Thanathorn denies sedition charges

By The Nation

 

Kunlaphun Siripimamporn /NationPhoto

 

Future Forward Party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit on Saturday denied three counts of sedition when he reported to police at Pathumwan police station.

 

Police charged him with violating Article 116 of the Criminal Cod by inciting unrest, violating Article 189 of the Criminal Code by helping a student activist flee from an arrest and violating Article 215 by taking part in an unlawful gathering to cause disturbance in the country.

 

As he left the police station, he said he denied all the charges.

 

He said he reserved his right not to give a verbal account to police but he would submit his written account before May 15.

 

Thanathorn said he was confident in his innocence but he was worried that he would be tried in a military court instead of the Criminal Court.

 

He said representatives of foreign embassies came to observe the situation because they want to know from police why the case would go to a military court.

 

The embassies' representatives also asked police why Thanathorn was summoned now, although the case dated back to 2015.

 

Police said the case was delayed because officers in charge had retired and the case had to be handed over to new officers.

 

Before leaving, Thanathorn asked his supporters to disperse peacefully so that people with malicious intention could not use the chance to create a situation.

 

He said he would keep his supporters updated on his case via Facebook.

 

He then raised a three-finger sign to the supporters who flashed back a three-finger sign as Thanathorn left the scene.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30367267

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-04-07

5 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

and violating Article 215 by taking part in an unlawful gathering to cause disturbance in the country.

the heart of the matter; our rulers want Zero change and will selectively apply ridiculously ambiguous laws to suppress it

He will now become more popular than ever to the young voters. 

The fact that some embassies were there is something junta did not foresee. The fact that case is from 2015 also does not help their cause.

 

while all is possible , I do not see this case working out well for junta one way or another

If this guy is railroaded in a military court and jailed, i suspect that'll be the tipping point.

These are obviously bogus charges. It is hilarious to think a small group of unarmed activists can be charged with sedition / overthrowing the state. I can't think of any parallels anywhere 

Probably rope in the 3 finger sign for causing confusion and unrest and spreading false hope for a free country, short sentence and a 5 year a ban from politics coming up.

1 hour ago, BestB said:

The fact that some embassies were there is something junta did not foresee. The fact that case is from 2015 also does not help their cause.

 

while all is possible , I do not see this case working out well for junta one way or another

Charges are crazy, no grounds at all. They will look bad either way but I doubt they care they desperately try to hold on to power. What i like to know is if he was really there or if their only connection is that it were his vehicles. 

20 minutes ago, robblok said:

Charges are crazy, no grounds at all. They will look bad either way but I doubt they care they desperately try to hold on to power. What i like to know is if he was really there or if their only connection is that it were his vehicles. 

I think you may find they will care because they risk being cut off or even sanctioned. I would not be surprised if big joke fiasco was not a warning to all top heads.

 

even if he was there, they had 4 years to act but failed.

 

it kind of white washed with thaksin because at least he was corrupt so international community let it slide, but I think now it’s different situation , add EC into the mix and it’s not working in junta favor at all

 

then add the current general anti western rants and it’s really making some top people who spend most of their time living in the west look bad

Edited April 7, 20197 yr by BestB

11 minutes ago, BestB said:

I think you may find they will care because they risk being cut off or even sanctioned. I would not be surprised if big joke fiasco was not a warning to all top heads.

 

even if he was there, they had 4 years to act but failed.

 

it kind of white washed with thaksin because at least he was corrupt so international community let it slide, but I think now it’s different situation , add EC into the mix and it’s not working in junta favor at all

 

then add the current general anti western rants and it’s really making some top people who spend most of their time living in the west look bad

I agree, with Thaksin there were grounds this is totally fabricated. I hope the international community will do something. But to be honest I really doubt it they prefer money over anything else. I would like to see some sanctions if something like this happens. 

 

This case stinks and the international community knows it, but will they act if he is convicted.. I am not sure. I hope so of course. 

Its good he is let out to give written reply to charges. Sounds like one of the good guys?

"Police charged him with violating Article 116 of the Criminal Cod"

Just as well the foreign embassies were there or he may have been "battered" :-)


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2 minutes ago, robblok said:

I agree, with Thaksin there were grounds this is totally fabricated. I hope the international community will do something. But to be honest I really doubt it they prefer money over anything else. I would like to see some sanctions if something like this happens. 

 

This case stinks and the international community knows it, but will they act if he is convicted.. I am not sure. I hope so of course. 

From the past I do not recall embassies attending any charges or questioning police , so quite possibly they will act

4 minutes ago, BestB said:

From the past I do not recall embassies attending any charges or questioning police , so quite possibly they will act

Got to be at the point now where foreign bodies speak against these tyrants. 

Elections delayed and delayed and then this sham. 

Sanctions are the only way to tame these morally bankrupt beasts

Looks like 3 fingers have been inserted into a general in round one hopefully a fist to follow in round two???? 

2 hours ago, robblok said:

I agree, with Thaksin there were grounds this is totally fabricated. I hope the international community will do something. But to be honest I really doubt it they prefer money over anything else. I would like to see some sanctions if something like this happens. 

 

This case stinks and the international community knows it, but will they act if he is convicted.. I am not sure. I hope so of course. 

So you've already exhaustively read and excoriatingly dissected all the evidence presented by the 'competent authorities' as grounds for the respective charges against

 

A ) your favorite bogeyman and

 

B ) your new superhero?

 

Please consider who were the 'competent authorities' in both instances.

21 minutes ago, graemeaylward said:

"Police charged him with violating Article 116 of the Criminal Cod"

Just as well the foreign embassies were there or he may have been "battered" ????


Sent from my iPad using Thaivisa Connect

Haddock makes for a much better plate of fish (and chips).

2 hours ago, z42 said:

If this guy is railroaded in a military court and jailed, i suspect that'll be the tipping point.

These are obviously bogus charges. It is hilarious to think a small group of unarmed activists can be charged with sedition / overthrowing the state. I can't think of any parallels anywhere 

Much, much too soon. I reckon any 'tipping point' will be some time early in 2039.

 

I am cool with that as long as it doesn't bugger up my wake.

11 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

So you've already exhaustively read and excoriatingly dissected all the evidence presented by the 'competent authorities' as grounds for the respective charges against

 

A ) your favorite bogeyman and

 

B ) your new superhero?

 

Please consider who were the 'competent authorities' in both instances.

Seen enough proof in the Thaksin cases to know he was a crook and corrupt. I have not seen the same in the case of this guy. He is not my superhero but IMHO the best of a bad bunch. 

 

If you read my replies and not do the hack job and taking my quote out of context of leaving all the rest away I asked if anyone knew he was there or not. But by maiming my quote you took it nicely out of context. 

2 minutes ago, robblok said:

Seen enough proof in the Thaksin cases to know he was a crook and corrupt. I have not seen the same in the case of this guy. He is not my superhero but IMHO the best of a bad bunch. 

Based on? What you read in the newspaper?

24 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

So you've already exhaustively read and excoriatingly dissected all the evidence presented by the 'competent authorities' as grounds for the respective charges against

 

A ) your favorite bogeyman and

 

B ) your new superhero?

 

Please consider who were the 'competent authorities' in both instances.

You can not deny thaksin corruption. 

 

As I said many times before he was corrupt to the bone but he also let people have the crumbs .

 

point was/is international community stood by and did nothing being well aware of political motivations but he was corrupt .

 

in this case, there is no evidence or anything to make Thanathorn guilty but pure junta hunt, mind you on a dead 4 year old case, straight after the elections and rigged elections as well.

 

totally different scenarios now

1 hour ago, BestB said:

From the past I do not recall embassies attending any charges or questioning police , so quite possibly they will act

Yes, I was amazed (and pleased) to see that reps from various international bodies were allowed to accompany Thanathorn not only into the police station, but actually into his meeting with the police themselves. This is unprecedented in my experience. It shows that Thanathorn has international friends in high places - and that the junta is playing with potential fire if they lock this guy up. I very much doubt they will do that. But I do think he will be suspended from political activity for the next five years. That gives the junta (who of course are going to 'win' this election - there has never, even for a single second, been any doubt in my mind about that) lots of time to prepare how to engineer their 'victory' in the next election in five years' time.

 

But even the worm will turn - and I think we are in for very agitated times (although not agitated enough to unseat the incumbents) in the next year or so. For those of us who love Thailand, have love/ marital relationships with Thais and hold a lot of affection for the ordinary Thais in general, the prognosis for the coming year or two is not at all good.

 

Yet hope springs eternal in the human breast - and I do foresee a day (fairly far off, perhaps) when the Thais will eventually get the government the majority truly want ...

 

4 hours ago, rooster59 said:

disturbance in the country.

Thoughts of hope, prosperity and freedom are very disruptive to a junta that wants to sanitize, dilute and muzzle all the good things in Thailand, while doing almost nothing for the country as a whole.    He is guility of being heroic and more than twice the man that general cha cha thinks he is .  

The whole situation is a mess and just getting muddier by the day. My wife voted for this guy so now I have an interest in this most recent twist in the story. 

May the better man win .

This guy gets my 3 finger salute .

Buck Banana and General Rolex get a middle finger salute lol .

 

5 hours ago, Longcut said:

He will now become more popular than ever to the young voters. 

Of course he will become even more popular now. Judging that the military is behind this and knowing their level of intelligence they are really pushing his popularity.

If the junta hold onto power via bold-faced stunts like this, there is sure to be “trouble in River City”.

 

Bring it on. 

Here we go!!

Round em up, lock em up !!

I predicted 3 months before the blood shed begins again.

Or maybe this country deserves a junta

4 hours ago, robblok said:

Charges are crazy, no grounds at all. They will look bad either way but I doubt they care they desperately try to hold on to power. What i like to know is if he was really there or if their only connection is that it were his vehicles. 

And further, all he did (according to the police comments was he gave a person who was not under police restrictions etc., a ride home. How can that be illegal?

 

The young man he gave a ride to had been at the forefront of protests but surely it's his right to protest, and surely it's just common kindness to offer this young man (not a convicted criminal / not a criminal on bail or similar) a ride home. And if Thanathorn (I repeat if) did agree with the protestors stand, is that in itself a chargeable offense? 

 

Really clutching at straws. 

 

2 hours ago, Eligius said:

Yes, I was amazed (and pleased) to see that reps from various international bodies were allowed to accompany Thanathorn not only into the police station, but actually into his meeting with the police themselves. This is unprecedented in my experience. It shows that Thanathorn has international friends in high places - and that the junta is playing with potential fire if they lock this guy up. I very much doubt they will do that. But I do think he will be suspended from political activity for the next five years. That gives the junta (who of course are going to 'win' this election - there has never, even for a single second, been any doubt in my mind about that) lots of time to prepare how to engineer their 'victory' in the next election in five years' time.

 

But even the worm will turn - and I think we are in for very agitated times (although not agitated enough to unseat the incumbents) in the next year or so. For those of us who love Thailand, have love/ marital relationships with Thais and hold a lot of affection for the ordinary Thais in general, the prognosis for the coming year or two is not at all good.

 

Yet hope springs eternal in the human breast - and I do foresee a day (fairly far off, perhaps) when the Thais will eventually get the government the majority truly want ...

 

 

All good points however I suggest there's another factor involved in the overall current puzzle;  the pretty obvious current stand off / hatred between the PM and the over zealous Army chief, and it would not surprise me if the Army chief and his faction attempt another coup and it seems this faction is pretty powerful and has strong right wing attitudes about the role of the military.

 

Then ...

 

 

Edited April 7, 20197 yr by scorecard

Should he be found guilty & a prison sentence pronounced and sent to prison!!!!!!! then he will become an opposition martyr!!! And then the country will be really divided and all sorts of anarchy will follow... just my ten cents!!!