A former spokesman for the government of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has urged supporters of Ja New to join a rally at Ratchaprasong intersection which he has organized for Monday evening.
Dr. Tosaporn Sererak, former deputy secretary-general and spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Office, said on his Facebook page that he had already notified Lumpini police about the planned rally scheduled to start at 6pm.
He said that the peaceful rally is intended to send a message to the government that they must stop political harassment and violence against political activists, adding that a statement calling for an end to political violence will be read at the venue and participants will take part in a peace candle lighting ritual.
Tosaporn asked why it was necessary to try to kill someone, merely because of their different political views, apparently referring to the brutal attack, by four unidentified assailants in Bangkok, on anti-junta activist Mr. Sirawith Seritiwat, aka Ja New, last Friday.
Ja New remains in Mission hospital with a broken nose, serious head wounds and an eye injury.
In addition to Ja New, who has twice been attacked by unknown assailants, other anti-junta activists have been assaulted, such as Ekkachai Hongkangwan who has been attacked nine times and Anurak “Ford” Jeantawanich attacked twice, said Tossaporn.
“Shall we sit idly by again?” he asked as he urged all peace lovers to join him at the rally this evening.
Senator Wanchai Sornsiri today dismissed a suggestion that the government might be complicit in the attacks on Ja New, saying that any government officials who plotted the violent incident would be very stupid, noting that the victim is not an important or influential figure.
He said that a person could be assaulted for many possible reasons adding, however, that the government must clear the air quickly and uncover the truth about the incident by having the perpetrators arrested.
The senator also complained that some people had already tried to capitalize on the incident for political gain and to incite hatred of the government.
