Red shirts get jail

[mikemac]

Am I correct that you are saying that organising paramilitaries to further political goals is not acceptable? Or is it that those other than the red shirts doing it is not acceptable?

No. Read the history then come up with something more intelligent than "but they did this" playground arguments. Maybe if you just took a little time to read The Nation article (and I don't say that often, more's the pity) you would understand a bit more about the dynamics behind politics in Thailand - It is not a one way street.

No to which question, or is it to both? And please stop the patronising "You don't know what's really happening!" BS.

Ignore him halloween, fab4 is a chronic troll who is just looking for someone to infuriate. Hopefully he will be banned again sooner rather than later.

I feel these redshirt terrorists were lucky to be only given 4 years. In many other countries they would have been shot, let mind given 10 years.

And if what they did deserved 4 years, spare a thought for the mastermind in "self-imposed exile" , the oxygen thief who bankrolled them, how much should he get ???

[mikemac]

I hope the good leader has an 'escape stratedgy' because when more Thais grow a set, like these 15, his days maybe numbered

So you think more Thais will "grow a set" and become terrorists ? Is that what you are suggesting ? I hope for the sake of the country that you are, as usual, wrong.

[Fat Haggis]

Apparently 14 released on bail

[wolfmanjack]

Well well. There is a God after all! Now, any jail for the yellows who shut down two international airports?

The red shirts violently broke into the ASEAN summit. The yellow shirts peacefully occupied the airport. The criminal code treats these differently. While there should be prosecution of the yellow-shirt leaders, the severity of punishment will be nowhere near the same.

It is amazing someone would post such non-sense. it was not an occupation it was a force shutdown that wreaked havoc to the country and air travelers all over the world. Remember the body found at Don muang and the barricades? You make it sound as if they were there to make a peaceful statement and airport operations went on as usual.

I am glad to see the people locked up who tried to stop Abhist from leaving the summit. However so far this has been a completely one sided affair.

Yes I am sure everyone remembers the PAD 'peacefully' ramming police barricades with lifted 4x4 pickups.. Peacefully invading TV stations... Peacefully occupying government house.. Peacefully disrupting the EC.. Peacefully shutting down the countries primary airport..

None of these things apparently are crimes..

The yellow shirts got fined 522 million baht for invading the airport so it isn't as if they weren't punished at all.

[JAG]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I personally find imprisoning any people for political actions is a matter for deep concern.

In principle, yes, I agree with you. However, it's the action which determines whether it's criminal or not.

If people are on a sidewalk holding placards and perhaps chanting, it's ok. If they're blocking a street, then it's questionable, depending on the gravity of the situation (if it blocks an entire section of a city for many hours, for example).

However, when people storm in to a hotel en masse, breaking one or more doors, threatening/frightening innocents, ...then it crosses the line between peaceful protest and criminal activity. That's what happened in the OP.

Add:

- They were well recorded as aiming to find and kill abhisit.

- They broke into abhisit's vehicle believing he was inside, he wasn't, then they pulled his driver out and in a gang action they seriously bashed the man who at last report a few months back was still in daily rehabilitation.

That's a way lot more than protest with placards.

At least they didn't bind his hands and feet and throw him into a khlong like Suthep's peace-makers did.

No No No, that was justifiable and proportionate self defence in the face of an unprecedented vicious series of assaults upon their traffic cones!

[cookee68]

So are they in jail, or on bail

[TheDiva]

Am I correct that you are saying that organising paramilitaries to further political goals is not acceptable? Or is it that those other than the red shirts doing it is not acceptable?

No. Read the history then come up with something more intelligent than "but they did this" playground arguments. Maybe if you just took a little time to read The Nation article (and I don't say that often, more's the pity) you would understand a bit more about the dynamics behind politics in Thailand - It is not a one way street.

No to which question, or is it to both? And please stop the patronising "You don't know what's really happening!" BS.

No to both, and with questions like that I think I am more than justified to ask you for a more intelligent analysis of the situation then and now. As I said 4 pages of back and forth and no real analysis of what happened in Pattaya and why - it's just "the reds did it".

[rubl]

Add:

- They were well recorded as aiming to find and kill abhisit.

- They broke into abhisit's vehicle believing he was inside, he wasn't, then they pulled his driver out and in a gang action they seriously bashed the man who at last report a few months back was still in daily rehabilitation.

That's a way lot more than protest with placards.

At least they didn't bind his hands and feet and throw him into a khlong like Suthep's peace-makers did.

No No No, that was justifiable and proportionate self defence in the face of an unprecedented vicious series of assaults upon their traffic cones!

A bit off topic, but the case where the victim 'recognised' one of the PDRC leaders had nothing to do with 'traffic cones'.

Anyway, the topic is 'red shirts', the lovable red-shirts, the ones who were 'only' looking for Abhisit. To invite him for tea and scones probably. If ever the Army needed a reason for a coup, putting Abhisit in a position where he would be 'found' by those lovable, peaceful red-shirts, would have given them sufficient justification, I'm afraid.

[cumgranosalum]

I personally find imprisoning any people for political actions is a matter for deep concern.

I personally find intentionally misrepresenting thuggish and violent behavior as political action is a matter for deep concern.

like seizing power with guns?

[candide]

I found this account of the pattaya event:

http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/print.php?id=8763

Some more?

[rubl]

I found this account of the pattaya event:

http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/print.php?id=8763

Some more?

NewMandala has an article from Nick Nostritz saying how polite the red-shirts were and has them state they were only looking for Abhisit.

As for the Nation blog with

"One of the organisers says a red shirt was killed by gunfire from the blue shirts at 9am. And two taxi drivers who tried to pick up his body were also shot at. "

that has never been substantiated as far as I know, but just saying may have incited some people already."

[whybother]

same old shit suppress the poor,the elite use the military to do their dirty work, prayut is just a puppet of the elite, who will not accept democracy, due to the mentality of the thai people, whom they are spoonfed thainess and brainwashed by all this.i am not on anyone`s side, just saying what i see

Arisman? Poor?

How is the military involved in this?

[metisdead]

An inflammatory post has been removed.

[djjamie]

I found this account of the pattaya event:

http://blog.nationmultimedia.com/print.php?id=8763

Some more?

You refer to a blog by a red supporter who is an ex member of TVF. Seriously?

I might use a blog that I wrote to support my narrative. Luckily I don't need to as the international media and the truth reflect the argument I am pushing for.

You have highlighted that the red cancerous narrative is widely accepted by 7% of the population due to an uneducated platform and in doing so they will believe nothing else. Especially the truth.

Thank you for inadvertently highlighting why reform is needed.

[tbthailand]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I personally find imprisoning any people for political actions is a matter for deep concern.

In principle, yes, I agree with you. However, it's the action which determines whether it's criminal or not.

If people are on a sidewalk holding placards and perhaps chanting, it's ok. If they're blocking a street, then it's questionable, depending on the gravity of the situation (if it blocks an entire section of a city for many hours, for example).

However, when people storm in to a hotel en masse, breaking one or more doors, threatening/frightening innocents, ...then it crosses the line between peaceful protest and criminal activity. That's what happened in the OP.

Add:

- They were well recorded as aiming to find and kill abhisit.

- They broke into abhisit's vehicle believing he was inside, he wasn't, then they pulled his driver out and in a gang action they seriously bashed the man who at last report a few months back was still in daily rehabilitation.

That's a way lot more than protest with placards.

Don't you get bored being so selective all the time? I wouid like to point out to you that the very thing you highlighted here happened Many times last year when people "strayed" into PDRC territory, so as I've said many times there is scum on all sides punish them all accordingly and stop being selective BB?

besides which they are being selective and inaccurate.

Take just this one example, from how the red shirts apparently behaved in the hotel...

threatening/frightening innocents,

where an eye witness described the scene with red shirts and tourists were taking selfies together. After about 30 minutes, the red shirts just left the hotel. There was no violence in the hotel.

aaaah, ... yawn....

[jdinasia]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I personally find imprisoning any people for political actions is a matter for deep concern.

In principle, yes, I agree with you. However, it's the action which determines whether it's criminal or not.

If people are on a sidewalk holding placards and perhaps chanting, it's ok. If they're blocking a street, then it's questionable, depending on the gravity of the situation (if it blocks an entire section of a city for many hours, for example).

However, when people storm in to a hotel en masse, breaking one or more doors, threatening/frightening innocents, ...then it crosses the line between peaceful protest and criminal activity. That's what happened in the OP.

Add:

- They were well recorded as aiming to find and kill abhisit.

- They broke into abhisit's vehicle believing he was inside, he wasn't, then they pulled his driver out and in a gang action they seriously bashed the man who at last report a few months back was still in daily rehabilitation.

That's a way lot more than protest with placards.

Don't you get bored being so selective all the time? I wouid like to point out to you that the very thing you highlighted here happened Many times last year when people "strayed" into PDRC territory, so as I've said many times there is scum on all sides punish them all accordingly and stop being selective BB[emoji6]

besides which they are being selective and inaccurate.

Take just this one example, from how the red shirts apparently behaved in the hotel...

threatening/frightening innocents,

where an eye witness described the scene with red shirts and tourists were taking selfies together. After about 30 minutes, the red shirts just left the hotel. There was no violence in the hotel.

aaaah, ... yawn....

You didn't watch the video did you?

[tbthailand]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

I personally find imprisoning any people for political actions is a matter for deep concern.

In principle, yes, I agree with you. However, it's the action which determines whether it's criminal or not.

If people are on a sidewalk holding placards and perhaps chanting, it's ok. If they're blocking a street, then it's questionable, depending on the gravity of the situation (if it blocks an entire section of a city for many hours, for example).

However, when people storm in to a hotel en masse, breaking one or more doors, threatening/frightening innocents, ...then it crosses the line between peaceful protest and criminal activity. That's what happened in the OP.

Add:

- They were well recorded as aiming to find and kill abhisit.

- They broke into abhisit's vehicle believing he was inside, he wasn't, then they pulled his driver out and in a gang action they seriously bashed the man who at last report a few months back was still in daily rehabilitation.

That's a way lot more than protest with placards.

Don't you get bored being so selective all the time? I wouid like to point out to you that the very thing you highlighted here happened Many times last year when people "strayed" into PDRC territory, so as I've said many times there is scum on all sides punish them all accordingly and stop being selective BB[emoji6]

besides which they are being selective and inaccurate.

Take just this one example, from how the red shirts apparently behaved in the hotel...

threatening/frightening innocents,

where an eye witness described the scene with red shirts and tourists were taking selfies together. After about 30 minutes, the red shirts just left the hotel. There was no violence in the hotel.

aaaah, ... yawn....

You didn't watch the video did you?

sure i did, what about it? There is nothing in it that contradicts the detailed eye witness accounts.

But it begs the question why they handed down 4 year sentences for being in the hotel. For what? breaking a glass door? Maybe, possibly, possibly, trespassing, but even that is a stretch.... And some posters here think they would have gotten 10 years in "most countries", ... what a joke.

go find the people who threw the grenade at Big C last year - that was a real crime. This one in Pattaya is another "reconciliation" joke... a real joke...

[Jai Dee]

A post with links to anti junta and anti Monarchy references and subsequent replies has been removed from this thread.

[rubl]

Don't you get bored being so selective all the time? I wouid like to point out to you that the very thing you highlighted here happened Many times last year when people "strayed" into PDRC territory, so as I've said many times there is scum on all sides punish them all accordingly and stop being selective BB?

besides which they are being selective and inaccurate.

Take just this one example, from how the red shirts apparently behaved in the hotel...

threatening/frightening innocents,

where an eye witness described the scene with red shirts and tourists were taking selfies together. After about 30 minutes, the red shirts just left the hotel. There was no violence in the hotel.

aaaah, ... yawn....

Absolutely. The glass windows breaking was just an accident. The ASEAN chaps had left already, The red shirts were very polite and only looking for PM Abhisit. While there they also made selfies for back home, just like tourists. Of the type TAT is always looking for, or maybe not as these tourists don't seem to pay bills. Nah, that's unfair, these tourists don't get bills.

Lovable these red shirts, all of them

[jdinasia]

Don't you get bored being so selective all the time? I wouid like to point out to you that the very thing you highlighted here happened Many times last year when people "strayed" into PDRC territory, so as I've said many times there is scum on all sides punish them all accordingly and stop being selective BB[emoji6]

besides which they are being selective and inaccurate.

Take just this one example, from how the red shirts apparently behaved in the hotel...

threatening/frightening innocents,

where an eye witness described the scene with red shirts and tourists were taking selfies together. After about 30 minutes, the red shirts just left the hotel. There was no violence in the hotel.

aaaah, ... yawn....

Absolutely. The glass windows breaking was just an accident. The ASEAN chaps had left already, The red shirts were very polite and only looking for PM Abhisit. While there they also made selfies for back home, just like tourists. Of the type TAT is always looking for, or maybe not as these tourists don't seem to pay bills. Nah, that's unfair, these tourists don't get bills.

Lovable these red shirts, all of them

The bill is coming due. 4 years in jail.

[metisdead]

Off-topic and inflammatory posts and replies removed.

Please stay on the topic of the thread. That means addressing the issues presented in the post, not in making comments to or about other posters. Doing so is off-topic and your post will be removed and you could face a suspension.

You have every right to express your opinion about the topic. You may disagree, but it must be done in a civil manner.

[Traveling Sailor]

Court sentences 15 core red shirts to four years in prison for disrupting ASEAN Summit in Pattaya

PATTAYA: -- The Pattaya Provincial Court today sentenced 15 red-shirt core leaders to four years in prison after finding them guilty of leading red shirt protesters to storm and disrupt the ASEAN Summit in Pattaya in 2009.

The 15 red-shirt leaders who included Arisman Pongruangrong, Nisit Sithiprai, Surachai Danwatananusorn and Pol Maj Sa-ngiem Samranrat were prosecuted by Pattaya prosecutor after they led several hundreds of red-shirt protesters to break into the ASEAN Summit held on April 11 in 2009 at Royal Cliff Beach Hotel in Pattaya, forcing the summit to collapse.

After the sentences were handed down, the court denied temporary release on bails for all the convicts. They were later escorted to prison for detention immediately. However their lawyer will seek bails for them again tomorrow.

Two red-shirt leaders Pol Maj Sa-ngiem and Surachai did not appear at the court to hear the verdict today.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/court-sentences-15-core-red-shirts-to-four-years-in-prison-for-disrupting-asean-summit-in-pattaya

-- Thai PBS 2015-03-06

These people are little more than paid thugs. Why shouldn't they be behind bars for a few years?