The Corrections Department is examining a letter written by the detained Pheu Thai by-election candidate, Kokaew Pikulthong, to be used in his campaigning.
The department's director general, Chatchai Suthiklom, said yesterday that Kokaew has been requested to rewrite certain parts of the letter before it is approved to be sent out from prison. He added however that Kokaew could verbally pass on his message for voters to his visitors.
Kokaew has been detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison along with other red shirt leaders on a charge of terrorism in connection with the recent political unrest.
His lawyer, Karom Polthaklang, said he would today seek Criminal Court permission for Kokaew's temporary release ahead of the coming weekend for campaigning in the last stage before the July 25 by-election in Bangkok's Constituency 6.
The Corrections Department chief said yesterday the agency would follow court judgement regarding Kokaew's temporary release. In regard to a plan to have Kokaew's voice recorded and his photos taken from inside the prison, Chatchai said he would consider any formal request with other senior department officials and prison executives.
He said there had never been any precedent on this matter, adding that if voice recording is permitted, the recorded message would be screened by the Corrections Department officials.
In a related development, Jatuporn Promphan, an MP from the opposition Pheu Thai Party and a key leader of the anti-government red-shirt movement, yesterday said the red shirts would hold a concert on August 1 in Samut Sakhon to raise funds for people injured during the recent political unrest and for families of those killed.
He noted that Samut Sakhon is not now under a state of emergency which has been retained in 19 provinces, including Bangkok and mostly northeastern provinces. The concert would be performed by singers who played on stage during the recent red shirt protests in Bangkok.
Jatuporn said the red shirts would also hold exhibitions about the red shirts' protest sites in provinces where the emergency decree has not been declared, starting from Surin.