Since the coup on 22 May, there have been a number of rampant exercises of power and legal actions to stifle political activism, said the Thai Human Rights Legal Association ikn connection with the arrests of the two students. “Such a practice is a violation of people’s rights, freedom and liberties. It has imposed limits on the spaces in which a person can express themselves and participate in political process peacefully. It is also detrimental to any possible effort to nurture and sustain reconciliation which truly reflects the root causes of the conflicts.