Former UDD Leader Calls for Release of Political Prisoners
Former UDD leader Natthawut Saiyaku urged the Attorney General to issue nationwide guidelines for releasing political prisoners under Thailand's new Social Harmony Promotion Act. He said the law, effective August 2026, grants immediate amnesty to at least 6,000 activists from the red-shirt, PAD, and youth movements facing political charges. Natthawut asked prosecutors to stop opposing court release orders and withdraw charges where appropriate to promote national reconciliation.
Natthawut said the law allows immediate amnesty for suspects and detainees from the investigation stage onward, covering three main groups of political activists over the past 20 years (2005-2025): red-shirt protesters, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), and youth activists, involving at least 6,000 people charged with political offenses. He has coordinated with all three groups, filing petitions to courts to terminate cases, to release those not yet final, and noted that for final cases prisoners have been released but the numbers fluctuate. The Supreme Court issued an urgent directive through the Office of the Judiciary to implement uniform practice: courts may use discretion to issue orders immediately for any case matching the annex list of the Act and clearly political. Meanwhile, the Social Harmony Promotion Committee, chaired by Prakorn Nilprapat per the Prime Minister's assignment, held its first meeting on September 22, formed two subcommittees for screening and publicity, and circulated guidelines to relevant agencies. Natthawut observed that case proceedings differ among groups, for example prosecutors acting as plaintiffs have opposed court release orders; he wishes the process to proceed smoothly according to legislative intent, asking the Attorney General to set uniform guidelines for all prosecutors nationwide: if a case seeks release and is clearly not prohibited and matches the annex, prosecutors should not oppose and should withdraw charges where cases are pending, to serve justice and heal long-standing societal wounds. He added that he has coordinated with the UDD legal team; several cases remain pending in October and November, with hearing dates set, but individual circumstances vary, such as cases involving Arisamun Phongpheungrong, Yotwarit Chuenglom, or the nickname 'Jeng Dokjik', each requiring separate handling.
