THE UN human rights office called on Thailand yesterday to release 14 student activists arrested for holding a demonstration.

The university students were detained on Friday on charges of sedition and violating the military government’s ban on political gatherings for holding the rally in Bangkok the previous day.

The military, which seized power last May when it overthrew a civilian government, has banned political gatherings of five people or more and ordered security-related offences to be handled by military courts.

The students were issued with arrest warrants for having conducted rallies in the capital and in the north-eastern province of Khon Kaen last month to mark the first anniversary of the coup.

Each student faces a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

Deputy government spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the regime did not have a problem with the students, but they must obey the law.