The bloody military coup in Thailand on October 6, 1976, took a huge toll in terms of human victims Hundreds were killed by the armed forces and right-wing vigilante groups, thousands were injured, gaoled or forced to flee from their homes to the countryside. In terms of the destruction of the country's new-found democracy and the disruption of its economy the toll has been just as high.

Prior to October 6, one leading force in the Thai people's fight to maintain democracy was the National student centre of Thailand (NSCT). This body, the national patriotic organisation of Thai tertiary students, had actively led students and other Thais in the campaign to remove from Thailand both the United States military forces and multinational companies that had been calling the tune for 30 years, and also the local military and governmental 'yes-men' of the Americans.

Consequently, when the coup occurred, the NSCT leaders were prime targets for the pro-US military leaders. The majority of them were killed or captured, but it is only recently that news of their fate has filtered out of Thailand.

Two such NSCT leaders and Sutham Saengprathum and Orisa Irawonwut.

Their cases are publicised here, not because they are necessarily the most important ones, but primarily because they are the only ones on which we have received information.

Orisa is the president of the Thai Natational Students and was the leader of the NSCT's Security Protection Unit during the period prior to the coup. Orisa was shot in the jaw on October 6th when police and armed forces attacked the NSCT led demonstration against the return to Thailand of the former pro-US dictator, Thanom.

Although initially sent to hospital, he was soon arrested and gaoled, and has since been consistently denied any sort of medical care. Pleas by his parents to the government to allow outside medical care for Orisa have been rejected. Orisa cannot eat and is being kept alive only because fellow prisoners are feeding him intravenously. Because of the government's actions his jaw is now decomposing. If medical care continues to be denied to Orisa, he will die in the next week or two. The fascist Thai military rulers are already responsible for hundreds of deaths. This extra one can only be denied to them by the weight of international opinion that can be mobilized against them.

Sutham Saengprathum

Sutham is the Secretary General of the NSCT and, prior to the coup, was outspokenly opposed to the US domination of his co country. On the morning of the coup he was arrested and taken to a military 'Special Prison' for political detainees, During his imprisonment he has been subjected to torture by electric shock and beatings from rubber-clad iron bars.

On June 17 this year, he was taken before a military court to be tried on 10 charges under Article 21 of the military dictatorship's 'constitutional' provisions. Article 21 gives the Prime Minister the authority to execute political prisoners without them having the opportunity to defend themselves — and in some cases, without even having heard the charges against them.

Three Thais have already been executed this year under this provision; there is no reason to hope that Sutham's fate will be any different from their's - unless enough international pressure can be mounted to dissuade the dictatorship from their intentions.

What can you do ?

The Thai military dictatorship has shown several times that it is sensitive to international opinion - such sensitivity is common among those who have great crimes to hide. This year, it has attempted to have 'friendly, governments in other countries prevent exiled Thais from sneaking out the truth about their country.

You can write letters of protest about the Thai government's inhumanity and send them to NZUSA, who will forward them to appropriate bodies and people. You can inform other groups and people about these cases and get them to take action.