Arrest warrants lifted for 18 PDRC leaders

BANGKOK, 3 April 2014 (NNT) – The Criminal Court has withdrawn arrest warrants for 18 core leaders of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) who were alleged for violating the emergency decree.

An order was handed down by the Criminal Court today for the revocation of the arrest warrants which had been issued for PDRC leaders on February 5 at the request of the Department of Special Investigation. The decision was reached after the judges viewed that the emergency decree had already been deactivated by the government.

Among the 18 PDRC members taken off the want list are Mr Suthep Thaugsuban, Mr Satit Wongnongtoey, Mr Thaworn Senneam, Mr Nitithorn Lamluea, Mr Uthai Yodmanee and Mr Ratchayut Sirayothinpakdi.

As the PDRC leaders previously appealed against their arrest warrants, the Appeals Court judges will be promptly notified of the Criminal Court’s latest revocation order.

As a result, Mr Suthep now has only one arrest warrant, which was issued on the charge of insurrection. Meanwhile, Mr Nitithorn, Mr Uthai and Mr Ratchayut are currently wanted for illegal gathering.

-- NNT 2014-04-03

Haha that's a big F you to the PTP and their DSI dogs.

Chalerm will be getting a lot of earache from The Desert Coward.

Looking at it dispassionately, they broke a law at the time, so even though the SOE has been lifted, they should still face a charge.

Revoking the charges will only inflame the Red Tide and lead to more grief.

Great, amnesties are back on the agenda, perhaps this group of 18 should protest against this decision.

If you gotta make a charge, make one with staying power.

Not one that's good until things get nice again.

Does this mean that the violence when the police attacked the protesters to arrest them was illegal as well and therefore the police/dsi can now be charged with murder?????? for the protesters that were killed in their abortive attempt to muscle them..........

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Chalerm will be getting a lot of earache from The Desert Coward.

Cheleum will be needing something stronger than his ear medicine, to deal with this latest set-back his plans. Perhaps he can clandestinely raid the medicine cabinet with the confiscated drugs of his 'war on drugs.' Who would even notice anything awry, if his speech was slurred?

A significant ruling, and a turn in the tide. CAPO and the DSI had really overdone it with Suthep. They got so carried away that they eventually ran out of charges and had to invent new ones. Suthep had never advocated violence, and therefore had not earned these charges. This was a case of the DSI going absolutely nuts. And it didn't end with charging the PDRC leaders. It involved arbitrarily freezing the accounts of people who may have just spoken on a PDRC stage, and even went so far as to release the names of companies who may have expressed support for the movement. It was completely mad and completely out of control. It was also a cautionary education. It answered the hypothetical question - what would happen when a man of Chalerm's bearings had unlimited power to direct a whole agency to go after people he didn't like, where he could simply charge whomever he pleased for any imaginable infraction - real or imagined ? Well, it's no longer a hypothetical. And it should never happen again. The Criminal Court, the Civil Court and the Constitutional Court deemed the PDRC both legal and constitutional. They had a right to express their views. Pheu Thai is in the habit of not paying attention to court rulings. But if they had in this case they might have got the message that free expression is a tenet of a free society.

Message to all future protestors: use your 'free expression' to block the voting stations.

This means the court aqctually did not know who they wanted arrested or not. Great work the number one judges. Maybe you all should find another job where you will fit in better. Maybe as &lt;deleted&gt; on the rail.

Pointless these court orders if nobody has the stones to arrest the people.

What a big surprise... oh Thailand, who can stop this soap-opera?

Thailand need to open up the execution of warrants to private industry, or in reality put a bounty to be paid on presentation of an individual for whom a warrant is valid. In reality it would just end up with the police executing warrants on their own time as private citizens and collecting the bounty.

Or something to that effect, it will be all bad, but something has to be done to motivate the peace officers of Thailand when it comes to warrants. These are high profile warrants, they are in the media, and they just never get executed.

boggles the mind, that the police communications department does not run all names in media against the warrants or open cases. Just in order to be on top of issues in the media and to be proactive in that regard, really not rocket science.

Haha that's a big F you to the PTP and their DSI dogs.

Also a big F you to the "man in the sand"

Chalerm will be getting a lot of earache from The Desert Coward.

Good news, let him have it.

Looking at it dispassionately, they broke a law at the time, so even though the SOE has been lifted, they should still face a charge.

Revoking the charges will only inflame the Red Tide and lead to more grief.

Yes, ignore the courts and kowtow to the 'Red Tide' or else you will get violence visited on you. You may look at it dispassionately but the 'Red Tide' doesn't. They are daily whipped into a blood frenzy. I don't want to be governed by a 'Red Tide' but by rule of law as interpreted by the courts and not hotheads.

Mr Suthep now has only one arrest warrant

But, but, but, Suthep! All the posters who say Suthep should be arrested before any inquiry into the PM's behavior because of 'multiple' warrants should see that a flurry of useless warrants that can't stand up to judicial inquiry are not the same as making a sitting PM be responsible. Suthep is not even a politician anymore and is mostly confined to the Lumpini Park protest site. He can't hurt Thailand. What hurt's Thailand is the overreaction, by the government, to Suthep's protest. Why did Ms Yingluck dissolve Parliament in the first place? No court ordered her to, and now she has left Thailand without a functioning government. Very poor decision on her part.

I assume that this put the ends to Chalerm plans to make some extra money as a bounty hunter disguised as a Somtam vendor.

A significant ruling, and a turn in the tide. CAPO and the DSI had really overdone it with Suthep. They got so carried away that they eventually ran out of charges and had to invent new ones. Suthep had never advocated violence, and therefore had not earned these charges. This was a case of the DSI going absolutely nuts. And it didn't end with charging the PDRC leaders. It involved arbitrarily freezing the accounts of people who may have just spoken on a PDRC stage, and even went so far as to release the names of companies who may have expressed support for the movement. It was completely mad and completely out of control. It was also a cautionary education. It answered the hypothetical question - what would happen when a man of Chalerm's bearings had unlimited power to direct a whole agency to go after people he didn't like, where he could simply charge whomever he pleased for any imaginable infraction - real or imagined ? Well, it's no longer a hypothetical. And it should never happen again. The Criminal Court, the Civil Court and the Constitutional Court deemed the PDRC both legal and constitutional. They had a right to express their views. Pheu Thai is in the habit of not paying attention to court rulings. But if they had in this case they might have got the message that free expression is a tenet of a free society.

The freezing of funds could have been an interesting issue in the context of election laws if the Constitutional Court had not annulled the election , In any case the issue of that freezing funds and the use of the DSI for political purposes may be an interesting investigation for the NACC - if the government had not left them underfunded by budget cuts and over worked by their style of government.

POLITICS
Court revokes arrest warrants against 18 rally leaders
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court has revoked the arrest warrants for People's Democratic Reform Committee chief Suthep Thaugsuban and 17 PDRC core leaders on charges of violating the emergency decree, PDRC lawyer Sawat Charoenpol said yesterday.

The court on February 5 approved the arrest warrants for the 18 PDRC leaders on charges of violating Article 11 and 12 of the emergency decree as requested by the Department of Special Investigation.

Sawat said after the caretaker government lifted the state of emergency on March 18, the PDRC petitioned the Criminal Court to revoke their warrants.

Suthep still faces an arrest warrant on charges of sedition.

Students and People's Network for Thailand's Reform (STR) adviser Nitithorn Lamlua and STR coordinator Uthai Yodmani were left with arrest warrants on charges of illegally gathering with more than 10 people, illegal encroachment, assaults and carrying arms at night.

The 17 other PDRC leaders are Satit Wongnongtaey, Chumpol Julasai, Buddhipongse Punnakanta, Isara Somchai, Witthaya Kaewparadai, Thaworn Senneam, Nataphol Teepsuwan, Akanat Promphan, Anchalee Paireerak, Nititorn Lamlua, Uthai Yodmanee, Samdin Lertbutr, Preecha Iamsuphan, Ratchayut Siriyothinphakdee, Kittichai Saisa-ard, Samran Rodphet, and Phansuwan Nakaew.


-- The Nation 2014-04-04

Looking at it dispassionately, they broke a law at the time, so even though the SOE has been lifted, they should still face a charge.

Revoking the charges will only inflame the Red Tide and lead to more grief.

Welcome to Thailand

Remember if you can not stand the heat in the kitchen

You can always leave

In Thailand you need to bend like a willow tree in the wind

Does this mean that the violence when the police attacked the protesters to arrest them was illegal as well and therefore the police/dsi can now be charged with murder?????? for the protesters that were killed in their abortive attempt to muscle them..........

again

Welcome to Thailand

In Thailand you need to bend like a willow tree in the wind

A significant ruling, and a turn in the tide. CAPO and the DSI had really overdone it with Suthep. They got so carried away that they eventually ran out of charges and had to invent new ones. Suthep had never advocated violence, and therefore had not earned these charges. This was a case of the DSI going absolutely nuts. And it didn't end with charging the PDRC leaders. It involved arbitrarily freezing the accounts of people who may have just spoken on a PDRC stage, and even went so far as to release the names of companies who may have expressed support for the movement. It was completely mad and completely out of control. It was also a cautionary education. It answered the hypothetical question - what would happen when a man of Chalerm's bearings had unlimited power to direct a whole agency to go after people he didn't like, where he could simply charge whomever he pleased for any imaginable infraction - real or imagined ? Well, it's no longer a hypothetical. And it should never happen again. The Criminal Court, the Civil Court and the Constitutional Court deemed the PDRC both legal and constitutional. They had a right to express their views. Pheu Thai is in the habit of not paying attention to court rulings. But if they had in this case they might have got the message that free expression is a tenet of a free society.

I have notice Scamper would be one of the most intelligent posters on TVF

He holds back no Comments

and does no favours

Just says it like it is

This means the court aqctually did not know who they wanted arrested or not. Great work the number one judges. Maybe you all should find another job where you will fit in better. Maybe as <deleted> on the rail.

I have said it before

Welcome to Thailand

Remember if you can not stand the heat in the kitchen

You can always leave

In Thailand you need to bend like a willow tree in the wind

Thailand need to open up the execution of warrants to private industry, or in reality put a bounty to be paid on presentation of an individual for whom a warrant is valid. In reality it would just end up with the police executing warrants on their own time as private citizens and collecting the bounty.

Or something to that effect, it will be all bad, but something has to be done to motivate the peace officers of Thailand when it comes to warrants. These are high profile warrants, they are in the media, and they just never get executed.

boggles the mind, that the police communications department does not run all names in media against the warrants or open cases. Just in order to be on top of issues in the media and to be proactive in that regard, really not rocket science.

I can see how you spend your spare time

Watching American Fiction tv shows

Great Idea, but this is Thailand not America

Nice to have mates in high places.

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Looking at it dispassionately, they broke a law at the time, so even though the SOE has been lifted, they should still face a charge.

Revoking the charges will only inflame the Red Tide and lead to more grief.

A balancing act indeed, however what happens if they where jailed , same as your comment on the Red tide, only it would read PDRC and yellow tide.

My question is why invoke them in the first place if they end up being lifted...? Very wishy-washy toothless justice system... matters not what colors... they don't even process old warrants,,, old cases...just gather dust.... lose public interest... fade away and hopefully people forget... so nothing has to be done...sets a very dangerous precedent for the future...absolutely no accountability...what is the point ..? Hey it's Friday...Whats for lunch...?

A significant ruling, and a turn in the tide. CAPO and the DSI had really overdone it with Suthep. They got so carried away that they eventually ran out of charges and had to invent new ones. Suthep had never advocated violence, and therefore had not earned these charges. This was a case of the DSI going absolutely nuts. And it didn't end with charging the PDRC leaders. It involved arbitrarily freezing the accounts of people who may have just spoken on a PDRC stage, and even went so far as to release the names of companies who may have expressed support for the movement. It was completely mad and completely out of control. It was also a cautionary education. It answered the hypothetical question - what would happen when a man of Chalerm's bearings had unlimited power to direct a whole agency to go after people he didn't like, where he could simply charge whomever he pleased for any imaginable infraction - real or imagined ? Well, it's no longer a hypothetical. And it should never happen again. The Criminal Court, the Civil Court and the Constitutional Court deemed the PDRC both legal and constitutional. They had a right to express their views. Pheu Thai is in the habit of not paying attention to court rulings. But if they had in this case they might have got the message that free expression is a tenet of a free society.

"Suthep had never advocated violence, and therefore had not earned these charges"

Hmmm, I guess you are saying that any person can call for the illegal detention of an acting PM and MP's and tell them to make arrangements for their wives and children in case of trouble, that's not advocating violence now is it? In my home country Suthep would have been jailed a long time ago, I'd also suggest the same would be in America, and England, New Zealand, etc, etc, but hey TIT...

I do sometimes read some of your post's as often they are well thought out, but hey this one is not quite there I feel, I'm just saying.