Thai Democrat demands new inquiry into 2010 Grand Palace attack

[webfact]

Democrat Demands New Inquiry Into 2010 Grand Palace Attack
By Khaosod English


A police officer shoulders an unarmed RPG during a ballistic test at Ministry of Defense, 21 March 2010.

BANGKOK — A Democrat Party politician has demanded the Division of Special Investigation (DSI) launch a fresh investigation into a rocket attack near the Grand Palace in Bangkok in 2010.

The attack took place on the night of 20 March 2010, while tens of thousands of Redshirt demonstrators were occupying nearby Ratchadamnoen Avenue to demand the Democrat-led government to call a new election.

Police say a rocket propelled grenade (RPG) was fired at the Temple of Emerald Buddha, a sacred site located in the same compound as the Grand Palace, but missed and slammed into an electric pole next to the Ministry of Defense instead. No one was injured in the attack.

Bundit Sitthithum, a Redshirt supporter and former police officer, was arrested and accused of firing the rocket. He was found guilty and sentenced to 38 years in prison in December 2011, but later acquitted in a court of appeals, which cited insufficient evidence and contradictory testimony from witnesses.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1431510176


-- Khaosod English 2015-05-13

[dcutman]

He was found guilty and sentenced to 38 years in prison in December 2011, but later acquitted in a court of appeals, which cited insufficient evidence and contradictory testimony from witnesses.

He was acquitted because one witness saw him wearing a hat and the other did not. Sounds reasonable enoughhttp://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/659741-court-acquits-thai-policeman-accused-of-launching-rpg-attacks/

[seajae]

of course we all know who was in power when he was acquitted dont we, part of the deal made between accomplices to get the desired result.

[nahkbin]

Same old, same old. DEMANDS! Does not request. Would probably get better response to requests than demands.

[animatic]

Same old, same old. DEMANDS! Does not request. Would probably get better response to requests than demands.

Or demand a better translator with a better grasp of English language subtleties.

[Srikcir]

The Democrats consistently attack the PTP and its perceived red shirt constituency with intent to retain its own constituency, often with a duplicitous standard of ethics.

BUT

As a political party that has never been able to win elections from a majority electorate in open and free elections without military assistance, it never seeks to act to ATTRACT the opposition electorate. No matter whether "opposition" is aligned with PTP or other parties. This is political ineptitude promoted by Suthep who said he doesn't do coalition governments.

If the Democrats seek to ever win a majority vote, it must focus on more moderate and broad-based political programs to ATTRACT and not REPEL the electorate. This is especially crucial if Thailand does institute the MMP system, If Abhisit can ever assume real leadership of the Democrats to overshadow Suthep's narrow-based political influence, engaging in political actions that ENGAGE the electorate might actually allow the Democrats to win the next election.

The Democrats demand for a new inquiry into the Grand Palace attack is a waste of political currency.

[Acharn]

He was found guilty and sentenced to 38 years in prison in December 2011, but later acquitted in a court of appeals, which cited insufficient evidence and contradictory testimony from witnesses.

He was acquitted because one witness saw him wearing a hat and the other did not. Sounds reasonable enoughhttp://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/659741-court-acquits-thai-policeman-accused-of-launching-rpg-attacks/

Well, Thai law gives superior credence to eye-witness testimony, even over physical evidence and forensic science. Eye-witness testimony is the most unreliable form of evidence there is.

[Acharn]

The Democrats consistently attack the PTP and its perceived red shirt constituency with intent to retain its own constituency, often with a duplicitous standard of ethics.

BUT

As a political party that has never been able to win elections from a majority electorate in open and free elections without military assistance, it never seeks to act to ATTRACT the opposition electorate. No matter whether "opposition" is aligned with PTP or other parties. This is political ineptitude promoted by Suthep who said he doesn't do coalition governments.

If the Democrats seek to ever win a majority vote, it must focus on more moderate and broad-based political programs to ATTRACT and not REPEL the electorate. This is especially crucial if Thailand does institute the MMP system, If Abhisit can ever assume real leadership of the Democrats to overshadow Suthep's narrow-based political influence, engaging in political actions that ENGAGE the electorate might actually allow the Democrats to win the next election.

The Democrats demand for a new inquiry into the Grand Palace attack is a waste of political currency.

Well, I don't want to argue with you, but it seems to me the Democrats under the leadership of Chuan Leekpai succeeded in winning the Prime Ministership from 20 September, 1992, until 19 May, 1995, and again from 9 November, 1997, until 9 February, 2001. Mr. Chuan was widely regarded as an honest man but weak. I have sometimes missed him since then. Neither case was engineered by the military, as I recall, although who knows what was going on hidden from the public. The first term was brought to an end when a land distribution corruption scandal implicated Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban.

[DM07]

I would write "a member of the Democrat Party..." and not a Thai- democrat!

That is really not same same...but very different!

[geriatrickid]

of course we all know who was in power when he was acquitted dont we, part of the deal made between accomplices to get the desired result.

Basically, you are claiming that the judiciary which was not a supporter of the previous government, was complicit with that government to fix a case.

Right.

Has it occurred to you, that the evidence was insufficient to support a conviction?

[scorecard]

The Democrats consistently attack the PTP and its perceived red shirt constituency with intent to retain its own constituency, often with a duplicitous standard of ethics.

BUT

As a political party that has never been able to win elections from a majority electorate in open and free elections without military assistance, it never seeks to act to ATTRACT the opposition electorate. No matter whether "opposition" is aligned with PTP or other parties. This is political ineptitude promoted by Suthep who said he doesn't do coalition governments.

If the Democrats seek to ever win a majority vote, it must focus on more moderate and broad-based political programs to ATTRACT and not REPEL the electorate. This is especially crucial if Thailand does institute the MMP system, If Abhisit can ever assume real leadership of the Democrats to overshadow Suthep's narrow-based political influence, engaging in political actions that ENGAGE the electorate might actually allow the Democrats to win the next election.

The Democrats demand for a new inquiry into the Grand Palace attack is a waste of political currency.

Classic diversion post.

[dcutman]

of course we all know who was in power when he was acquitted dont we, part of the deal made between accomplices to get the desired result.

Basically, you are claiming that the judiciary which was not a supporter of the previous government, was complicit with that government to fix a case.

Right.

Has it occurred to you, that the evidence was insufficient to support a conviction?

This has been argued before.

The evidence is overwhelming not to mention he confessed.

One would have to suspect complicity by the appeals court just for the fact they ignored a mountain of physical evidence and a confession. If I recall there were some other rather controversial decisions by this court at that time. It could be very well the court was not siding with the previous govt, could be they were fanning the flames with a larger end game in mind.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/518923-ex-policeman-gets-38-years-for-firing-rocket-at-thai-defence-ministry/

Edited May 14, 2015 by dcutman