Lese Majeste Charges Against Jatuporn Lifted

[webfact]

Lese majeste charges against Jatuporn lifted

The Nation

Observers believe this might be related to the possibility of him getting a Cabinet seat

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation has found no cause to invoke the lese majeste law against Pheu Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan, DSI director-general Tarit Pengdith said yesterday.

"The DSI report recommends that the charges be dropped," he said. The investigation report is awaiting approval from the public prosecutor.

Tarit said the report had found that Jatuporn's rally speech on April 10, 2011 could not be construed as violating Article 112 of the Criminal Code, which is a key clause related to lese majeste.

At a rally held at Democracy Monument to mark the one-year anniversary on the red-shirt crackdown, Jatuporn referred to "royally-bestowed bullets" as he attacked the military and the Abhisit Vejjajiva government in his speech.

Some observers say Jatuporn's case is being dropped because he might end up in Yingluck Shinawatra's Cabinet after the reshuffle in June.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit said yesterday that he had settled the conflict between Jatuporn and fellow Pheu Thai MP Chalong Raewrang.

"I have spoken to them both and they have resolved their differences since yesterday," he said.

The conflict arose when Chalong stepped forward to oppose the possibility of Jatuporn getting a Cabinet seat, saying his appointment would be unfair to MPs from the Central region and also because he faced lese majeste charges.

Yongyuth said the two MPs had already come to an understanding, though, he added, the red shirts would only stop attacking Chalong if he stopped airing critical views about Jatuporn.

Meanwhile, Sonthaya Kunplome, the de facto leader of Palang Chon Party, dismissed speculation about his party demanding a change to the allocation of Cabinet seats.

"Palang Chon has not demanded that its quota for Culture be swapped with Tourism and Sports," he said, adding that his party was not aiming for the coalition quota currently held by Chart Thai Pattana Party.

Also, he said, the ruling Pheu Thai Party had not signalled that a Cabinet reshuffle was in the cards.

Sonthaya also said that he was not planning to fly to Beijing to consult former PM Thaksin Shinawatra about his political future once the ban is lifted at the end of this month. He is one of the 111 former executives of the now-defunct Thai Rak Thai whose political ban will come to an end at the end of May.

Thaksin is scheduled to begin this three-week-long visit to the Chinese capital today, and it has been speculated that many of 111 banned politicians are planning to meet him there.

It is believed that Thaksin's trip out of Dubai was meant to coincide with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's visit to nearby Bahrain on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Thaksin's legal advisor Noppadon Pattama tried to tone down the conflicts among Pheu Thai MPs. "Pheu Thai members should be patient and avoid attacking each other because the Cabinet reshuffle will not happen soon," he said in an e-mail to the press.

He explained that Yingluck's immediate problem was the rising prices of daily commodities, and denied reports that Thaksin was visiting Beijing so he could discuss the imminent Cabinet reshuffle.

"The cabinet reshuffle will be decided by Yingluck alone," he said.

-- The Nation 2012-05-11

[coma]

dam_n it! If there is someone I would like to see this law applied to it would have to be this lunatic.

[OzMick]

The DSI seems to be making a habit of dismissing charges that would better be decided by a court. At least this time they haven't had to redefine the offence, though how it is construed that it was not a deliberate anti-monarchist cheap shot eludes me.

I now await PTP defenders to use that phrase in their posts, but only if they think they are as well connected as Smiley.

BTW I am not defending the lese majeste laws, but commenting on the law as it is wrote.

[SomTumTiger]

The charges of being an asshat still stand, however.

[Yunla]

Its like The Sopranos without the jokes or the loveable characters.

[OzMick]

Is the guy on the left thinking "I wish I could be more like Jatuporn!" or "What tree did this monkey fall from?"

[MunterHunter]

Lets see how long anyone else would last using that exact expression in public... if it were a Farang or some poor farmer/food stall vendor they would be banged up before they spoke the last syllable - so much for the 'no double standards' party.

[craigt3365]

We understand this is a hot topic and would like to let it run. But PLEASE! No posts regarding Uncle SMS or we will close this thread. Hope you understand.

I've just removed several.

[JoePai]

Whether he is guilty or not he should be locked up because of the way he looks

[EyesWideOpen]

Is it just me, or does he have a sort of goofy gay look to him ?? I have to say of all the moronic things I have seen the Thai government do in the last 13 years, considering putting this guy in a position of power is the topper. Once again this shows how arbitrary the LM laws are, and how they are used as a weapon against people the government does not like. However if you are a lunatic red shirt " leader" , it is apparently no problem to say as you wish. As someone well noted, if I made the same statement in a public speech, I would be in jail forever...

Edited May 11, 2012 by EyesWideOpen

[GentlemanJim]

I find it odd that the DSI is in the business of recommending that charges be dropped. Surely that is the sole responsibility of the Prosecution Office and the Justice Department?

[Pib]

Always remember, This Is Thailand.

[NCFC]

Thai courts always side with whomever is currently in power

[coma]

Is it just me, or does he have a sort of goofy gay look to him ??

I think it is more a 'I just <deleted>%#ed the system' look.

[OzMick]

Thai courts always side with whomever is currently in power

Thaksin might well disagree. If it were true, why are obvious cases such as this and Yingluk's perjury short-circuited before they reach a court?

[Mitker]

soooooooooooooo surprising.

[LuckyLew]

Thai courts always side with whomever is currently in power

Thaksin might well disagree. If it were true, why are obvious cases such as this and Yingluk's perjury short-circuited before they reach a court?

Why? easy ...........

Do not bite the hand that feeds you

[cardholder]

Good effort at reconciliation - albeit a bit one-sided.

[Jawnie]

Better still would be to get rid of Article 112 altogether. It is a pathetically backward law which protects nothing and is only about hate. Thailand will always be considered as a 3rd-rate, backwater country until this law is gone.

Edited May 11, 2012 by Jawnie

[OzMick]

Good effort at reconciliation - albeit a bit one-sided.

Ah, yes, the red version of reconciliation "We dun nuffink rong." Heaven forbid that this proposition gets put before a judge, not for the IMPORTANT people anyway.

[animatic]

Never ceases to amaze what money can do in Thailand when properly applied to pressure points.

[MikeOboe57]

"The cabinet reshuffle will be decided by Yingluck alone,"

Of course.

[hyperdimension]

Jatuporn referred to "royally-bestowed bullets"

That sounds like a lese majeste violation, and especially so when it was in a public speech in front of hundreds or thousands of people as opposed to a private text message to a single person.

Maybe his freedom is an outcome of deal-making between Thaksin's clan and the old elites.

Can the pro-red shirt / pro-Pheu Thai forum members please comment?

Edited May 11, 2012 by hyperdimension

[rogerdee123]

And the Thai judicial system does another amazing 180 degree .... amazing Thailand ...... amazing mobacracy

[phiphidon]

dam_n it! If there is someone I would like to see this law applied to it would have to be this lunatic.

And would that be admitting that you like the law to be used in a political sense?

[phiphidon]

It will be interesting to see how many posters on this forum will now backtrack or even apologise for arguing against the fact that the "Democrat" Party and their various proxies were using Article 112 in a political way.

Even more interesting will be if the remaining 18 UDD Leaders will also have their charges dropped if their charges are related to being on stage and applauding Jatuporns remarks

Gen Prayuth had assigned the army’s Staff Judge Advocate to file the lese majeste charges against Mr Jatuporn and other UDD leaders, following what he felt were inappropriate remarks about the monarchy on the Red Shirt rally stage on April 10 at Rajdamnoen Avenue.

http://thailandtimes.asia/thailand-news/redshirt-leaders-to-fight-lese-majeste-charges/

Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) have said that at least 18 leaders of the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) have made ‘inappropriate remarks’ about the monarchy at their recent Red Shirt rally.

DSI Director-General Tharit Pengdit said that, after screening video clips, still pictures, and speeches made by the leaders during the rally in the capital on April 10, it was found that at least 18 of the stage speaker made remarks which were deemed insulting to the revered monarch – as well as instigating people to violate the law.

http://thailandtimes.asia/thailand-news/redshirt-leaders-to-face-lese-majeste-charges/

[phiphidon]

Jatuporn referred to "royally-bestowed bullets"

That sounds like a lese majeste violation, and especially so when it was in a public speech in front of hundreds or thousands of people as opposed to a private text message to a single person.

Maybe his freedom is an outcome of deal-making between Thaksin's clan and the old elites.

Can the pro-red shirt / pro-Pheu Thai forum members please comment?

It's all very well hiding behind a publically printed statement in a newspaper - quite another thing to discuss publically what may be beyond that comment, as you well know. So I would view your question as a kind of "entrapment" if you will, possibly enticing forum members to break Rule 2.

[whybother]

It will be interesting to see how many posters on this forum will now backtrack or even apologise for arguing against the fact that the "Democrat" Party and their various proxies were using Article 112 in a political way.

Even more interesting will be if the remaining 18 UDD Leaders will also have their charges dropped if their charges are related to being on stage and applauding Jatuporns remarks

Jatuporn made a veiled statement mentioning "royally-bestowed bullets". The army asked that charges be laid based on inappropriate remarks.

I don't see what that has to do with the Democrat party or politics.

[phiphidon]

It will be interesting to see how many posters on this forum will now backtrack or even apologise for arguing against the fact that the "Democrat" Party and their various proxies were using Article 112 in a political way.

Even more interesting will be if the remaining 18 UDD Leaders will also have their charges dropped if their charges are related to being on stage and applauding Jatuporns remarks

Jatuporn made a veiled statement mentioning "royally-bestowed bullets". The army asked that charges be laid based on inappropriate remarks.

I don't see what that has to do with the Democrat party or politics.

Well all I can say is you must have been asleep throughout most of 2010 and took no notice of what happened - OR you are deliberately baiting which I think is the case here.

Edited May 11, 2012 by phiphidon

[Skywalker69]

Why I am not surprised.