Calls by human rights defenders for veteran activist Ekachai Hongkangwan, who is in jail awaiting bail, to receive medical treatment outside prison have been met with silence. They should not be.
According to a team of human rights lawyers, Ekachai's health has deteriorated in recent months. He suffers from hepatomegaly, an enlarged spleen and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
The lawyers say the prison hospital lacks the equipment needed to adequately treat his conditions. Ekachai's repeated attempts to secure bail to access better medical care have been rejected by the court.
On Wednesday, representatives of Thumb Rights and Amnesty International Thailand met with the House Committee on Laws, Justice and Human Rights to seek assistance, hoping Mr Ekachai could receive proper medical treatment.
Reports indicate that Ekachai experienced health problems as early as September last year, but was not sent for examination at the prison hospital until March.
Ekachai, along with two fellow activists and two protesters, was jailed last year in the so-called "obstruction of a royal motorcade" case stemming from an October 2020 protest near Nang Loeng intersection.
The demonstration coincided with the passage of a royal motorcade carrying Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti.
Initially, the court of first instance found that Ekachai and the others had no prior knowledge that the motorcade would pass through the area. Media reports said both the protesters and police officers on duty were caught off guard by its arrival.
Little could be done amid the confusion, and the motorcade eventually passed through without incident. Although the five were charged, the court acquitted all of them on June 8, 2023.
However, the Court of Appeal overturned that ruling last year, sentencing Ekachai to 21 years in prison and the others to 16 years for "harming the Queen's liberty" under Section 110, a provision that carries a potential death penalty.
The disparity in the sentences has puzzled critics, while it remains unclear when the case will reach the Supreme Court.
Ekachai's health problems while in prison have reminded many of the late Ampon Tangnoppakul, known as "Akong" or Grandpa SMS, and young activist Netiporn "Boong" Sanesangkhom, both of whom faced prosecution under laws protecting the monarchy.
Both died in state custody in 2012 and 2024, respectively.
Ampon was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a politician claimed to have received four text messages deemed offensive to the monarchy from his phone. He had liver cancer before entering prison and died from the disease only months into his sentence.
Netiporn's death was linked to complications arising from a hunger strike she undertook to campaign for bail rights for unconvicted detainees.
Inarguably, both cases cast Thailand's justice system in a poor light, raising questions about whether prison authorities gave sufficient consideration to the seriousness of their medical conditions.
While his final appeal is pending, Ekachai's right to seek bail in order to obtain better medical care should be respected.
He is not asking for special treatment; he is seeking a basic and fundamental right.
