The Pheu Thai Party has called on the government to immediately release former Pheu Thai MP Watana Muangsook who was taken from his house and detained at an army base yesterday.
According to the party, army personnel turned up at Mr Watana's house on Srinakarin Road in Prawet district yesterday morning.
The politician had sharply criticised the military junta for sending soldiers to follow former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra. About 10 officers entered the house with no search or arrest warrants, the party said. The soldiers then drove out with Mr Watana.
It was reported later the former MP was taken to the 11th Army Circle headquarters.
Watana: Sent for attitude adjustment
"Taking Mr Watana into custody is against the law and violates his human rights," the party said in a statement. It called on the government to release Mr Watana immediately.
If Mr Watana was found to have committed any offence, he should be subject to the normal judicial process, the party said. Pheu Thai also called on the administration to adhere to the principle of freedom of expression.
The party said that Mr Watana gave his opinion with integrity, without any intention to stir up unrest.
National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) spokesman Winthai Suvaree said the army invited Mr Watana to the army base as a result of his political opinions.
"The expression of political opinions must be made with care," the NCPO spokesman said.
On Tuesday, Mr Watana posted a strongly worded message on his Facebook attacking the NCPO for sending soldiers to shadow Ms Yingluck and take pictures of her, intruding on her privacy two years after she was toppled from office.
"The soldiers took photos of Ms Yingluck probably because she is pretty," Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said. "It's not a big deal. Don't think too much about it or be anxious about it."
In a post calling on the military to cease their monitoring of Ms Yingluck, Mr Watana said it was "unbelievable to hear such comments" by Gen Prawit. "They were sexist comments," he added.
Col Winthai said some of Mr Watana's comments tarnished the NCPO's image. The former MP had also claimed the NCPO will not return power to the people and that the authorities wanted to invite him for talks to fine-tune his understanding. Mr Watana had also criticised the draft charter.
Col Winthai said people are free to express their views but at this time they should do so through designated channels which will ensure they get to the drafters who will heed their advice.
"Although most people understand Mr Watana was affected negatively by the NCPO which stepped in to solve problems, officers must ensure peace and order as much as possible," said Col Winthai.
Gen Prawit said the NCPO will decide how long Mr Watana should be held.
"If he comments like this a hundred times, we will call him in a hundred times," Gen Prawit said.
Asked what measures the military will use to deal with him, he said the NCPO will consider whether he has breached the law. "It is necessary to enforce the law if his comments cause damage to the country and stir conflict," Gen Prawit said.
Responding to reports that ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra will be invited to speak to the World Policy Institute in New York next Wednesday, Gen Prawit said he should not speak out if his comments would hold back the country.