A lawyer from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) said today (Monday) that the two young hunger strikers may end their strike if the Criminal Court agrees to grant bail to eight detainees from the Talugas protest group.

Krisadang Nutcharat and families of Tantawan Tuatulanon and Orawan Phuphong visited the two hunger strikers in Thammasat University Hospital today, as their hunger strike entered its 19th day today.

The lawyer said that the two pro-democracy protesters will be closely following the Criminal Court’s decision over TLHR’s application for bail for the detainees.

He said he believes that the two young women may change their position on their hunger strike if bail is granted.

Former leader of the United Front of Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), Thida Thavornseth, also visited the hunger strikers. She sent them a letter supporting their political cause, but urged them to save their lives first.

In a letter from Krisadang to judges on the Criminal Court, which was posted on Facebook page today, the lawyer said that there are 8-9 suspects, aged between 18 and 50, who have been behind bars for almost a year, for allegedly possessing explosives which, he claimed, were actually giant firecrackers and cherry bombs.

He said that some of them are the bread winners for their families and none of them have been sentenced yet. In the meantime, he said two young women have been on hunger strike, demanding that the detainees be freed on bail.

Explaining their hunger strike, Krisadang said that the two women are not being arrogant by resorting to a hunger strike to apply pressure on the judges, “They are pleading to the judges by resorting to self-inflicted suffering to prove that they are doing the right thing.”

Thammasat University Hospital issued a statement early this morning on the current condition of the two hunger strikers.

They are very weak, with bleeding gums, a burning sensation in their chests, acidic blood with high levels of ketone and low level of minerals, although her vital signs are normal. Both have refused to drink water mixed with minerals to decrease the level of acid in their blood.

Doctors are monitoring their blood sugar levels closely, said the statement.