Arrested students plan to ask for an open trial

[Lite Beer]

Arrested students plan to ask for an open trial

BANGKOK: -- The 14 arrested students will ask the Bangkok military court to hold the hearings of their case in open so that members of the public can have access to the trial.

Mr Krisdang Nutcharas, one of the defence lawyers, said Friday that the plea for an open trial would be made by the 14 students on the day they are brought before the Bangkok military court for the extension of their detention.

The students, said the lawyer, claimed that there is nothing secret about their case and they have wanted members of the public to have access to the trial. If the court turns down their request, they may resort to some actions, he said without elaborating.

Mr Krisdang also explained why the students did not ask bail, saying that they have rejected the military court from the start arguing that they are civilians and, therefore, must be tried by a civilian court.

But if the case is transferred to a civilian court, they will ask for bail, said the lawyer.

As in the past six days since the detention of the students, a group of about 50 lecturers, students and human rights activists showed up at the Bangkok special prison on Friday to give moral support to the detainees.

The law lecturers of Thammasat Univeristy and lecturers from Mahidol University’s human rights and peace study institute issued a statement supporting the students’ call for democracy and their peaceful protests. The statement was read out in front of the prison.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/arrested-students-plan-to-ask-for-an-open-trial

-- Thai PBS 2015-07-03

[Manbing]

They can ask for ice cream, a TV in their cells and a bedtime story too, for all the good its gonna do.

However much we might think their crime is not so bad, they broke the law.

As we all know, acting like Prima Donnas does not go down well with Thai authorities.

Even Win and Zaw worked that one out.

When you're in pokey, you take your lumps

Edited July 3, 2015 by Manbing

[wave]

Not asking for bail....they appear to be taking their lumps

Edited July 3, 2015 by wave

[NongKhaiKid]

As the PM would say " the law is the law " and the junta will be happy with a closed trial to prevent the students having a platform from which to speak and their views being reported on by the local and international media.

The NCPO have managed to blow this up out of all proportion by their own heavy hand and lack of thought.

[Somtamnication]

No matter which way the govt takes this case, damage has already been done. Let them go!

[Lite Beer]

Anti-coup students 'won't seek bail'
KASAMAKORN CHANWANPEN,
PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- SAY PARENTS SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR ACTIONS

THE 14 detained anti-coup students will not seek bail despite an overture by the National Security Council and National Reform Council to change their minds, Kritsadang Nutcharas, a representative of the students' legal team, said.

The lawyer said the students - members of the New Democracy Movement - rejected the legitimacy and authority of the Military Court, which ordered their detention on June 26. The move came as Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva called for the government to reveal the names of the people who they claimed were behind the students.

Abhisit said the government should recognise that there were people who opposed the military regime with honest intentions and he didn't want to see people being pushed to the "other side".

In a related development, London-based Amnesty Interna-tional has launched an urgent action campaign, calling for members worldwide to write a letter to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha to demand the immediate and unconditional release of the 14.

AI classified the 14 as prisoners of conscience.

Kritsadang said the students "are willing to trade their freedom because they believe that even when they are outside [on the streets], they are not free".

The students' trial is due to continue in the Military Court on Tuesday and they have said they want the hearing conducted publicly and not in secret like on June 26, when the trial was held late at night, he said.

"If this doesn't happen, the 14 students will resort to some measures against the trial," he said, without elaborating.

He said the students would object to any order to detain them for a second round.

They had expressed concerns about police and soldiers "visiting" their families.

"The students asked me to say that their parents had raised them well, provided them with an education and everything, and had nothing to do with their fight for liberty and democracy," he said. "They said they did everything themselves. Their parents had nothing to do with it. Please don't drag them into it."

Among those who received visits by police and military officers were university lecturers who signed their names in support of the students.

Thammasat University political scientist Pongkwan Sawasdipakdi said the move by the authorities had led to more academics feeling like they must support the students and none of the academics who signed their names had backed down.

Meanwhile, family members of those detained explained the situation to the National Human Rights Commission and insisted the students were innocent.

Wiboon Boonpatararaksa, father of detainee Jatupat Boonpatararaksa, said his son and other Dao Din members, a group that is part of NDM, had worked with locals in the Northeast for many years and that explained how they ended up campaigning against the coup.

"They were working to help the locals on one case. Then one day the coup was staged and they were prohibited from going into the village to help the locals," he said.

"That's how the campaign started out. They got frustrated at being constrained. So, [they] came out to protest against the coup."

Wiboon insisted that no political groups were behind the students.

Locals from different rural areas in the Northeast also shared stories about the Dao Din students.

"The students came to us and we worked together in fighting for our community rights against the state and big companies which obtained concessions to do activities in our community which affected the environment and our health. They had nothing to do with politics," said Kannika Laopim, a representative of Dongmoon Conservation Group in Kalasin.

Many locals said they had been visited by soldiers and officials, who told them not get involved with the students or show support for them.

NHRC commissioner Niran Pitakwatchara said soldiers and officials involved would be invited to share their side of the story with the commission on Wednesday.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Anti-coup-students-wont-seek-bail-30263724.html

-- The Nation 2015-07-04

[Reigntax]

How dare these students protest for the rights and liberties we stole from them!

" they have broken the law. my law,"

Edited July 3, 2015 by Reigntax

[Ace of Pop]

I love Students and Kim Kardashian,they save reporters telling us anything more useless

[ExPratt]

They can ask for ice cream, a TV in their cells and a bedtime story too, for all the good its gonna do.

However much we might think their crime is not so bad, they broke the law.

As we all know, acting like Prima Donnas does not go down well with Thai authorities.

Even Win and Zaw worked that one out.

When you're in pokey, you take your lumps

What are you talking about , they voiced their opinion peacefully and are now in Prison. Maybe they will do it to your kids one day , what an idiotic thing to say

Edited July 4, 2015 by ExPratt

[SOTIRIOS]

........as instructed to do..........

[user786895]

In my view these students are heroic, all they have done is to profess an opposing view, and I totally agree with Abhisit "...the government should recognise that there were people who opposed the military regime with honest intentions and he didn't want to see people being pushed to the 'other side'" It is about time he said it straight out too.

[SOTIRIOS]

.....as instructed.....

....heroic.....don't be ridiculous......

[baboon]

.....as instructed.....

....heroic.....don't be ridiculous......

I see the propaganda arm of the military are now employing daleks to post on here. Exterminate!

[Ichabod]

Bravo for these students! They are courageous and tough to stand up to the thugs with guns.

[Manbing]

They can ask for ice cream, a TV in their cells and a bedtime story too, for all the good its gonna do.

However much we might think their crime is not so bad, they broke the law.

As we all know, acting like Prima Donnas does not go down well with Thai authorities.

Even Win and Zaw worked that one out.

When you're in pokey, you take your lumps

What are you talking about , they voiced their opinion peacefully and are now in Prison. Maybe they will do it to your kids one day , what an idiotic thing to say

Please read my post before commenting. I am not talking about the justification of their incarceration or the merits of the their prosecution.

Just the futility of insisting on anything one you are inside the penal system in Thailand.

You can take the 'ex' of your username too. It's unwarranted.

[TimmyT]

this is what I predicted! Sacco and Vanzetti way of propaganda!

sometimes it even scares me - to be so accurate...

[soalbundy]

They can ask for ice cream, a TV in their cells and a bedtime story too, for all the good its gonna do.

However much we might think their crime is not so bad, they broke the law.

As we all know, acting like Prima Donnas does not go down well with Thai authorities.

Even Win and Zaw worked that one out.

When you're in pokey, you take your lumps

They broke the law.....whose law ?

[MJKT2014]

They broke the law.....whose law ?

http://notthenation.com/2015/04/prayuth-rides-horse-shirtless-wrestles-monitor-lizard/

[Somtamnication]

They can ask for ice cream, a TV in their cells and a bedtime story too, for all the good its gonna do.

However much we might think their crime is not so bad, they broke the law.

As we all know, acting like Prima Donnas does not go down well with Thai authorities.

Even Win and Zaw worked that one out.

When you're in pokey, you take your lumps

They broke the law.....whose law ?

Sadly, they broke the law of uncertainty.

[Manbing]

They can ask for ice cream, a TV in their cells and a bedtime story too, for all the good its gonna do.

However much we might think their crime is not so bad, they broke the law.

As we all know, acting like Prima Donnas does not go down well with Thai authorities.

Even Win and Zaw worked that one out.

When you're in pokey, you take your lumps

They broke the law.....whose law ?

Sadly, they broke the law of uncertainty.

I am not sure they are allowed a cat in prison?, or are they???

[EnglishJohn]

These students are not protestors, they are political activists. There is a BIG difference.

And Thailand does not need political activists trying to cause trouble at this time. Their kind took the country towards civil war with their terrorism : now they have to wait for the grown ups to make some ground rules. Then they will get another go which they will undoubtedly try to mess up again with their corruption.

[EnglishJohn]

They can ask for ice cream, a TV in their cells and a bedtime story too, for all the good its gonna do.

However much we might think their crime is not so bad, they broke the law.

As we all know, acting like Prima Donnas does not go down well with Thai authorities.

Even Win and Zaw worked that one out.

When you're in pokey, you take your lumps

What are you talking about , they voiced their opinion peacefully and are now in Prison. Maybe they will do it to your kids one day , what an idiotic thing to say

Well at least they are not dead like so many other peaceful protestors.

Which - coincidentally - is the WHOLE reason we had a coup in the first place.

Because of that we are in an interim Junta who are doing everything they can to stop people who WANT a wedge through Thai society from doing it again.

But I don't expect you to understand. There are a lot of people in this world who cannot see anything except that which is right in front of their face.

What's funny is that they are usually the ones who also think everyone else are the idiots.

[Nobb]

They will not pay for bell money! Very strange because someone is paying them a lot of money or they are in the Thai Hotel jail cells for the elite Thai

criminals. Some party is paying them well to test the system and are getting better treatment than normal Thai law breaker. Looking for the rest of the world to say poor students should be released and allow riots again!

[Seastallion]

I think it's a stroke of brilliance.

If they get turned down, it will look like they are being railroaded, and if the request is granted, they can not be railroaded.

[mark131v]

They can ask for ice cream, a TV in their cells and a bedtime story too, for all the good its gonna do.

However much we might think their crime is not so bad, they broke the law.

As we all know, acting like Prima Donnas does not go down well with Thai authorities.

Even Win and Zaw worked that one out.

When you're in pokey, you take your lumps

What are you talking about , they voiced their opinion peacefully and are now in Prison. Maybe they will do it to your kids one day , what an idiotic thing to say

Well at least they are not dead like so many other peaceful protestors.

Which - coincidentally - is the WHOLE reason we had a coup in the first place.

Because of that we are in an interim Junta who are doing everything they can to stop people who WANT a wedge through Thai society from doing it again.

But I don't expect you to understand. There are a lot of people in this world who cannot see anything except that which is right in front of their face.

What's funny is that they are usually the ones who also think everyone else are the idiots.

Ahh, the streets of Bangkok filled with dead bodies on the brink of civil war....complete and utter tosh the junta got involved after they realized the hi-so were beginning to lose their grip

"There are a lot of people in this world who cannot see anything except that which is right in front of their face" yep your a case in point a westerner with all the privileges that gave you calling for a man who took power at the point of a gun to stop the very privileges you and most of the developed world takes for granted, classy....

[mark131v]

They will not pay for bell money! Very strange because someone is paying them a lot of money or they are in the Thai Hotel jail cells for the elite Thai

criminals. Some party is paying them well to test the system and are getting better treatment than normal Thai law breaker. Looking for the rest of the world to say poor students should be released and allow riots again!

A very apt name you have there...go on stick the T word in I know you want to!! all the junta cheerleaders seem to think that family are the bogey man for all that goes wrong here!! who was the bogey man for the other multiple coups the military have inflicted on the country to reinforce the elites hold though

[than]

These students are not protestors, they are political activists. There is a BIG difference.

And Thailand does not need political activists trying to cause trouble at this time. Their kind took the country towards civil war with their terrorism : now they have to wait for the grown ups to make some ground rules. Then they will get another go which they will undoubtedly try to mess up again with their corruption.

Rally of more 5 people for political purpose is actually forbidden in Thailand

[Fat Haggis]

And wasn't Pra Issara walking about with more than 5 people recently gathering signatures for a political purpose?

If the shoe fits indeed!!

[than]

And wasn't Pra Issara walking about with more than 5 people recently gathering signatures for a political purpose?

If the shoe fits indeed!!

He was not on public space when he launch his signature gathering

Contrary of the 14

[Srikcir]

These students are not protestors, they are political activists. There is a BIG difference.

And Thailand does not need political activists trying to cause trouble at this time. Their kind took the country towards civil war with their terrorism : now they have to wait for the grown ups to make some ground rules. Then they will get another go which they will undoubtedly try to mess up again with their corruption.

In a feudal society intellect is terrorism.