No detention for Future Forward execs pending ruling on junta criticism

By The Nation

 

Photo : Rachanon Intharagsa

 

The attorney-general decided on Wednesday against detaining Future Forward Party executives including leader Thanathorn Jungroongruangkit pending a ruling on whether they broke the law in criticising the ruling junta.

 

Dashing earlier speculation that the trio would be held in custody, the attorney-general ordered them freed for now, saying they had voluntarily turned themselves in. Bail bond was also waived.

 

Thanthorn, Klaikong Vaidhyakarn and Charuwan Sarunkate must still be in court on March 26, two days after the election, to hear further rulings in the case.

 

In an online livestream last year, the three alleged that the junta had tried to lure former MPs to the Phalang Pracharat Party.

 

The junta, the National Council for Peace and Order, accused them of violating the Computer Crime Act by sharing untruthful information on the internet.

 

Thanathorn yesterday expressed his gratitude to the attorney-general for his understanding and for not requiring them to periodically report to the police, thus freeing them to focus on their campaign.

 

Scores of supporters were at the court to give the trio moral support.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30364879

 



-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-27

I strongly suspected all along that Thanathorn would NOT be held in custody. That would have been just TOO obvious - even by the standards of this junta (and would have stoked up considerable anger amongst his young supporters, in particular) ....

It all depends on whether Thailand wants to be true Democracy or not if the answer is yes then critisizing the Government cannot be a crime its called freedom of speech .

54 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thanthorn, Klaikong Vaidhyakarn and Charuwan Sarunkate must still be in court on March 26, two days after the election, to hear further rulings in the case.

 

Who thinks the result of the election will determine the judgement?

52 minutes ago, keith101 said:

It all depends on whether Thailand wants to be true Democracy or not if the answer is yes then critisizing the Government cannot be a crime its called freedom of speech .

Thailand has never had "freedom of speech"-it cannot possibly have it given the existence of a certain type of law..

 

The best you can hope for is circumscribed free speech-a very different thing all together.

Them detaining these guys today would have a negative impact like Prayuth actually sitting in on the debate. It would backfired horribly.

 

But 2 day after the election what will happen? One can only guess as there will not be results in for winners and losers as that takes the Election committee time to do.

13 hours ago, keith101 said:

It all depends on whether Thailand wants to be true Democracy or not if the answer is yes then critisizing the Government cannot be a crime its called freedom of speech .

You've got to be kidding. There is no freedom of speech in Thailand. And The current PM wants to be dictator. 

22 hours ago, keith101 said:

It all depends on whether Thailand wants to be true Democracy or not if the answer is yes then critisizing the Government cannot be a crime its called freedom of speech .

What Thailand wants & what the military leaders want are two completely different things.

This new party is showing the younger generation that there is a way to remove the dictatorship as it stands now, to have freedom of speech to critisise the junta or whoever is in place at the top. To be able to demonstrate public debate without being held in jail.

This vote is going to be very interesting, this is the first internet educated generation who are starting to see the Junta for what they really are !

Not peace makers but dictators !

I'm surprised that they were allowed to continue, after all, this junta is pretty good at shooting itself in the foot, that would really have put the cat amongst the pigeons ????