Thailand anti-government protester says he was abducted, dumped on street

Volunteer guard for protest movement was bundled into a van and questioned for 12 hours over sign assailing monarchy

Thai police said they were not responsible for the abduction and were conducting an investigation into the incident

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Thai police arrest a man during an anti-government protest in Bangkok on Saturday calling for democratic reforms and the resignation of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. Photo: DPA

Published: 7:54pm, 18 Jan 2021Updated: 7:54pm, 18 Jan 2021

Police in Thailand said on Monday that they were investigating a complaint by a political activist who claimed he had been abducted by a group of unknown men and then questioned inside a van for 12 hours before being dumped on the street.

Mongkol Santimetakul, 25, a volunteer guard for the protest movement, said he was bundled into a van by the men, who placed a hood over his head and confiscated his phone at around 11pm on Saturday on a street near his home in a province south of Bangkok.

He said he was asked about an antimonarchy sign that was erected during weekend pro-democracy protests in the area.

“I was told to sign some document, which I refused and also told to cease all activism,” Mongkol said.

Youth-led protests since last year have been demanding the resignation of the military-backed prime minister, who first came to power in a coup, and also reforms to Thailand’s powerful monarchy.

Mongkol, who filed a police complaint after he said he was dumped on the street around noon the next day, pledged to continue his activism.

Deputy Police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen said the alleged abduction was not conducted by police and an investigation was ongoing.