THAILAND’S junta leader Prayuth Chan-ocha met Prime Minister Theresa May yesterday amid protests against his “abusive” regime.

Britain has licensed £48 million worth of arms to the junta government, which took control of the country following a military coup in 2014.

Since then, the junta regime has overseen a crackdown on human rights and campaigners say Mr Chan-ocha has done “little if anything” to restore democracy.

Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said human rights “must be on top of the agenda.”

He said: “This cannot become yet another photo-op for human rights abusers on the steps of Downing Street.

“The message these arms sales send is that the UK government believes the political rights of Thai people to be less important than arms company profits and cosy relations with a dictatorship.

“The government isn’t just overseeing the sale of deadly equipment, it is actively promoting it. It’s time for Theresa May to end the arms sales and call for democratic change.”

Mr Chan-ocha’s regime has received widespread accusations of torture. When activist Ismae Teh spoke out against his treatment, claiming to have been held incommunicado and subjected to waterboarding, the military junta sued him for speaking out about it.

Since the coup, at least 105 people have been arrested for sharing criticism about the regime online.

The Thai regime is on the list of “core markets” for British arms sales — countries that civil servants and ministers will prioritise for promotion of sales.

Of the £48 million, £13 million has been spent on licences for small arms and £11 million for grenades, bombs, missiles and countermeasures.