BANGKOK
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs revoked Friday the passport of Japan-based Thai academic Pavin Chachavalpongpun.
Pavin, an associate professor at Kyoto University, had been summoned earlier to appear before Thailand’s ruling military junta but refused to do so, citing academic commitments.
Failure to heed the summons has resulted in a warrant being issued for Pavin’s arrest, and with it the revocation of his passport. He must now seek asylum status with the Japanese government.
Pavin has been one of the most vocal critics of the military coup and junta, pointing out its various abuses of individual liberties and rights.
Following the military’s declaration of martial law prior to the May 22 coup, Pavin had told the Anadolu Agency, "We are now under a military regime and the government can no longer function."
"It is now forbidden to write anything which would be deemed to be affecting national security," he had added.
Since the May 22 coup – carried out citing the need to restore normalcy after prolonged periods of political instability - around 500 politicians, academics and journalists perceived as critical of the military regime have been summoned and detained. The vast majority of them were released after a few days.
Scores have been arrested for flashing a three-finger salute first used in the French revolution, but now synonymous with "The Hunger Games" series of films. Several others have faced similar consequences for reading George Orwell's critique of totalitarian society "1984” in public places.
Freedom of the press is tightly restricted and five official panels in charge of “monitoring media content” had been set up in late June.
www.aa.com.tr/en
