Martial court approves bail for woman accused of spreading Prayut rumor

[webfact]

Martial Court Approves Bail for Woman Accused of Spreading Prayuth Rumor
By Khaosod English


Activists gather outside Bangkok Remand Prison to demand release of Rinda Paruechabutr, who has been accused of spreading a rumor about junta chairman Gen. Prayuth Chan-ohca, 12 July 2015.

BANGKOK — A martial court has reversed its ruling to allow a single mother to be released on bail while she awaits trial for allegedly spreading a rumor about junta chairman Prayuth Chan-ocha.

Police say Rinda Paruechabutr, 45, started a spurious rumor on social media that Gen. Prayuth had transferred 10 billion baht to an offshore bank account in Singapore. She is facing up to twelve years in prison on charges of violating the Computer Crime Act, inciting unrest, and causing panic.

She was arrested on 9 July and kept in prison for three days after Bangkok’s martial court ordered her to be jailed while she awaited trial.

However, the court issued a new ruling today to approve Rinda’s request for bail, setting her bond money at 100,000 baht, Matichon reported. The judge reportedly said Rinda was unlikely to flee the country, and had to take care of her two children outside the prison.

Rinda became the sole guardian of her children, ages 7 and 16, after her husband passed away in 2012.

Police say she belongs to a local chapter of the Redshirt movement - which opposed the May 2014 coup - in Pathum Thani province.

Under the conditions of her release, Rinda is barred from leaving the country or participating in any political campaigns.

The ruling came after 30 people gathered outside the entrance to Bangkok Remand Prison last night to hold a vigil for Rinda and what they described as "other political prisoners." The gathering was organized by several pro-democracy groups, including the New Democracy Movement, Resistant Citizens, and Thai Lawyers for Human Rights.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1436781688


-- Khaosod English 2015-07-13

[chainarong]

Not much can be said about this matter , stupid doing this sort of thing knowing full well that it might be hard to prove and knowing the opponent can also tell pork pies in that doyen of Generals (there will be no coup) Prayut - O , not such a great move.

Edited July 13, 2015 by chainarong

[mmh8]

why no immediate imprisonment ? why not treat same same as dangerous students? surely this IF tis rumour is more dangerous to the state - read EGO- than a few spotty shy students.

surely the general is learning

ah general does not want to see a new cause in addition to students, aha the single mother vote in thailand is more important than that of the students ---- ahhh very clever.

then again something strange since this lot ain't bothered about voters either way.

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Rumor: a story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts: arumor of war. 2. gossip; hearsay. I guess there will be a reduction in Thai visa forum membership and an increase in the prison population if a rumor violates the Computer Crimes Act.

[DM07]

12 years...for causing panic!

I am so glad, they have the priorities right!

Kill a cop with a car, anyone?

[djjamie]

I am waiting for these rent a crowds to protest the drought suggesting it is a Junta instigated policy.

They really come out of the woodwork when ever the Junta do exactly the same thing the previous government did yet they never came out then.

Previous Thai govt said they will arrest anyone that clicks "like" on a Facebook post that is a rumour. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

Previous govt sue a cartoonist for defamation. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

Red shirt arrested for defamation and given 2 years jail. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

What do these hypocrites suggest the punishment be for this? When it is the big bad Junta they should be let off scott free I suggest.

I would love to a rumour spread about them make national news. Have their faces splattered across the front page for the sole reason being to discredit them. No proof what so ever to back the rumour up. What would they do? They will hire a lawyer to sue them, they would want the person arrested and charged and put in jail.

They are making unjustified political noise and blowing up stories that are otherwise normal procedure under any govt to push an agenda and they don't really care how hypocritical they look. It is these same people that suggested the Junta had made a women disappear who was detained for 9 days because no one had seen her. Of course the small matter that the Junta were allowed to hold citizens for 12 days without a warrant was irrelevant as they had to be out there discrediting the Junta. Sure enough on the 12th day the woman was released unharmed and she went about her business to no fanfare or huge media reports. The rent a crowd were simply trying to agitate fear discontent and they achieved that. Facts and common sense take a side seat to this lot.

The only struggle that these Thai students keep harping on about is the struggle for unbiased reporting and the struggle to look around without seeing hypocrites with an agenda holding the same signs no matter how illogical the words on the sign are.

Edited July 13, 2015 by djjamie

[tbthailand]

I am waiting for these rent a crowds to protest the drought suggesting it is a Junta instigated policy.

They really come out of the woodwork when ever the Junta do exactly the same thing the previous government did yet they never came out then.

Previous Thai govt said they will arrest anyone that clicks "like" on a Facebook post that is a rumour. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

Previous govt sue a cartoonist for defamation. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

Red shirt arrested for defamation and given 2 years jail. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

What do these hypocrites suggest the punishment be for this? When it is the big bad Junta they should be let off scott free I suggest.

I would love to a rumour spread about them make national news. Have their faces splattered across the front page for the sole reason being to discredit them. No proof what so ever to back the rumour up. What would they do? They will hire a lawyer to sue them, they would want the person arrested and charged and put in jail.

They are making unjustified political noise and blowing up stories that are otherwise normal procedure under any govt to push an agenda and they don't really care how hypocritical they look. It is these same people that suggested the Junta had made a women disappear who was detained for 9 days because no one had seen her. Of course the small matter that the Junta were allowed to hold citizens for 12 days without a warrant was irrelevant as they had to be out there discrediting the Junta. Sure enough on the 12th day the woman was released unharmed and she went about her business to no fanfare or huge media reports. The rent a crowd were simply trying to agitate fear discontent and they achieved that. Facts and common sense take a side seat to this lot.

The only struggle that these Thai students keep harping on about is the struggle for unbiased reporting and the struggle to look around without seeing hypocrites with an agenda holding the same signs no matter how illogical the words on the sign are.

you'll never get it, will you?

Resistant Citizen - one of the groups supporting her release - is certainly the farthest thing you could get from a rent-a-crowd... have you read anything about them?

Coming from that point of departure, the rest of the post is meaningless, but just to go further any way, you might recall that under Thaksin, the courts heard and dismissed his cases of defamation - he was, after all a public figure and subject to criticism.

n this case, she stated;

"I think that, as a citizen, I have the rights to criticize and express my opinion, since the Prime Minister is a public figure," Rinda said.

hmmm, of course the week before, the junta arrested another woman for spreading a rumour about a counter-coup and she now will face a military court for LM and the computer crimes act....

that sounds fair, doesn't it?

no human rights violations here...

[phoenixdoglover]

I am waiting for these rent a crowds to protest the drought suggesting it is a Junta instigated policy.

They really come out of the woodwork when ever the Junta do exactly the same thing the previous government did yet they never came out then.

Previous Thai govt said they will arrest anyone that clicks "like" on a Facebook post that is a rumour. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

Previous govt sue a cartoonist for defamation. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

Red shirt arrested for defamation and given 2 years jail. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

What do these hypocrites suggest the punishment be for this? When it is the big bad Junta they should be let off scott free I suggest.

I would love to a rumour spread about them make national news. Have their faces splattered across the front page for the sole reason being to discredit them. No proof what so ever to back the rumour up. What would they do? They will hire a lawyer to sue them, they would want the person arrested and charged and put in jail.

They are making unjustified political noise and blowing up stories that are otherwise normal procedure under any govt to push an agenda and they don't really care how hypocritical they look. It is these same people that suggested the Junta had made a women disappear who was detained for 9 days because no one had seen her. Of course the small matter that the Junta were allowed to hold citizens for 12 days without a warrant was irrelevant as they had to be out there discrediting the Junta. Sure enough on the 12th day the woman was released unharmed and she went about her business to no fanfare or huge media reports. The rent a crowd were simply trying to agitate fear discontent and they achieved that. Facts and common sense take a side seat to this lot.

The only struggle that these Thai students keep harping on about is the struggle for unbiased reporting and the struggle to look around without seeing hypocrites with an agenda holding the same signs no matter how illogical the words on the sign are.

Imagine that, people protesting the suspension of basic human rights when others are held without being charged with a violation of law.

As you describe it, this is just an "otherwise normal procedure under any govt to push an agenda".

I was wondering how ridiculous your rationalizations could become.

[webfact]

Court grants bail to woman accused of spreading rumours
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The businesswoman who was arrested for spreading a rumour online that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had transferred Bt10 billion to Singapore has been granted bail on a Bt100,000 guarantee, her lawyer said Monday.

Rinda "Lin" Paruechabut, 44, had earlier confessed to posting such statements on social media and has been charged with violating Articles 14 and 116 of the Computer Act, as well as causing turmoil, public disobedience and panic. Rinda is the owner of a cosmetics business.

National police spokesman Pol Lt-General Prawut Thawornsiri said the court had objected to an earlier bail request filed by her lawyer on grounds that the case was serious and could not be settled out of court even though the PM had chosen not to sue her.

Lawyer Pawinee Chumsri said Monday that she had first filed for bail at the Bangkok Military Court on July 10, citing that her client had children and was not likely to flee the country. She added that it was also unlikely that Rinda would interfere in police investigation and witnesses or repeat the offence as police had seized all her computer equipment.

Pawinee explained that though Rinda's offence affected national security, she was really only voicing her opinion.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Court-grants-bail-to-woman-accused-of-spreading-ru-30264361.html


-- The Nation 2015-07-14

[NongKhaiKid]

Somebody must have been into a thesaurus, turmoil, public disobedience and panic !

Wow, that's well over the top even for LoS.

Why didn't they complete the box set and add in 'causing misfortune ' as with the Uighurs deported to China ?

[BSJ]

Unless you have irrefutable proof of a wrong doing it would be wize to keep your mouth shut and post nothing. This woman deserves a court appearance in this case and some sort of punishment whether it be financial or time in custody.

[EnglishJohn]

My my, those 'protestors' (with their English signs) got there quick didn't they ?.

How foolish they must feel now she is being released on bail.

So we have a big outrage because of a few 'students' getting arrested - who really wanted to be arrested anyway - and a woman spreading dissent on facebook while under an interim military Junta who are trying to keep the peace after civil war nearly broke out.

How terrible things are. I preferred it when women and children were getting blown up by grenades thrown at them by their own government.

[Oziex1]

I'd like a complete audit of all the financial actions of these coup masters.

[kennw]

You should not accuse anyone publically without prior proof, this becomes slander and in her case a malicious action. Thai penalties for such action can be quite severe.

[djjamie]

I am waiting for these rent a crowds to protest the drought suggesting it is a Junta instigated policy.

They really come out of the woodwork when ever the Junta do exactly the same thing the previous government did yet they never came out then.

Previous Thai govt said they will arrest anyone that clicks "like" on a Facebook post that is a rumour. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

Previous govt sue a cartoonist for defamation. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

Red shirt arrested for defamation and given 2 years jail. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

What do these hypocrites suggest the punishment be for this? When it is the big bad Junta they should be let off scott free I suggest.

I would love to a rumour spread about them make national news. Have their faces splattered across the front page for the sole reason being to discredit them. No proof what so ever to back the rumour up. What would they do? They will hire a lawyer to sue them, they would want the person arrested and charged and put in jail.

They are making unjustified political noise and blowing up stories that are otherwise normal procedure under any govt to push an agenda and they don't really care how hypocritical they look. It is these same people that suggested the Junta had made a women disappear who was detained for 9 days because no one had seen her. Of course the small matter that the Junta were allowed to hold citizens for 12 days without a warrant was irrelevant as they had to be out there discrediting the Junta. Sure enough on the 12th day the woman was released unharmed and she went about her business to no fanfare or huge media reports. The rent a crowd were simply trying to agitate fear discontent and they achieved that. Facts and common sense take a side seat to this lot.

The only struggle that these Thai students keep harping on about is the struggle for unbiased reporting and the struggle to look around without seeing hypocrites with an agenda holding the same signs no matter how illogical the words on the sign are.

you'll never get it, will you?

Resistant Citizen - one of the groups supporting her release - is certainly the farthest thing you could get from a rent-a-crowd... have you read anything about them?

Coming from that point of departure, the rest of the post is meaningless, but just to go further any way, you might recall that under Thaksin, the courts heard and dismissed his cases of defamation - he was, after all a public figure and subject to criticism.

n this case, she stated;

"I think that, as a citizen, I have the rights to criticize and express my opinion, since the Prime Minister is a public figure," Rinda said.

hmmm, of course the week before, the junta arrested another woman for spreading a rumour about a counter-coup and she now will face a military court for LM and the computer crimes act....

that sounds fair, doesn't it?

no human rights violations here...

Criticising someone and making up lies about them to discredit them are two different things.

Abhisit criticises Prayut everyday. The news papers critize him everyday. Goodness me, Korkeow does as well. They are not getting arrested. Why? They are not lies. They do not make up stories with no evidence to defame him. Anyone does have the right to criticise and express their opinion about a public figure. they CANNOT make up lies about them to discredit them.

Again, if anyone from "Resistant Citizen" were on the front page with lies printed about them they would not very happy and would demand justice be served. If they were being criticised then that would be another story. Yet here they want this person to be fried with no charge as if it never happened. Unfortunately the law needs to be respected which the reds have a very lose grasp on.

Criticism and lies are different. To even have to explain that she was in the wrong and should be held accountable beggars belief. From the same people that didn't mind the previous govt wanting to arrest anyone that clicked "Like" on FB posts that were rumours.

Hypocrisy.

Edited July 14, 2015 by djjamie

[Fat Haggis]

My my, those 'protestors' (with their English signs) got there quick didn't they ?.

How foolish they must feel now she is being released on bail.

So we have a big outrage because of a few 'students' getting arrested - who really wanted to be arrested anyway - and a woman spreading dissent on facebook while under an interim military Junta who are trying to keep the peace after civil war nearly broke out.

How terrible things are. I preferred it when women and children were getting blown up by grenades thrown at them by their own government.

Please for the love of Christ provide proof that the government was throwing grenades please, your comments are defamatory and unfounded.

Please name the government officials who were out throwing grenades as well please.

I shall await with trepidation on your facts that prove your claims as truth and not merely rumour or biased opinions !!!

[jesimps]

My my, those 'protestors' (with their English signs) got there quick didn't they ?.

How foolish they must feel now she is being released on bail.

So we have a big outrage because of a few 'students' getting arrested - who really wanted to be arrested anyway - and a woman spreading dissent on facebook while under an interim military Junta who are trying to keep the peace after civil war nearly broke out.

How terrible things are. I preferred it when women and children were getting blown up by grenades thrown at them by their own government.

Please for the love of Christ provide proof that the government was throwing grenades please, your comments are defamatory and unfounded.

Please name the government officials who were out throwing grenades as well please.

I shall await with trepidation on your facts that prove your claims as truth and not merely rumour or biased opinions !!!

I'm fed up with asking this guy to reply to the topic in hand. He's your original "but but Thaksin" poster. I'm coming more and more to the conclusion that he's a wum. Either that or he's Jamie in disguise.

[gandalf12]

NOt been following this so what I am about to ask is probably a silly question but why is a civilian being tried in a military court?

[halloween]

My my, those 'protestors' (with their English signs) got there quick didn't they ?.

How foolish they must feel now she is being released on bail.

So we have a big outrage because of a few 'students' getting arrested - who really wanted to be arrested anyway - and a woman spreading dissent on facebook while under an interim military Junta who are trying to keep the peace after civil war nearly broke out.

How terrible things are. I preferred it when women and children were getting blown up by grenades thrown at them by their own government.

Please for the love of Christ provide proof that the government was throwing grenades please, your comments are defamatory and unfounded.

Please name the government officials who were out throwing grenades as well please.

I shall await with trepidation on your facts that prove your claims as truth and not merely rumour or biased opinions !!!

I concede that he expressed that badly. The expression he should have used was "grenades thrown at them by their own government's private militia."

While investigation, let alone arrests, were stifled at the time, some of them have been arrested. Feel free to google yourself.

[SOTIRIOS]

...slander and treason....make such an allegation against any leader of any country in the world and see what you get....

...and her group chose her carefully....

...as for unlikely to flee....have heard that one before....

...sure that those that put her up to it will take good care of her.....

...same as the 'political students'.....

Edited July 14, 2015 by SOTIRIOS

[Emster23]

She should watch Fox News on how to get around slander & unfounded rumors: use the phrase "Some people say...." She was arrested because she said 10 billion was sent offshore. Some people say the number was more like 15 billion....

[halloween]

She should watch Fox News on how to get around slander & unfounded rumors: use the phrase "Some people say...." She was arrested because she said 10 billion was sent offshore. Some people say the number was more like 15 billion....

Fox News doesn't operate under Thai defamation laws. But you do.

[Nobb]

Either the Junta is weakening or Prayut just want to let this accusation die.

[tbthailand]

I am waiting for these rent a crowds to protest the drought suggesting it is a Junta instigated policy.

They really come out of the woodwork when ever the Junta do exactly the same thing the previous government did yet they never came out then.

Previous Thai govt said they will arrest anyone that clicks "like" on a Facebook post that is a rumour. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

Previous govt sue a cartoonist for defamation. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

Red shirt arrested for defamation and given 2 years jail. These dubious entities were no where to be seen then.

What do these hypocrites suggest the punishment be for this? When it is the big bad Junta they should be let off scott free I suggest.

I would love to a rumour spread about them make national news. Have their faces splattered across the front page for the sole reason being to discredit them. No proof what so ever to back the rumour up. What would they do? They will hire a lawyer to sue them, they would want the person arrested and charged and put in jail.

They are making unjustified political noise and blowing up stories that are otherwise normal procedure under any govt to push an agenda and they don't really care how hypocritical they look. It is these same people that suggested the Junta had made a women disappear who was detained for 9 days because no one had seen her. Of course the small matter that the Junta were allowed to hold citizens for 12 days without a warrant was irrelevant as they had to be out there discrediting the Junta. Sure enough on the 12th day the woman was released unharmed and she went about her business to no fanfare or huge media reports. The rent a crowd were simply trying to agitate fear discontent and they achieved that. Facts and common sense take a side seat to this lot.

The only struggle that these Thai students keep harping on about is the struggle for unbiased reporting and the struggle to look around without seeing hypocrites with an agenda holding the same signs no matter how illogical the words on the sign are.

you'll never get it, will you?

Resistant Citizen - one of the groups supporting her release - is certainly the farthest thing you could get from a rent-a-crowd... have you read anything about them?

Coming from that point of departure, the rest of the post is meaningless, but just to go further any way, you might recall that under Thaksin, the courts heard and dismissed his cases of defamation - he was, after all a public figure and subject to criticism.

n this case, she stated;

"I think that, as a citizen, I have the rights to criticize and express my opinion, since the Prime Minister is a public figure," Rinda said.

hmmm, of course the week before, the junta arrested another woman for spreading a rumour about a counter-coup and she now will face a military court for LM and the computer crimes act....

that sounds fair, doesn't it?

no human rights violations here...

Criticising someone and making up lies about them to discredit them are two different things.

Abhisit criticises Prayut everyday. The news papers critize him everyday. Goodness me, Korkeow does as well. They are not getting arrested. Why? They are not lies. They do not make up stories with no evidence to defame him. Anyone does have the right to criticise and express their opinion about a public figure. they CANNOT make up lies about them to discredit them.

Again, if anyone from "Resistant Citizen" were on the front page with lies printed about them they would not very happy and would demand justice be served. If they were being criticised then that would be another story. Yet here they want this person to be fried with no charge as if it never happened. Unfortunately the law needs to be respected which the reds have a very lose grasp on.

Criticism and lies are different. To even have to explain that she was in the wrong and should be held accountable beggars belief. From the same people that didn't mind the previous govt wanting to arrest anyone that clicked "Like" on FB posts that were rumours.

Hypocrisy.

to imagine that someone is facing many years in prison, if not decades for a post on facebook "beggars belief" as you put it.

in my country people still claim that President Obama was born in Kenya... they post that "lie" all the time and no one goes to jail for it.

get real. This is not a punishable offence.

[mmh8]

be far more interesting if they passed it on to civil court in stead. perhaps that is the point

[halloween]

to imagine that someone is facing many years in prison, if not decades for a post on facebook "beggars belief" as you put it.

in my country people still claim that President Obama was born in Kenya... they post that "lie" all the time and no one goes to jail for it.

get real. This is not a punishable offence.

This is not your country, and most of us don't want it to be anything like your country.

[Emster23]

She should watch Fox News on how to get around slander & unfounded rumors: use the phrase "Some people say...." She was arrested because she said 10 billion was sent offshore. Some people say the number was more like 15 billion....

Fox News doesn't operate under Thai defamation laws. But you do.

Merely an example. I love the general. I am sure he earned all of his money due to hard work and frugal savings/investments from his salary. He should be a good role model for Thais of all political viewpoints.

[Fat Haggis]

to imagine that someone is facing many years in prison, if not decades for a post on facebook "beggars belief" as you put it.

in my country people still claim that President Obama was born in Kenya... they post that "lie" all the time and no one goes to jail for it.

get real. This is not a punishable offence.

This is not your country, and most of us don't want it to be anything like your country.

It's not yours either, but you continue to post like it is. Who exactly is this "most of us" too?