Daughter to a judge and sister of a lawyer, detained activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom, aka Bung Thalu Wang, died at just 28 years of age on May 14.
An autopsy is ongoing, but Netiporn’s untimely death came after she began a hunger strike driven by her conviction that Thailand needed judicial reform and that holding different views should never be grounds for imprisonment.
Netiporn bequeathed her cash savings and belongings to Thailand’s youngest lese-majeste suspect, Thanalop “Yok” Phalanchai, whom she had cared for and mentored as an activist.
After Netiporn was sent to jail on January 26, Thanalop declared that she was ending her political activism and returning to her biological family.
What happened to Netiporn behind bars?
The Corrections Department said Netiporn launched her hunger strike even before arriving in detention on January 26.
The lack of food led to fatigue and other health issues, meaning she was frequently hospitalized over the following weeks.
From February 29, she was treated at the Medical Correctional Institution. As her condition deteriorated, she was moved to Thammasat University Hospital on March 8 before being sent back to the Medical Correctional Institution on April 4.
“She could still eat and was staying in a multi-occupancy room. She was there with her close friend [fellow activist Tantawan ‘Tawan’ Tuatulanon],” Corrections Department chief inspector Sompop Sangkhutkaew told a press conference called after Netiporn’s death.
“She had finally agreed to eat but refused to take vitamins prescribed to her,” he added.
Tantawan, who has also been on hunger strike while in detention, reportedly witnessed the death of her friend from the next bed in the ward.
Netiporn was being looked after by doctors and nurses at the medical institute at the time of her sudden death, Sompop said. Records show she was conscious with a normal blood-sugar level when she suffered cardiac arrest.
“In fact, she was chatting with her friend when she suddenly lost consciousness and became unresponsive at 6am on May 14,” Sompop said.
Medical staff administered CPR before transferring her to Thammasat University Hospital. However, she was pronounced dead at the hospital later the same morning.
How did she end up behind bars?
Netiporn was a leader of the Thalu Wang group that has been at the forefront of youth-dominated protests pushing for reform of the judiciary and monarchy – including the abolition of Article 112 which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in jail for defaming royalty.
The name of the group loosely translates as “Break Through the Palace”.
She once told an interviewer she had never intended to become a protest leader, preferring to play a supporting role to youngsters fighting for justice.
However, while accompanying students conducting a 2022 public poll on the impact of royal motorcades, she was arrested and detained pending trial for lese majeste.
She went on a hunger strike and was granted bail release after four months in detention.
However, her decision to pursue the path of activism resulted in more legal trouble and she was rearrested in January for breaching the bail terms by joining a 2023 protest.
At the time of her death, she was awaiting trial on two charges of defaming the monarchy.
Turning point
Netiporn had been known as a bright and conservative student at Bangkok’s prestigious Triam Udom Suksa Nomklao School.
Her GPA hovered above 3.8 while her duties as a student committee member included checking that students’ dress and hairstyles complied with school rules.
She went on to attend Kasetsart University’s Faculty of Business Administration. During her free time, she worked as an English language tutor.
She became interested in politics when the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) took to the streets to protest against the Yingluck Shinawatra government in 2013-14.
She joined PDRC rallies and even reportedly considered the Shinawatra-supporting red shirts to be her enemies.
That conviction was shattered by investigations of the 2010 crackdown on red-shirt protesters at Ratchaprasong Intersection that killed almost 100 people.
Netiporn said she realized that innocent people had lost their lives in the crackdown.
“I kind of felt guilty all along,” Netiporn said during an interview with Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) two years ago.
Reaction to her death
Her death has made headlines around the world, bringing calls for an end to the persecution of peaceful protestors in Thailand.
“This is a shocking reminder that Thai authorities are harshly denying pro-democracy activists their freedom in an apparent bid to silence the peaceful expression of dissent,” said Amnesty International.
The diplomatic corps in Thailand also expressed condolences. Germany’s Ambassador Ernest Reichel lamented the “tragic death of a political activist in pre-trial detention without bail”.
“My wish would be that political disagreements are not taken to such bitter and extreme consequences,” he posted on social media.
Netiporn was among 272 people who have been charged with lese majeste since the start of youth protests in 2020, according to TLHR.
By Thai PBS World’s Political Desk
