusit District Prosecutor's Office in Bangkok for a hearing on prosecution order under Articles 142 and 368 of the Thai Criminal Code for propagating false accusations against investigating officers and disobeying police orders. The prosecutor had decided to reschedule the meeting due to ongoing investigation of witnesses and evidence, marking the third postponement of the prosecution hearing. Sirikan Charoensiri will report to the public prosecutors at the Department of Summary Litigation 3, Dusit, on 3 November 2016. |
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This was the third postponement of the hearing of prosecution order. The first hearing was set on 12 May 2016. Then it was rescheduled on 27 July 2016. Later, the meeting was postponed to 29 September 2016. |
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Sirikan Charoensiri is facing accusations of violation of the sedition offence under Section 116 of the Thai Criminal Code, as well as violation of the Head of the NCPO Order no. 3/2015, banning political gatherings of five persons or more. She was previously summoned to report to the Samranrat Police Station on 27 September 2016. Since she only became aware of the summons upon her return to Thailand from attending the UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva on 26 September, the police will issue a summons with a rescheduled reporting date.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://prachatai.org/english/node/6601|title=Embattled human rights lawyer accused of sedition {{!}} Prachatai English|website=prachatai.org|access-date=2016-12-08}}</ref> |
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After attending the 33rd general [[United Nations]] [[Human Rights Council]] meeting in [[Geneva]], Charoensiri was issued a summons for additional charges of co-conspiracy and sedition.<ref>{{cite news|title=Embattled human rights lawyer accused of sedition {{!}} Prachatai English|url=http://prachatai.org/english/node/6601|date=28 September 2016|newspaper=[[Prachatai]]|access-date=2016-12-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211194131/http://prachatai.org/english/node/6601|archive-date=11 December 2016|location=Bangkok, Thailand}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Chanwanpen|first1=Kasamakorn|title=Human rights lawyer charged with sedition|url=http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30298197|access-date=11 December 2016|newspaper=[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Sunday Nation]]|date=23 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211195831/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30298197|archive-date=11 December 2016|location=Bangkok, Thailand}}</ref> It was the first time that a lawyer had been charged with sedition by the [[junta (governing body)|junta]], sparking outcry from international human rights organizations.<ref name="Arab Times (2016)">{{cite news|title=Drop sedition charge|url=http://www.arabtimesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2016/oct/25/ATKWT20161025.pdf|access-date=11 December 2016|issue=16287|newspaper=[[Arab Times]]|date=25 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211200207/http://www.arabtimesonline.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/2016/oct/25/ATKWT20161025.pdf|archive-date=11 December 2016|location=Al Shuwaikh, Al Asimah, Kuwait|page=15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Amnesty campaigns against unfair trial of Thai human rights lawyer|url=http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30300064|access-date=11 December 2016|agency=[[Deutsche Presse-Agentur]]|newspaper=[[The Nation (Thailand)|The Nation]]|date=15 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161116144225/http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30300064|archive-date=16 November 2016|location=Bangkok, Thailand}}</ref> |
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On 19 May 2017 Sirikan Charoensiri achieved the fourth L4L-Award in [[Amsterdam]], the [[Netherlands]]. The award was given to her by Jorge Molano the lawyer from [[Colombia]], who won the award in 2015. It was the first time a woman won this award.<ref>[https://lawyersforlawyers.org/en/l4l_awards/sirikan-charoensiri/ ‘The Voice of Rights’, about lawyers and freedom of expression]</ref> |
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== References== |
== References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist|30em}} |
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{{Authority control}} |
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{{International Women of Courage Awards}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Charoensiri, Sirikan}} |
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[[Category:1986 births]] |
[[Category:1986 births]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:Thammasat University alumni]] |
[[Category:Thammasat University alumni|Sirikan Charoensiri]] |
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[[Category:Alumni of the University of Essex]] |
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Essex]] |
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[[Category:Women lawyers]] |
[[Category:Women lawyers]] |
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[[Category:Thai lawyers]] |
[[Category:21st-century Thai lawyers|Sirikan Charoensiri]] |
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[[Category:Human rights lawyers]] |
[[Category:Human rights lawyers]] |
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[[Category:Women human rights activists]] |
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[[Category:Recipients of the International Women of Courage Award]] |
Revision as of 18:18, 1 October 2022
Sirikan Charoensiri | |
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Born | 1986 Yasothon, Thailand |
Nationality | Thailand |
Education | Triam Udom Suksa School Thammasat University |
Occupation | lawyer |
Sirikan Charoensiri (also known as June Charoensiri, Template:Lang-th) (born 1986) is a Thai human rights attorney. She works with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) and is one of the legal representatives of the fourteen student activists from the New Democracy Movement (NDM). She has been the subject of harassment and threats from Thai authorities, as well as criminal charges related to her work as a human rights lawyer. She is the first Thai lawyer to have been charged with sedition by the military junta.
Education
Sirikan Charoensiri was born in Thailand in 1986[1] and was raised in Yasothon, Yasothon Province. She attended Triam Udom Suksa High School,[2] obtaining a college preparatory education, and then entered law school, graduating from Thammasat University in 2009.[3] After completing her degree, Charonsiri completed an internship with the International Commission of Jurists and then consulted with the Association for the Prevention of Torture and the American Bar Association on the prevention of torture, human rights concerns regarding the South Thailand insurgency and implementation of the Rule of Law Initiative for 2 years. In 2013, she enrolled in a master of laws program at the University of Essex to study international human rights law.[4]
Career
Upon completion of her LL.M, Charonsiri returned to work for the International Commission of Jurists. When the 2014 Thai coup d'état occurred, she recognized the need to set up a separate entity to deal with legal matters, as attorneys were being barred access to their clients and the military was arresting people without a warrants, detaining them without charges, and detaining them in secret camps. When she co-founded Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, it was initially created as a counseling hotline. Soon it expanded to a team of human rights lawyers, funded by international advocacy groups to work on violations of human rights.[2][3]
In 2015, Charonsiri obtained the release of photojournalist Anthony Kwan Hok-chun, of the Initium Media organization from Hong Kong. Kwan, who had come to Thailand to report on the bombing of the Erawan Shrine, brought protective gear including a flak jacket and helmet, unaware that the items were controlled under Thai weapon's laws. He was arrested in attempting to return to Hong Kong and his passport was seized.[5][6]
That same year 14 pro-democracy student protesters were arrested in June 2015 and charged with sedition. Charoensiri and other lawyers representing the students, protested that the students were being tried in a military court.[7] Seven months after the student's arrest, Charoensiri charged with refusal to comply with an official order and concealing evidence. The charges stemmed from her receiving her clients' cell phones when they were arrested and securing them in her car.[2] The following day, she filed a complaint against the police for unlawfully confiscating her car to complete their search.[8] The claim resulted in additional charges being filed against Charoensiri for false allegations against the police.[9][10]
After attending the 33rd general United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, Charoensiri was issued a summons for additional charges of co-conspiracy and sedition.[11][12] It was the first time that a lawyer had been charged with sedition by the junta, sparking outcry from international human rights organizations.[13][14]
On 19 May 2017 Sirikan Charoensiri achieved the fourth L4L-Award in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The award was given to her by Jorge Molano the lawyer from Colombia, who won the award in 2015. It was the first time a woman won this award.[15]
References
- ^ "ค้นรถทนายความ '14นศ.' ตามหมายศาลอาญา" [Search of the cars of "the 14"'s lawyers in the Criminal Court]. Bangkok Post (in Thai). Bangkok, Thailand. 27 June 2015. Archived from the original on 28 June 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ a b c Chanwanpen, Kasamakorn (20 March 2016). "Young Lawyer Sirikan Charoensiri Finds Herself Being Prosecuted After Representing the New Democracy Movement". The Sunday Nation. Bangkok, Thailand. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ a b วรรลยางกูร, วจนา; พุกสุข, พิมพ์ชนก (20 February 2016). "เมื่อทนายถูกตั้งข้อหา…ศิริกาญจน์ เจริญศิริ "ถ้าสิ้นหวังคงเป็นนักกฎหมายไม่ได้"" [When she was charged...Ms. Sirikan Charoensiri was asked "If a lawyer is not hopeless."] (in Thai). Bangkok, Thailand: The Matichon Online. Archived from the original on 23 February 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ 5th Human Rights in Asia Conference (PDF). The Human Rights in Asia Conference 2013. Colchester, Essex, England: University of Essex. 7 June 2013. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ Lee, Danny (7 September 2015). "Hong Kong photojournalist detained in Thailand for allegedly carrying bulletproof vest has passport returned". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Archived from the original on 5 November 2015. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Hong Kong photographer to face trial in Thailand". The Guardian. London, England. 12 October 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ Fernquest, Jon (30 June 2015). "Student protests: UN, EU slam charges against students". Bangkok Post. Bangkok, Thailand. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Human rights lawyer accused of defying police order | Prachatai English". Prachatai. Bangkok, Thailand. 2 February 2016. Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ^ "Police press charges against human rights lawyer for defying their orders | Prachatai English". Prachatai. Bangkok, Thailand. 13 May 2016. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ^ "ทนายความศูนย์ทนายความเพื่อสิทธิมนุษยชน รับทราบข้อกล่าวหาโดยเจ้าหน้าที่ตำรวจ" [Allegations by the police for Attorney of Lawyers for Human Rights Centre] (in Thai). Washington, D. C.: Benar News. Radio Free Asia. 13 May 2016. Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Embattled human rights lawyer accused of sedition | Prachatai English". Prachatai. Bangkok, Thailand. 28 September 2016. Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ^ Chanwanpen, Kasamakorn (23 October 2016). "Human rights lawyer charged with sedition". The Sunday Nation. Bangkok, Thailand. Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Drop sedition charge" (PDF). Arab Times. No. 16287. Al Shuwaikh, Al Asimah, Kuwait. 25 October 2016. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ "Amnesty campaigns against unfair trial of Thai human rights lawyer". The Nation. Bangkok, Thailand. Deutsche Presse-Agentur. 15 November 2016. Archived from the original on 16 November 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- ^ ‘The Voice of Rights’, about lawyers and freedom of expression