As calls grow louder for the government to take action to track down the four assailants who seriously injured democracy activist Sirawith Seritiwat, alias Ja New, a campaign has been launched for public donations to fund his medical expenses.
He also said he agreed with the requested individual donation amount of 247.50 baht, which symbolizes the year B.E. 2475 (1932), when Thailand was transformed from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy in a bloodless coup.Former Bangkok senator and a human rights advocate Jon Ungphakorn said today he supported the fund-raising campaign because he thought Ja New’s campaign might have financial problems and could not afford to meet the medical treatment and rehabilitation bills for the victim.
In his Facebook post today, Democrat party-list MP Korn Chatikavanij condemned the brutal attack and urged the Prime Minister to order officials concerned to look into the case earnestly and act accordingly.
He also called on all politicians to stay calm and prevent people from capitalizing on the incident to provoke unrest.
Thammasat University vice rector Prinya Thaewanarumitkul said that, when he was a student in 1992, no political activists were attacked the way Ja New has been, adding that all parties concerned must help stop this senseless violence and the government cannot sit idly by, otherwise it will be suspected of having a hand in the violent incidents.
Meanwhile, Future Forward MP Rangsiman Rome today released, on social media, a video clip showing the attack on Ja New by four men wearing full-face crash helmets in broad daylight on a busy road.
The four assailants arrived on two motorcycles, which stopped next to the mouth of a lane adjoining the main road. Once Ja New emerged onto the main road, they rushed to attack him with wooden clubs and maintained the attack until he collapsed.
Rangsiman said the four assailants appeared to kill or maim Ja New because they concentrated their blows on his head and face. The assailants stopped when one of the eyewitnesses shouted “police”.
Ja New has been transferred from Nawamin Hospital to Mission Hospital, where he has social security coverage. Though conscious, his condition remains serious.
