BURNING ISSUE

Mockery of justice will resolve little

Avudh Panananda

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Litigation in connection with the red and yellow protests will likely take more than a decade to complete and nothing but grief and animosity are likely to emerge from the long-drawn-out judicial process.

If the red and yellow leaders hope for a judicial review to vindicate their crusades, then they should think again. The ongoing and upcoming cases have nothing to do with political belief or whether the protests were justified.

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The prosecution of the yellow shirts can be traced to grudges of the red shirts. Likewise, the reds are being tried because their yellow rivals want to destroy them. The country has been mired in this rough patch since 2005. Until leaders of the rival camps can reach an amicable settlement to end the war of political colour, damage will continue.

Even if key yellow leaders, such as Sondhi Limthongkul and Chamlong Srimuang, and their red rivals, including Jatuporn Promphan and Weng Tojirakarn, are penalised or acquitted, their fate would be irrelevant to resolve any political issues. It’ s time for all sides to choose whether to move on or to dwell in the past.

This week public prosecutors are due to start trying some 114 "yellows" over the closure of Bangkok's two airports in 2008. More than 140 defendants face various trials in connection with the street protests led by the People's Alliance for Democracy. About 84 are slated to avail themselves of the Justice Ministry's Fund in order to facilitate bail applications. The ministry has allocated Bt67 million for bailing the yellow shirts. Last year, it spent more than Bt80 million to bail the red shirts.

It is ironic and awkward that the government sees itself as duty-bound to bail defendants charged with politically-motivated crimes against the state.

It is illogical and senseless that relevant parties start talking about granting an amnesty regardless of the judicial outcome. If politically motivated cases deserve state-sponsored bail and an amnesty, isn't it futile to prosecute?

Since the judiciary will address alleged offences involving each defendant, the rival camps aren't about to get vindication or condemnation for their protests. In other words, judicial rulings on cases involving the red and yellow shirts won't shed light on how and why political rallies spiralled into violence.

Prosecuting the yellow shirts for trespassing at Government House in 2008 will not unmask the culprits behind the M-79 attacks which killed innocent protesters. And trying the red shirts for terrorism in connection with their rallies has nothing to do with how and why violence erupted in mid-2010.

The manners which investigators and prosecutors build up their cases are haphazard and questionable.

Based on the trial in progress, the court heard expert testimony that the authorities might have arrested the wrong culprits for arson attacks at Central World in the aftermath of the Ratchaprasong rallies.

Prosecutors took more than three years to collect evidence before slapping light charges against the yellow shirts despite their disruptive activities at Government House, Parliament and two airports. Legal scholars should come up with a plan to preempt the mockery of justice and leave the judiciary out of the political crossfire between the rival camps.

Politicians are obliged to stop exploiting the war of political colours for their individual popularity.

-- The Nation 2013-02-05

Bizarre article. If there is no point in prosecuting, what is the point in doing anything? What a bizarre point of view in terms of the precedent it sets.

It is odd.....but then the powers that be need to show some interest...albeit useless!

I am a big fan of crucify the bastards be they red yellow or shirtless.

That being said I see where the end result is just more heart ache. This leaves me to accepting the amnesty for the workers in all these illegal confrontations.

The leaders and the instigators I remain with my crucify idea. Get them out of the way with there private agendas and we will see much more peace.

Indeed an interesting article completely skipped around the elephant sitting in the middle of the room.

Thaksin.

Irrespective of the colour of the shirts, I hope people involved in seizure and damaging public property are incarcerated. I also hope those who incited to riot and burn the city are incarcerated. I would also hope the man who paid the red people to riot is slapped with a summary judgment and to be served concurrently with his existing sentences as well as facing other charges if only he could be 'extracted'. Screw amnesty. You do the crime you do the time.

Irrespective of the colour of the shirts, I hope people involved in seizure and damaging public property are incarcerated. I also hope those who incited to riot and burn the city are incarcerated. I would also hope the man who paid the red people to riot is slapped with a summary judgment and to be served concurrently with his existing sentences as well as facing other charges if only he could be 'extracted'. Screw amnesty. You do the crime you do the time.

Much as I hate the amnesty idea I find it preferable to the present situation. Get the leaders and the financiers. Get them all at once. Do not take them in here and there. All they will do is continue to stir up trouble. Put them away all tonight and the rabble will be leaderless and forced to fend for them selves some thing by the very nature of there actions they are unable to do.