The Criminal Court acquitted 32 core members of the now defunct People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) political group today. They had been charged with insurrection for seizing Don Mueang airport from November 24 until December 3, 2008, in an attempt to force the resignation of the Somchai Wongsawat government.

 

The court did, however, impose a 20,000 baht fine on 13 of the defendants for trespass and violation of the Emergency Decree in force at the time.

 

The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove that all 32 defendants had committed insurrection, assaulted officials or obstructed them in the performance of duty, illegally detained any official or disrupted communications system and air travel services during the protest at the airport.  The protest was also peaceful and the protesters were unarmed.

 

Caption: File photo : Anchalee Paireerak, one of PAD core members.

 

Full story: Thai PBS 2024-01-17

 

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Prelude to nation’s reconciliation 

No more color coded fractions from now 

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

The court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove that... [the protestors] disrupted communications system and air travel services during the protest at the airport.

 

Eh? Most flights were cancelled for around 10 days. 

 

The closure of the airports cost the country billions. 

 

Aye ok then Somchai. 

The law moves very slowly in Thailand ......2008 

 

regards Worgeordie 

20 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

The law moves very slowly in Thailand ......2008 

 

 

Yes just see the "Hopewell" debacle  and also the "Horizon IT scandal"  (oops that one from the UK)

10 hours ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

 

Eh? Most flights were cancelled for around 10 days. 

 

The closure of the airports cost the country billions. 

 

Aye ok then Somchai. 

PAD didn't close the airport, that decision was made by others.

Jonathan Head

@pakhead

·

A double standard here. The judge is lenient with the 2008 airport occupiers as they were non-violent - yet caused huge economic damage. But since 2020 hundreds of activists were prosecuted, some got long sentences, for non-violent protest and opinions.

 

https://twitter.com/pakhead/status/1747650217498087424

14 hours ago, worgeordie said:

The law moves very slowly in Thailand ......2008 

 

regards Worgeordie 

Looking at the outcome it does not move at all!!

They were an extremely nasty bunch of extreme royalists. Not surprising they've all been acquitted. Ironically in the same manner more or less as their arch enemy, Tony. The wheel turns...

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Alliance_for_Democracy

9 minutes ago, RamblingOn said:

Looking at the outcome it does not move at all!!

 

It is moving, unfortunately in reverse. 

 

4 hours ago, anchadian said:

A double standard here.

 

Paraphrasing Captain Renault, "A double standard? Here? In Thailand? I'm shocked. Now pull my Merc up so I can go run over some peasants."

 

 

18 hours ago, Hunz Kittisak said:

Prelude to nation’s reconciliation 

No more color coded fractions from now 

What part of the country are you living in? We are now in a more multi-coloured country than we were 10 years ago.  

 

Then it was red and Yellow  

 

Now, it is RED YELLOW AND ORANGE politically, and if you consider the LGBTQ+, add in the multi.

 

This is a country more divided than it was when it was just red Yellow.  I think it is also a more confused country.  People that were strong believers in the colour of their party are now seeing them blow up in the name of political expediency. 

 

Consider 10 years ago, if you wore RED, that meant that you were against the military and pro-democracy.  In all likelihood, a strong believer in the Thaksin parties. BUT WERE DEFINITELY NOT FOND OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY OR THE MILITARY ELITE THAT SUPPORTED IT.

 

If you wore yellow, then you were a strong supporter of the King and all that he stood for, along with the military.  You felt that the military had all the right ideas and that the elite were the people who knew. You probably voted DEMOCRAT, and heaven forbid thinking that Thaksin had any ideas he was the antichrist.

 

Now you have the Yellow and Red joining forces, and you have the DEMOCRAT party all but extinct and supporting the PTP.  You have Yellow and red joined together in government 

 

Now you have this hybrid that is a mix of Yellow and RED  = Orange  That people are flocking too.

 

NO, this country is still colour-coded and will be for a long, long time.

pad, that were those yellow kinda shirts or the red? confuso

MFP MP Padipat highlighted the absurdity of this decision, and implicated the Thai judicial system, by pointing out that he was fined 50,000 baht for posting one photo of a beer on the interwebs. And these folks who commandeered an international airport were fined 20,000. Don't hold my beer.