The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday issued a statement calling for the government to unconditionally release the 36 protesters of the Chana Rakthin Network detained on Monday night.
The 36 were arrested by crowd control police on Monday night while rallying in front of Government House.
They were reminding the government to comply with a promise made to them in December last year to revoke all cabinet resolutions approving a new industrial estate development in Songkhla's Chana district, and start over again with a strategic environment assessment of the project.
On Tuesday morning, NHRC commissioners Preeda Kongpaen and Sayamon Kaiyurawong paid a visit to the arrested protesters, who were detained at the Police Club on Vibhavadi Rangsit road.
The statement said the NHRC is of the opinion the protesters had the right to expression of their views and to gather peacefully under the 2017 constitution.
The NHRC called for the unconditional release of the protesters. It demanded the government take public opinions on the project through an open and sincere hearing process, particularly on the possible effects of the development on the lives and living conditions of the people in the area.
Members of the media and observers should be allowed to report on all developments surrounding the project without being obstructed, the statement said.
