Ballot-Tearing Activist Gets 2-Month Suspended Sentence

[webfact]

Ballot-Tearing Activist Gets 2-Month Suspended Sentence

By Pravit Rojanaphruk, Senior Staff Writer

 

  

Piyarat Chongthep tears his referendum ballot Aug. 7, 2016, at a Bang Na district polling station.

 

BANGKOK — The Phra Khanong Provincial Court in Bangkok on Tuesday handed down a two-month suspended sentence and 2,000 baht fine to an activist who deliberately tore his ballot in protest during last year’s charter referendum.

 

Piyarat Chongthep, 26, had faced 10 years in prison on charges of obstructing the Aug. 7, 2016, referendum, causing a disturbance at a polling station and destruction of state property for tearing the 25-satang ballot.

 

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/news/2017/09/26/ballot-tearing-activist-gets-2-month-suspended-sentence/

 

-- © Copyright Khaosod English 2017-09-26

[Eric Loh]

Happy for the young man not to suffer the injustice of 10 years. 

[nikmar]

I thought that Thailand wanted to develop critical thinking skills not punish.

[GarryP]

6 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Happy for the young man not to suffer the injustice of 10 years. 

I think a two month suspended sentence is an injustice. He did nothing wrong. The case is pathetic as was the referendum.

[jesimps]

Causing a disturbance at a polling station.....

Now what does that bring to mind?

[Eric Loh]

17 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Causing a disturbance at a polling station.....

Now what does that bring to mind?

Venture a guess. Double standard?

[rkidlad]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Ballot-Tearing Activist Gets 2-Month Suspended Sentence

Well, that's more than you get for crashing into and killing a police officer while under the influence of alcohol, drugs and money. 

Edited September 26, 2017 by rkidlad

[Thian]

What happened to the 2 italian drunk boys who pulled down some flags in Phuket? They could foresee a long time in prison but did they actually get that sentence?

 

[webfact]

Activists fined for tearing up ballot paper

By The Nation

 

Piyarat

 

The criminal court on Tuesday ruled three anti-junta activists guilty of vandalism and handed down a suspended sentence of two months in prison and a fine of Bt2,000 for ripping up a ballot paper in the charter referendum last year.

The penalty was reduced from four-month imprisonment and a Bt4,000 fine after the suspects pleaded guilty. The jail punishment was suspended in one year.

 

The court heard that the three activists, Piyarat Chingthep, Songtham Kaewpanphruk and Jirawat Ekakaranuwat, vandalised the ballot paper in the vote on the new constitution in August last year. They said it was a demonstration against the process under the coup-installed regime, which they saw as illegitimate.

 

While Piyarat tore his ballot, the other two played the role of cameramen, recording a video of the incident.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30327739

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-09-26

[tomta]

The man is a hero and should receive a medal not a suspended sentence

[RichardColeman]

I'm guessing the prisons were full of the devious monkeys that did similar.

[Get Real]

Yep, that´s right! Punish him. It´s just not to rip up a ballot and call yourself activist. Did you though you would get away with that young man? 

He just said yes, and look what happened.