Supreme Court upholds verdicts in case against PDRC-demo attackers

By The Nation

 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld an Appeals Court jail sentence for one of the accused in an attack on demonstrators from the now-defunct People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) in front of the Shinawatra Building on Vibhavadi Road in early 2014, and freed the other due to insufficient evidence.

 

The two were accused of attacking the group during a PDRC demonstration against then-prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra while passing the building.

 

They were charged with possessing weapons, carrying weapons in public areas, and attempted murder.

 

No-one was injured or killed in the incident.

 

The first court to hear the case ruled that former red-shirt guard Narongsak Plai-aram and Thanin Sinthusonthichart be sentenced to 43 years and four months each.

 

The Appeal Court later reduced the jail term for Narongsak to 35 years and four months, while overturning the verdict against Thanin due to insufficient evidence.

 

The Supreme Court in December upheld the Appeals Court’s ruling.

 

It was today read to the plaintiffs’ prosecutors again.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30336380

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-01-16

Good these terrorists needed punishing, fair that they let one go based on not sufficient evidence. It shows fairness (does not mean he was innocent). Just hope that if he was innocent he did not spend all that time in jail. 

35 years no one was injured? 

8 minutes ago, Dave67 said:

35 years no one was injured? 

37 years for popcorn shooter who killed a bystander. Pretty weird disproportionate sentencing. Maybe because of the shirt colour. 

 

 

Quote

They were charged with possessing weapons, carrying weapons in public areas, and attempted murder.

 

1 hour ago, Air Smiles said:

They were charged with possessing weapons, carrying weapons in public areas, and attempted murder.

 

 

Did they even fire a shot?  I'd hazard guess they will be pardoned once the Junta is no longer about

10 minutes ago, Dave67 said:

35 years no one was injured? 

 

Did they even fire a shot? 

 

I'm just wondering what the sentencing would have been in western countries for a terrorist bomb attack on peaceful demonstrators?
 

Quote

 

On March 7, 2014 Narongsak and his collaborators launched an M79 grenade at PDRC protesters rallying in front of the Shinawatra Building 3 in Chatuchak district. 

The grenade hit a pole on the building and ornamental trees, causing about 20,000 baht in damage when it exploded.

During the trial, Narongsak confessed to the charges.  He told the court he went to pick up an M79 grenade launcher and ammunition ammunition Meaning: bullets, bombs, etc that can be fired from a weapon from the parking lot at the Imperial Department Store, Lat Phrao.

 

 

11 minutes ago, Air Smiles said:

 

I'm just wondering what the sentencing would have been in western countries for a terrorist bomb attack on peaceful demonstrators?
 

 

I don't care for PDRC, but I also don't like to quibble when the person who was sentenced deserved the sentence.  Using a grenade launcher raises it to the level of terrorism - no mercy period.  Whether you like the PDRC group or what your affiliation is -- this person does not deserve to be raised to the level of martyr by trying to equate different crimes.  People who have qualms about the different standards should pick someone who deserves our sympathy.

Edited January 16, 20188 yr by bkkcanuck8
clarified so it does not look like I am picking on Air Smiles.

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

37 years for popcorn shooter who killed a bystander. Pretty weird disproportionate sentencing. Maybe because of the shirt colour. 

So, this red-shirt guard(!), maybe not very good at manipulating war weaponry (like a grenade thrower is), or at aiming the pistol he shot (illegally, by all means), but violent enough in his attempts to kill (unarmed) protestors, should get a softer sentence ...because he failed? Maybe you write such stuff just because the colour of his shirt...

Edited January 16, 20188 yr by bangrak

22 minutes ago, Air Smiles said:

 

I'm just wondering what the sentencing would have been in western countries for a terrorist bomb attack on peaceful demonstrators?
 

 

Asylum

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

37 years for popcorn shooter who killed a bystander. Pretty weird disproportionate sentencing. Maybe because of the shirt colour. 

Actually, the popcorn shooter has been acquitted! 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/popcorn-gunman-acquitted-charges/

5 minutes ago, candide said:

Actually, the popcorn shooter has been acquitted! 

http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/popcorn-gunman-acquitted-charges/

Madness, he is as much a terrorist as those red terrorists. Just should not have weapons at protest. Though I understand why the PDCR took those weapons.. after prolonged attacks by the red and no help from the government (Charlem said he could not help never caught anyone.. only the army caught them).  So I understand why.. but it does not make it right. 

local politics at its worst and the PM never interferes >ollocks

I love to know where they got those weapons from.. how high up this goes.. too bad that is never really investigated. Its not like everyone can get those weapons.. and these guys had the money to acquire them.

12 minutes ago, robblok said:

Madness, he is as much a terrorist as those red terrorists. Just should not have weapons at protest. Though I understand why the PDCR took those weapons.. after prolonged attacks by the red and no help from the government (Charlem said he could not help never caught anyone.. only the army caught them).  So I understand why.. but it does not make it right. 

I think he threatened to talk about how he came to be there, equipped with a gun, and instructed to kill if necessary. I remember I was very surprised, by reading the account of the first trial, that the investigators and the court were absolutely not interested in these issues.

 

He was given a gun (that's what he stated). Who gave him the gun? Where does it come from? He was not the only one, so there must have been a whole network of illegal weapon trafficking.

 

Let me guess.... Which organisation in Thailand had plenty of weapons and was likely to happily give them to the PDRC? 

 

4 minutes ago, candide said:

I think he threatened to talk about how he came to be there, equipped with a gun, and instructed to kill if necessary. I remember I was very surprised, by reading the account of the first trial, that the investigators and the court were absolutely not interested in these issues.

 

He was given a gun (that's what he stated). Who gave him the gun? Where does it come from? He was not the only one, so there must have been a whole network of illegal weapon trafficking.

 

Let me guess.... Which organisation in Thailand had plenty of weapons and was likely to happily give them to the PDRC? 

 

I got the same questions about the guns of the red.. good to see you also believe that guns are usually given from higher up. So who knows how high this went in both yellow and red. 

1 minute ago, robblok said:

I got the same questions about the guns of the red.. good to see you also believe that guns are usually given from higher up. So who knows how high this went in both yellow and red. 

Well, in this case, that's what he himself declared.

2 minutes ago, candide said:

Well, in this case, that's what he himself declared.

Oh so you think for one side weapons are just easily available and the other side needs a higher hand to get them.. how really red sighted of you. I normally see grenade launchers for sale on markets too.. I mean those red shirts must have picked them up there.. but for the yellows it has to come from higher up.. you bias.. nooo sir 

Edited January 16, 20188 yr by robblok

3 hours ago, robblok said:

Oh so you think for one side weapons are just easily available and the other side needs a higher hand to get them.. how really red sighted of you. I normally see grenade launchers for sale on markets too.. I mean those red shirts must have picked them up there.. but for the yellows it has to come from higher up.. you bias.. nooo sir 

There are probably some supply networks on the red side too. But you will not lead me to acknowledge the weapon caches obviously planted by the Junta.

7 hours ago, candide said:

There are probably some supply networks on the red side too. But you will not lead me to acknowledge the weapon caches obviously planted by the Junta.

There has been NO proof of the army ever planting arms caches. Never been proven yet you cling to it. Its been proven the reds have been far more violent and killed and attacked far more. Guess what they did not do that with toy arms and the weapons did not magically appear to them.