Sondhi Acknowledges Terrorism Charges For Seizing Suvarnabhumi And Don Muang Airports

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AIRPORT SEIZURE

Sondhi, yellow shirts report to police

By The Nation

BANGKOK: -- People's Alliance for Democracy leader Sondhi Limthongkul on Thursday reported himself at the Crime Suppression Division to fight charges related to the airport seizure in 2008 by the yellow shirts.

"I come today to give my statement to police as I have been charged for terrorism and myriad offences - this is going to be a long story," he said upon arriving at the CSD.

Sondhi said he suspected police trying to throw frame-up charges at him and the yellow shirts. He vowed to fight by filing counter lawsuits against police to the full extent of the law.

Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Maj General Amnuay Nimmano once tried to charge him for treason, but the court already ruled the charge groundless, he said, adding he was seeking the inquiry into Amnuay's abuse of power.

The petition against Amnuay was lodged with the National Anti Corruption Commission, he said.

In regard to the defence strategy, he said some yellow shirts, wanted by police, would hand themselves over while the others would refuse to report to police.

For those acting in defiance of the police summonses, this is to test whether the courts would agree to approve the warrants of arrest because it appears police have named the suspects at their whims and not evidence, he said.

The police named 13 yellow shirts for terrorism charge but summoned a larger number of suspects for questioning on frivolous offences, he said.

PAD co-leader Chamlong Srimuang too showed up to report to police. He did not talk with reporters.

-- The Nation 2010-08-26

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Sondhi Acknowledges Terrorism Charges, Threatens Counter Lawsuits

Sondhi Limthongkul, one of the core leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy, has arrived at the Crime Suppression Division of the Thai Police Headquarters to acknowledge the terrorism charges against him for leading protesters to seize the international airports in Bangkok.

Earlier this morning, Sondhi Limthongkul, one of the core leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy or the PAD, arrived at the Crime Suppression Division of the National Police Headquarters to acknowledge the terrorism charges against him for seizing Suvannabhumi and Don Muang airports in 2008.

Before meeting with the investigators, Sondhi told reporters that the charges against him are unjustified and are aimed at harassing him.

He has also issued a warning to the police officials responsible for the charges that the people will retaliate within the rule of law, as they will not stand for this injustice.

Sondhi cited an example of Police Major General Amnuay Nimmano, who is now being investigated by the National Anti-Corruption Commission or the NACC for bringing excessive treason charges against the PAD.

If found guilty by the NACC, Amnuay could be dismissed from the police force even if he is the police chief at that time.

Sondhi added that those who have been charged are separated into two groups, one of which will not turn themselves in.

The PAD leader also said that initially only 13 protest leaders were charged, but the police have decided to unjustly include more people. Sondhi also said that the PAD may file counter charges for being wrongfully accused.

Meanwhile, Chamlong Srimuang, another PAD leader, arrived at the police headquarters to turn himself in about one hour after Sondhi. He entered the building without talking to reporters.

-- Tan Network 2010-08-26

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Sixty Thai 'Yellow Shirts' charged over airport siege

BANGKOK (AFP) -- Thai police on Thursday charged dozens of royalist "Yellow Shirts" -- half of them with terrorism offences -- over the 2008 seizure of two Bangkok airports, a spokesman for the movement said.

Sixty members of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), as the Yellows are formally known, heard their charges at Bangkok's crime suppression bureau, while about 200 of their supporters noisily gathered in front of the building.

Two of the protest's leaders -- Sondhi Limthongkul and Somsak Kosaisuk -- were among 30 in the group who faced terrorism charges, said Samaran Rodpetch, spokesman for the movement's political wing, the New Politics Party.

"Police told us the charges and we deny them all," he told reporters, adding that all of those charged would submit written testimony within 30 days.

The Yellow Shirts' 2008 siege at Bangkok's two main airports stranded hundreds of thousands of tourists and helped to topple a government allied to fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Thaksin himself had been unseated in 2006 in a coup partially triggered by Yellow Shirt rallies.

The group claims allegiance to the throne and is backed by the Bangkok-based elite who detest Thaksin, the hero of the mostly poor and working class "Red Shirts."

Seventeen Red Shirt protest leaders, most of them now in jail after violent protests in Bangkok between March and May this year, have pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges and will face trials for their role in that unrest.

A further two Red leaders, who are opposition lawmakers, also face terrorism charges but can delay their plea submissions until after the current term of parliament finishes.

The Reds' two-month-long protest in central Bangkok descended into several outbreaks of violence that left 90 people dead and nearly 1,900 injured, ending in a bloody army crackdown in May.

The movement had complained that the lack of charges filed against the rival Yellows over the airport blockade showed a "double standard of justice".

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2010-08-26

[Thailand]

The majority of the reds who were recently charged are currently incarcerated? I expect the same thing will happen to the yellows.

[Payboy]

I suspect Sondhi is a prisoner of his own fantasies.

[asiawatcher]

I am glad to see this result so far. Try to seize any airport in the civilised world and see if you are not met with extreme prejudice! It never happened so about time someone was held to book!

[TheBarbarian]

They can acknowledge whatever they want. They are protected by a crooked judicial system anyhow. Double Standards is the name of the game.

[yellow1red1]

I am glad to see this result so far. Try to seize any airport in the civilised world and see if you are not met with extreme prejudice! It never happened so about time someone was held to book!

For truth, in the civilised world the airports would never have been blockaded. the plotters would have been caught and chucked in jail for many years before they even hit the streets. For proof just try to imagine American airports being commandeered or a Governemnt House held for 6 months.

As for treason it would be good to hear the police captains points! Sondhi has said he will destroy the Thai economy if he has to. or maybe it was for Sondhi financing Thaksin into power?

Thailand is going to heck in a hand basket. Sondhi is correct, it is going to be a very long story. a very worse story!