Panusaya consoles schoolgirl in tears over protest leader’s safety
A young schoolgirl reportedly broke down in tears after meeting her hero, protest leader Panusaya “Rung” Sitthijirawattanakul, and expressing concerns for her safety.
On Thursday, Facebook user Rattapol Kaiipah Promsuwan posted that a Grade-6 girl had visited the organisers’ zone at a protest site, asking to meet Panusaya in person.
The girl cried for about half an hour while Panusaya tried to soothe her, said the post. It appeared soon after Wednesday’s rally at Lat Phrao intersection in Bangkok and also featured a photo of Panusaya hugging a girl.
The girl reportedly later told the Facebook poster that she was worried about Panasaya’s safety.
As of Friday, this post had around 2,200 comments and over 7,900 shares.
According to the girl’s sister, her sibling was interested in politics and knew that Panusaya had been charged with lese majeste, which carries punishment of up to 15 years in prison.
On Wednesday, Panusaya reportedly received a fresh summons from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) to hear charges of lese majeste and computer crime on December 9.
The charges reportedly stem from a police complaint filed by royalist composer Nitipong Honark on November 20.
Earlier this month, the BBC listed Panusaya as one of the world’s 100 most inspirational and influential women of 2020.
