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18 years in jail for 'Da Torpedo'

Writer: BangkokPost.com

Published: 28/08/2009 at 12:19 PM

The Criminal Court on Monday morninng sentenced Daranee Chanchoengsilpakul, alias Da Torpedo, to 18 years imprisonment for lese majeste.

The court ruled that Ms Daranee, a United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship member, made several remarks deemed to be lese majeste in a speech on the stage at a UDD rally at Sanam Luang on June 7 last year.

The court sentenced her to 18 years in jail without suspension.

More article,

Da Torpedo sentenced to 18 years in jail for lese majeste

By The Nation

The Criminal Court on Friday found activist Daranee Chancheonsilapakul, aka Da Torpedo, guilty of lese majeste and sentenced her to a combined jail term of 18 years.

Daranee, 46, made a series of inflammatory speeches at the red-shirt rallies, notably the demonstration last June at Sanam Luang. Her remarks were against the 2006 coup but laced with offensive references to the monarchy.

The court said in its verdict that Daranee had maliciously offended the monarchy as per Article 112 of the Criminal Code.

She was penalised for three counts of lese majeste, each carrying the punishment for six year imprisonment.

The court found no cause for leniency because the defendant showed no remorse.

About 30 supporters showed up at the verdict session but none dressed in red.

Thai court jails Thaksin supporter for royal insult

Reuters - Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:56am EDT

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai court on Friday sentenced a political campaigner to 18 years in prison for insulting the monarchy, the latest in a slew of lese-majeste cases critics say are stifling dissent and freedom of speech.

The Bangkok Criminal Court handed the harsh sentence to Darunee Charnchoengsilpakul, a "red shirt" supporter of ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. She was convicted of three counts of royal insults, each with a six-year sentence.

"The court finds she intended to insult and make threats to the king and the queen," one of the three judges said, reading the verdict.

Darunee, 46, also known as "Da Torpedo," was arrested in July last year after delivering an exceptionally strong speech about the 2006 coup that ousted Thaksin.

"It is what I expect to happen," she told reporters after the verdict. "I will appeal."

Lese-majeste, or insulting the monarchy, is a very serious offence in Thailand, where many people regard 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej as semi-divine and above politics.

The trial, which began in June, had been held behind closed doors "for reasons of national security," which rights group Amnesty International said could jeopardize her chances of receiving a fair hearing.

Prior to her first hearing, Darunee said her speech was aimed at the generals who ousted former telecommunications tycoon Thaksin, who lives in self-imposed exile after his conviction on conflict of interest charges.

She told Reuters she had made no attempt to topple the monarchy and that she supported "a sustainable monarchy like in the United Kingdom and Japan."

Critics of the lese-majeste law say it is open to abuse since a complaint can be filed by anybody against anybody, no matter how minor the alleged disrespect.

The law has been a regular feature of the charged political atmosphere in Thailand in the past three years. The generals who overthrew Thaksin cited his alleged disrespect for the monarchy among other reasons.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has said he wants to strike a balance between upholding the law and freedom of expression, but critics say little has changed.

I was at Lumpini Park today and there was a news team doing a story about the Monitor Lizards because they were featured on BBC news. I was filmed and a friend was interviewed so for the last 2 hours I've been watching Thai News.

They showed a motorcycle accident death happen, then a video of the body outlined in chalk on the street. I was also told they actually showed a firing squad execution.

My question is: Is this commonplace on Thai news? Is it for entertainment purposes? Is death not that big a deal because of reincarnation or something?

They don't use a firing squad for execution, the method used is lethal injection.

They do show people that have passed away on television, but in no way is it associated with the demented sexual gratification derived from snuff films and to make that analogy is preposterous and reflective of someone not capable of understanding that just because cultural differences exist, that doesn't make one culture perverse.

Thaksin now in Montenegro

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has left United Arab Emirates for Montenegro as asked by the UAE government

Breaking News in Bangkok Post

Thammarak, Pongsak face criminal charges

The National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) plans to press charges against former TRT party executives Gen Thammarak Isarangkura and Pongsak Raktapongpaisal. NCCC commissioner Vicha Mahakhun said yesterday that the two could face criminal charges for corruption and for intervening in the work of an independent agency, namely the Election Commission. The Constitution Tribunal on May 30 ordered that the Thai Rak Thai party be disbanded for committing electoral fraud. Former deputy party leader Gen Thammarak and former deputy party secretary-general Pongsak are allegedly connected to bribing election officer Amornwit Suwanpha. Mr Amornwit is accused of adding 61 members of the little-known Pattana Chart Thai party to the Election Commission's database so that they could contest in the April 2 election that was held last year.

Continued here:

UPDATE

EC resolves to file complaint against former TRT executives

The Election Commission Monday resolved to file a complaint with police to seek criminal actions against nine former executives of the dissolved Thai Rak Thai Party related to the April election frauds.

Sutthipol Thaweechaikarn, secretary-general of the EC Office, said the EC office would draft a complaint for the EC chairman to sign and submit to the Central Investigation Bureau.

The nine executives include Thamarak Issarangkura and Pongsak Ruktapongpisal.

- The Nation

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Former TRT Party Executive and Thaksin Cabinet's Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura

Former TRT Party Deputy Secretary-General Pongsak Ruktapongpisal

There is a follow-up on this issue from an article in this morning's Bangkok Post. The NACC is charging Thamarka and dismissed charges against Pongsak.