Thai Red Shirt Protest Leaders To Go On Trial

[metro33777]

I would be very surprised to see any of these terrorist being found guilty of anything.

They were after all only innocent unarmed protesters weren't they. The fact that brought chaos, weapon, molotov cocktails, is nothing. The fact that they were violent was just their way to ask something. The fact that leaders incited them to bring petrol and burn the city was just a joke, wasn't it....

The entire legal system here is just a joke, isn't it?

$$ Why $$ Yes $$ It $$ Is $$.....

[metisdead]

Posts that were in violation of fair use policy have been removed as well as being off topic to this topic.

[ramrod711]

It isn't hard to see where this is going, after a long delay the defendants go to court, 100,000 red shirts hit the streets of Bangkok. The police absolutely refuse to regulate or control them, the judges are left with no choice but to let them go or face violence and threats to their families. Even an appearance of law and order is abandoned.

[Thai at Heart]

It isn't hard to see where this is going, after a long delay the defendants go to court, 100,000 red shirts hit the streets of Bangkok. The police absolutely refuse to regulate or control them, the judges are left with no choice but to let them go or face violence and threats to their families. Even an appearance of law and order is abandoned.

Let's watch. If ptp wants to rid itself of the red shirts, how better to do it.

It would be just the sort of arrogant thing thaksin would do.

What they going to do? Team themselves up with abhisit?

[hellodolly]

"He denied the protest leaders incited their followers to cause violence",

See the video evidence? This is not someone said to someone else that it might have come from that direction thus it has to be the army. These buffoons incited terrorism, that's a fact that can be entered into the court records as evidence if allowed by the current administration, that is.

Again I say, why is everyone on this forum so negative. You all know that the currnt government won with about 70% of the vote last time & their opposition will only get into government again by this sort of action.

Until the average Thai people get more wealthy, this will always be.

Taxin was not a saint but at least he worked for the majority of Thai people, not just the elite!

Perhaps we could better understand you if you told us what year and what country you are in.

We here in 2012 are in Thailand and we are ruled by a party that got 47% of the popular vote.

It is headed by a man who is self imposed exile over crimes he committed against the people of Thailand.

He is so guilty that rather than appeal the conviction he skipped the country and became a citizen of another country.

There is a very small out side chance he would come back and pay for his crime but he committed so many others that he would be spending his stolen as well as earned money on lawyers and still have to go to jail.

[RogueLeader]

Throw the book at them

Yes, throw the book at them if found guilty. They are responsible for the deaths and injuries to so many people, and also caused many innocent Thais their livelihoods and all that damage to property, make an example of them so that no one will dare try that again.

Definitely.

Fear of protest and self-censorship are an essential part of any healthy democracy.

It's almost comically easy to be a dictator these days. You have show elections now and again and if anyone exercises their democratic right to protest you make sure it doesn't stay peaceful by deploying thousands of riot police to prod the crowd into a response

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-BGIvodh8w

Then you arrest the 'ringleaders' and make a big public display of punishing them extremely harshly in case anyone else is watching who thinks it might be a good idea to question authority.

[nurofiend]

Throw the book at them

Yes, throw the book at them if found guilty. They are responsible for the deaths and injuries to so many people, and also caused many innocent Thais their livelihoods and all that damage to property, make an example of them so that no one will dare try that again.

Precisely. The sticking point is the terrorism charge. Very very hard to make that stick.

They should have found something easier. Charging people with terrorism is a very technical charge, especially when they are the leaders, who will inevitably say they aren't responsible for the conduct of others. Has anyone down south been charged with it yet?

You are right. Terrorism is not easy to define & labelling someone or group terrorist(s) even more difficult. It's far too often a finger pointing exercise to dam_n those of an opposing opinion. Individuals, groups, militaries & even governments commit terrorist acts but usually only the weak get tarnished with the terrorist label.

Violent conduct or incitement to violence or both is the type of charge that should have been made.

"Terrorism is not easy to define & labelling someone or group terrorist(s) even more difficult"

seems easy enough around here.

[yoshiwara]

What a joke. How about those economical terrorists that occupied the airports. Besides, the only terrorists that can be found in Thailand are in the deep South. Mister Mark abhisit never calls them terrorists because it is his party's powerbase.

Would 'economical' terrorism be considered 'terrorism lite' ?

[jaidam]

What a joke. How about those economical terrorists that occupied the airports. Besides, the only terrorists that can be found in Thailand are in the deep South. Mister Mark abhisit never calls them terrorists because it is his party's powerbase.

Would 'economical' terrorism be considered 'terrorism lite' ?

Yes, a peaceful rally at an airport could possibly be considered terrorism lite as opposed to telling a baying mob to burn all banks, mosques, bridges and Siriraj hospital which could only be considered as premium terrorism. The extensive youtube footage of red shirt incitement must be causing some concern in light of the frantic denials.

[FOODLOVER]

What a joke. How about those economical terrorists that occupied the airports. Besides, the only terrorists that can be found in Thailand are in the deep South. Mister Mark abhisit never calls them terrorists because it is his party's powerbase.

Would 'economical' terrorism be considered 'terrorism lite' ?

I think it's because they ate mama noodles at the airport and then recycled their garbage.

[SeaVisionBurma]

No disrespect meant but really 1989 Chins events and 2009 Burmese events completely unrelated to 2010 Thailand events.

I gather you mean 2007 Burmese events? ie September 2007 'saffron revolution'?

[smedly]

at least one thing seems certain - the government (although they'd like to) cannot replace the courts and judges with their own hand picked crooks, the only area they can influence here are most likely the prosecutors although I'm not sure of that, I'd have thought the A'Generals office would be in charge of these cases and they are already in the reds pocket

[techboy]

"He (Mr. Nattawut) denied the protest leaders incited their followers to cause violence"

Mr. Nattawut...really? Why don't you ask your good friend Mr. Arisman what you said and did in 2010 while you were on stage day in and out for WEEKS (in case you don't remember).

Wait, maybe my friend Youtube can help out:

Mr. Nattawut, you also said you would take responsibility. A fairly straightforward case IMO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2vRhaHRzuo&feature=related

It would certainly be difficult to claim that those video clips were merely taken out of context.

[carra]

but but but the PTP run the country and control the courts

I think you meant to say:

but but but the PTP is ruining the country and (are trying very hard to) control the courts

no, my sarcasm was spot on without your version

[rubl]

With big thanks to our esteemed member Emptyset for digging up this information for the procecution

"The same senior military sources say that three potential senior team leaders have already been recruited to join the war room, all of them Class 10 classmates of Thaksin and all veterans of the 2010 red-shirt secret command. They include General (retired) Phonchai Kranloet, Lieutenant General (retired) Manas Paorik, and Lieutenant General Prin Suwanathat, the cousin of new minister of defense Sukamphon. (None of the three officers could be reached for comment for this article.)"

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NB18Ae03.html

[Noistar]

The nature of this trial should attract international press coverage. I hope the government and judiciary realise that Thailand's justice system will be on trial just as much as those charged with terrorism.

But it won't.

Looking at the news media in the UK, there seems to be next to no interest (maybe no interest) in the thai political system

Perhaps thats why the PM is wheeled out internationally to show the LOS version of Thailand.

Maybe the next coup will get a brief mention. i cant imagine the PM being treated as the 'baddie' though

[monkfish]

Will be very difficult to make the Terrorism charge stick if not impossible without any hard evidence.

Inciting violence could be possible in the case of the above videos.

Wondering if the Terrorism charge doesn't stick can they be charged with the latter?

[Thaddeus]

At which point do they go on hunger strike?

[MAJIC]

Isn't it strange how all the Red Shirt supporters have suddenly disappeared!

[OzMick]

Will be very difficult to make the Terrorism charge stick if not impossible without any hard evidence.

Inciting violence could be possible in the case of the above videos.

Wondering if the Terrorism charge doesn't stick can they be charged with the latter?

When k.Bandit was convicted of the RPG attack on the Emerald Buddha Temple, in his confession he stated that the aim was to cause fear and confusion in the people of Thailand, almost the definition of terrorism. I'm not sure if the senior police officer and his wife, a known red shirt leader, who commissioned the act are among those charged.

[Dap]

I wonder how those dozens or even hundreds of videos in the public domain showing these Red Leaders doing exactly what they are charged with will be nullified in court. That is their only hope.

It will no doubt happen as you say, but I am curious as to how they will go about nullifying ... black and white (or color), in your face video history.

Possibly "altered" by the Abhisit govt'?? Please excuse me while I go bury my head.

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed.

[MikeOboe57]

The evidence doesn't have to be nullified. The Red Leaders will shave their heads, take a 7 day turn as monks, publicly repent their "rough and rowdy" past and have some cabinet ministers and high ranking PTP MPs vouch for their cleansed characters.

The court will be more than eager to acknowledge these changes in attitude, welcome the prodigal sons back into society and honor their commitments with some symbolic minor suspended sentences.