Politicians, activists post photos with one eye closed in support of blinded protester

AFTER one of the anti-Apec protesters was blinded upon being hit in the right eye with a rubber bullet in police use of force to stop their march from City Hall square to Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre last Saturday (Nov. 18), today a number of politicians and activists posted photos of themselves with their hand closing one eye as symbolic support for him, Matichon newspaper said this evening (Nov. 21).

Phayu Daodin, a graduate from Khon Kaen University’s Faculty of Law, has lost the sight of this eye with doctors warning that the left eye retina could be affected in future.

After Mr. Anon Nampha, a human rights lawyer, and the Dao Din group invited the public to join this symbolic expression of support for the blinded protester throughout the day there were people who did so.

Among them were Mr. Panupong Jadnok, or Mike, a political activist, Ms. Suttawan Suban Na Ayudhya, deputy spokesman of Move Forward Party, Mr. Piyarat Jongthep, or Toto, former leader of We Volunteer (WeVo) group and a Move Forward Party election candidate, and  Mr. Chamnan Chanruang, a member of the Progressive Movement’s executive committee.

Ms. Tisana Choonhavan, Move Forward Party’s MP candidate for Bangkok, who also posted a photo of herself with one eye shut, published an article stating that the dissolution of the gathering was against international principles with the police called upon to take legal action against the perpetrators and not just impose disciplinary punishment.

“Aiming at the head violates the United Nations ruling on the use of non-lethal weapons to disperse unarmed civilian demonstrators because it may cause the skull to crack and lead to  cerebral haemorrhage, blindness, death or disability as happened to Phayu,” she wrote.

She invited all friends to take a photo of themselves with one eye shut and post it on Facebook and send a message of encouragement to the protester who has lost sight of his right eye.

Donations were also urged for him to his Krung Thai Bank account number 986-3-46066-4.

CAPTIONS:

Some of the people who posted photos of themselves with one eye closed online today. Credit: Matichon

Last photo below: Phayu Daodin bandaged after being hit by a rubber bullet, left, and fumes of tear gas during the quelling of the anti-Apec protest march. All photos: Matichon

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