Seven Thai Red Shirt Leaders Freed On Bail

[webfact]

Seven red leaders freed on bail

The Criminal Court on Tuesday approved the bail of seven red leaders on the conditions that they will not get involved in any disturbances and comply with a ban against travelling abroad.

The seven, including Natthawut Saikua, weng Tojirakarn and Kokaew Pikulthong, each put Bt600,000 as guarantee for the temporary release. The bail approval followed the Monday's hearing.

-- The Nation 2011-02-22

[bkkjames]

Good, no more protests needed then.

[phiphidon]

So what has changed now from the previous occasions that they have applied for bail and been refused?

[Insight]

Now things get interesting.

Hopefully the conditions will be enforced, unlike what's been happing with Juttaporn.

[webfact]

Red Shirt Leaders Released on Bail

The Criminal Court has granted bail to seven red shirt leaders and one red shirt supporter who have been in custody since May 2010.

The conditions of their bail instruct them not to leave the country and not incite violence.

-- Tan Network 2011-02-22

[Who, me ?]

What's next? Red shirts will rally to ask for .......... (put your suggestion here)

[MaiChai]

Hum, bail for terrorism charges? Would this happen in a western country? Does mean everything that happened before will be forgotten and these leaders will never be held accountable for what happened? Amazing Thailand!

[webfact]

Thai court frees seven protest leaders on bail

by Thanaporn Promyamyai

BANGKOK, February 22, 2011 (AFP) - A Thai court on Tuesday released on bail seven top leaders of the "Red Shirt" opposition movement after they spent nine months in detention over their roles in mass rallies in Bangkok last year.

The men were held on terrorism charges since their two-month long demonstration ended in May 2010 with a deadly military crackdown that left about 90 people dead in clashes between protesters and armed troops.

"The court ruled to temporarily release the defendants," said a judge at the capital's Criminal Court, adding that the decision was based on new evidence presented by the defence.

The bail conditions for the seven -- who include key movement members Natthawut Saikua, Weng Tojirakarn and Kokaew Pikulthong -- include a ban on foreign travel and on making comments likely to incite unrest.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva -- asked whether the ruling would help reconciliation efforts -- told reporters that the decision to free the seven was in the hands of the court.

Most Red Shirts leaders surrendered to police soon after the army moved in to break up the demonstration in the heart of Bangkok's retail district. Some others are still on the run.

Red Shirt supporters crowded the court room and cheered as the judgement was read out, while the wives of the seven men sobbed and hugged each other.

Around 200 people gathered outside the building, flanked by about 100 police officers, and more were expected to meet at the prison in a suburb of the capital to greet the defendants.

Thailand's political landscape has remained fractured since last year's unrest, the country's worst civil violence in decades.

The Reds have held a series of peaceful one-day rallies in the capital in recent weeks demanding the release of their leaders, attracting thousands of protesters back on to the Bangkok streets.

Police estimated around 30,000 people massed in the city on Saturday for a rally to mark nine months since the bloody army crackdown on their protest.

Rival "Yellow Shirt" nationalists who claim allegiance to the throne have also been on the streets, rallying near Government House recently in protest at Abhisit's handling of a deadly border dispute with Cambodia.

On Tuesday Thailand agreed to extend the Internal Security Act in Bangkok to cope with the renewed political rallies.

The laws -- less strict than emergency rule, which was imposed for more than eight months last year -- authorise security personnel to stop people gathering in certain areas, officials said.

The capital was rattled by a string of minor explosions in the months after the military broke up the rally, during the period of emergency rule.

The mainly rural, working class Reds are broadly loyal to fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and lives overseas to avoid a jail sentence for corruption imposed in absentia.

They view Thailand's current government as undemocratic because it came to power in 2008 in a parliamentary vote after a court ruling threw out the previous administration, and have called for snap elections.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-02-22

[Who, me ?]

Thai court frees seven 'Red Shirt' leaders on bail

BANGKOK, February 22, 2011 (AFP) - A Thai court on Tuesday released seven top leaders of the "Red Shirt" opposition protest movement on bail after nine months in detention over their roles in mass rallies in Bangkok last year.

"The court ruled to temporarily release the defendants," said a judge at the capital's Criminal Court, adding that the decision was based on new evidence presented by the defence.

They have been held on terrorism charges since the Reds' two-month-long demonstration ended in May 2010 with a deadly military crackdown, leaving about 90 people dead in clashes between protesters and armed troops.

The bail conditions include a ban on foreign travel and making any comments likely to incite unrest.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-02-22

New evidences presented by the defence????????? What can it be? They were not involved in the protests, in the riots? They did not incite to violence? They were not there?

[whybother]

They can now concentrate on getting bail for the other red shirts. They've got about 17 million Baht to spend on their bail and legal bills.

[robertson468]

Thai court frees seven 'Red Shirt' leaders on bail

BANGKOK, February 22, 2011 (AFP) - A Thai court on Tuesday released seven top leaders of the "Red Shirt" opposition protest movement on bail after nine months in detention over their roles in mass rallies in Bangkok last year.

"The court ruled to temporarily release the defendants," said a judge at the capital's Criminal Court, adding that the decision was based on new evidence presented by the defence.

They have been held on terrorism charges since the Reds' two-month-long demonstration ended in May 2010 with a deadly military crackdown, leaving about 90 people dead in clashes between protesters and armed troops.

The bail conditions include a ban on foreign travel and making any comments likely to incite unrest.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2011-02-22

h-m-m-m-m-m nothing to do with likely elections in a couple of months?

[Nisa]

Good, no more protests needed then.

Likely protests get more intense.

[hyperdimension]

Exactly who's out and who still remains incarcerated?

I wonder if the next reason for protest is "release the remaining leaders". They need some excuse to keep on protesting, don't they? Anything that makes the government look oppressive, as it's part of Pheu Thai's electoral campaign.

Edited February 22, 2011 by hyperdimension

[givenall]

Good, no more protests needed then.

Great

Here we go again, right before the Songkran again, we have the same mass all over again

[frodo]

They can now concentrate on getting bail for the other red shirts. They've got about 17 million Baht to spend on their bail and legal bills.

It would be nice if they would do that. Nevertheless, the other online source has Thida saying the protests will continue "...to help other red shirts who had been persecuted out of detention." March 12th is still on.

Edited February 22, 2011 by frodo

[dananderson]

So what has changed now from the previous occasions that they have applied for bail and been refused?

Recent red shirt rallys perhaps? Possibly a concilliatory/pre-emptive move to ease current tensions given there will eventually be an election.

[Arkady]

So what has changed now from the previous occasions that they have applied for bail and been refused?

Elections are coming and a no confidence debate before that. Forget about independence of the notoriously weak and maleable judicial branch. It must look like a positive trade off to remove one of the big justifications for red shirt protests against the risk of the trouble they can create by being out and about. The bail condition preventing addressing rallies hasn't stopped Jatuporn from doing so and presumably won't stop these ones completely either, although their experience of being inside might chasen the older ones like Dr Weng.

In addition the attorney-general doesn't seem able to come up with substantive terrorism cases against them and probably never will. As in the the attempted assassination of Sondhi Limtrakul, it usually ends up being too difficult in cases of politically motivated violence to build a strong case that doesn't implicate untouchable entities in the military, police or elsewhere.

Edited February 22, 2011 by Arkady

[pedro01]

Hum, bail for terrorism charges? Would this happen in a western country? Does mean everything that happened before will be forgotten and these leaders will never be held accountable for what happened? Amazing Thailand!

You ever heard of a group called the IRA?

This does take away the red shirts current grievance. It remains to be seen what their next one will be.

[mkawish]

So what has changed now from the previous occasions that they have applied for bail and been refused?

There were supposedly SEVEN persons vouching on their good subsequent behaviors and that they would not get involved in any provocation.

These seven also stated in court that the temporary released based on bail would also MEND the national rift....

Inasmuch as I personally doubt that their release on bail would bring any measurable good result.... however, let's wait and see....

Let's hope that the 9 months in jail would help modify some of their behaviors....

What I am personally afraid is that.... everything would intensified and everything else would go under ground even deeper.... from now on....

[Emptyset]

Hum, bail for terrorism charges? Would this happen in a western country? Does mean everything that happened before will be forgotten and these leaders will never be held accountable for what happened? Amazing Thailand!

You ever heard of a group called the IRA?

This does take away the red shirts current grievance. It remains to be seen what their next one will be.

Surely there's still the major grievance, justice for the dead? Then there's still the whole bringing down the amaat project, but Thida says that's a long-term thing... could take years!

Anyway, it's obvious they've been released now because house will be dissolved soon enough so there's no reason for red shirts to consider a protracted protest. I think they'll continue protesting up until the election, but what happens after the election will be more interesting.

[Emptyset]

So what has changed now from the previous occasions that they have applied for bail and been refused?

There were supposedly SEVEN persons vouching on their good subsequent behaviors and that they would not get involved in any provocation.

These seven also stated in court that the temporary released based on bail would also MEND the national rift....

Inasmuch as I personally doubt that their release on bail would bring any measurable good result.... however, let's wait and see....

Let's hope that the 9 months in jail would help modify some of their behaviors....

What I am personally afraid is that.... everything would intensified and everything else would go under ground even deeper.... from now on....

This is a necessary step towards reconcilliation and it weakens the double standards argument. That's already a good result!

[notime]

Smart play Abhisit! "New evidence" looks just like an excuse to release them. "Terrorism charges" en excuse to hold them. In the end "watch out guys what we can do to you if you misbehave" message is clear. And yes, collect bail, hit them in their pockets if they stray! It's painful. That's what Singapore government does to opposition with a great success. Shuts them up every time. No protests to "release the leaders" planned now. Good.

[mkawish]

So what has changed now from the previous occasions that they have applied for bail and been refused?

There were supposedly SEVEN persons vouching on their good subsequent behaviors and that they would not get involved in any provocation.

These seven also stated in court that the temporary released based on bail would also MEND the national rift....

Inasmuch as I personally doubt that their release on bail would bring any measurable good result.... however, let's wait and see....

Let's hope that the 9 months in jail would help modify some of their behaviors....

What I am personally afraid is that.... everything would intensified and everything else would go under ground even deeper.... from now on....

This is a necessary step towards reconcilliation and it weakens the double standards argument. That's already a good result!

Weakened the double standards....?

The yellows have been summoned to hear the possible charges just yesterday....

Even though they appear to be demonstrating peacefully under the protection of the constitution....

Nevertheless, the govt summons them....

Now the reds, several of whom.... during the nine months preceding.... tended toward violence, seizure of whatever and burning of anything that belonged to the opposition, such as the shopping centers and the banks.... and everything and whoever.... not participating in the contribution of the red movement....

as of today.... have been temporarily released on bail on certain conditions that they do not participate in agitation.... and such.... and would not leave the country without prior permission....

I wonder.... if double standards have really been lessen.... or that there is a new and different interpretation of the term.... just to cover the yellow leaders who have been summoned just less than 24 hrs ago....

[mkawish]

Smart play Abhisit! "New evidence" looks just like an excuse to release them. "Terrorism charges" en excuse to hold them. In the end "watch out guys what we can do to you if you misbehave" message is clear. And yes, collect bail, hit them in their pockets if they stray! It's painful. That's what Singapore government does to opposition with a great success. Shuts them up every time. No protests to "release the leaders" planned now. Good.

You might have been mistaken.... and too soon.... perhaps....

The woman red leader just said.... the show goes on....

but now they are focusing on the release of all reds still behind bar....

I really wish as you do.... that there is really no more such violent protest ever again.... but that is just a dream....

[Insight]

Anyway, it's obvious they've been released now because house will be dissolved soon enough so there's no reason for red shirts to consider a protracted protest. I think they'll continue protesting up until the election, but what happens after the election will be more interesting.

Sounds like you're anticipating the reds (Phua Thai) loosing with that response. Not likely they'll continue protesting if they win...?

So in what way will things become more interesting?

[spidermike007]

A tragedy of enormous proportions has been committed against the Thai people, with the release of these treasonous fools. They should have been tried on treason charges, convicted, and sentenced to at least 20 years in prison, in addition to a million baht fine, each. That is the least the people of this nation deserve. But, many of us knew that they would never be charged, and tried.

[JamesDean3]

The Reds will continue protesting as long as the money from Dubai keeps coming. I know a lot of Reds and they tell me their know their grieviances are right but they can't changed the status quo. They also know the man in Dubai is a means to an end. They will join rallies as long as they get paid. They got their own jobs to look after too. No money, no honey.

[rubl]

A tragedy of enormous proportions has been committed against the Thai people, with the release of these treasonous fools. They should have been tried on treason charges, convicted, and sentenced to at least 20 years in prison, in addition to a million baht fine, each. That is the least the people of this nation deserve. But, many of us knew that they would never be charged, and tried.

A tragedy or not, but these seven have been charged.

Let's just say that here we see a legal system properly at work.

May I start the rumour that the government has put pressure on the court to make it look like a working legal system, so the ICC has even less reason to pick up the case of 'a possible crime against human rights' ?

[whybother]

...

May I start the rumour that the government has put pressure on the court to make it look like a working legal system, so the ICC has even less reason to pick up the case of 'a possible crime against human rights' ?

1) The ICC wouldn't have picked up the case anyway.

2) If they did, releasing the leaders would make no difference to the overall picture.

[asiawatcher]

Hum, bail for terrorism charges? Would this happen in a western country? Does mean everything that happened before will be forgotten and these leaders will never be held accountable for what happened? Amazing Thailand!

Exactly - terrorists at large - that works - good ole Thailand - what a joke!