Man who ripped up referendum ballot sheet faces four charges

[webfact]

Man who ripped up referendum ballot sheet faces four charges

 

 

BANGKOK: -- The political activist who deliberately ripped up a referendum ballot sheet at a polling unit in Bang Na district on Sunday was slapped with four charges while his follower who videotaped the incident and posted it in the social media was also charged.

 

Pol Maj-Gen Somprasong Yemthuamp, commander of the 5th division of metropolitan police bureau, told the media on Monday that the suspect, Piyarat Chongthep, also a Thammasat University student, faces the charges of ripping up a ballot sheet and obstructing voting in the referendum in accordance with the Referendum Act and two additional criminal charges of destroying official document and causing damage to state property.

 

Piyarat’s follower was also charged with obstructing the referendum, said the police officer.

 

The two suspects were granted bail by the police because they have not shown any indication that they will run away.

 

However, he said that it would take about a month to wrap up the case before it could be submitted to the public prosecutor.

 

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/man-ripped-referendum-ballot-sheet-faces-four-charges/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2016-08-09

[Raymonddiaz]

at least try are free at the moment. The big fish of Thailand is just avoiding international condemnation after the landslide win at the referendum.

[kannot]

pathetic use of power

[tifino]

 

"but, but, I was just tearing-shreds-off a wayward Pokemon who strayed here..."

[baboon]

Come on, then. Enlighten me as to why ripping up a piece of paper and filming your mate ripping up a piece of paper justifies being sent to prison for Christ knows how long and why you are so desperate to put them away you are charging them with multiple offences. This is democracy? This is in any way reasonable? 

Perhaps he would have been looked more kindly upon if he had driven a Mercedes at full speed through the polling station and taken a few people out?

[maoro2013]

Why did he waste his vote. Seems a futile exercise.

[halloween]

48 minutes ago, baboon said:

Come on, then. Enlighten me as to why ripping up a piece of paper and filming your mate ripping up a piece of paper justifies being sent to prison for Christ knows how long and why you are so desperate to put them away you are charging them with multiple offences. This is democracy? This is in any way reasonable? 

Perhaps he would have been looked more kindly upon if he had driven a Mercedes at full speed through the polling station and taken a few people out?

Perhaps it would be wiser to wait until we hear what the charges are, and the applicable penalties before raving about " being sent to prison for Christ knows how long".

At least one of the charges would most likely be destroying a ballot paper (yes, a crime here in a country with compulsory voting) which carries a small fine.

[Alive]

Compulsory voting, Halloween? Does that mean 45% of people are going to be brought to court? Nothing should be made of this guy's actions. That's the smartest move and the military regime in power should let this go unless it wants to keep its use of fear strong. They've got to kill their chickens in front of the monkeys to keep control.

[NongKhaiKid]

They've got the video and I presume it's the one I saw on the BBC but it's to take a month before the case goes to the public prosecutor  ?

Playing for time for one of several reasons  ?

[NongKhaiKid]

They've got the video and I presume it's the one I saw on the BBC but it's to take a month before the case goes to the public prosecutor  ?

Playing for time for one of several reasons  ?

[halloween]

21 minutes ago, Alive said:

Compulsory voting, Halloween? Does that mean 45% of people are going to be brought to court? Nothing should be made of this guy's actions. That's the smartest move and the military regime in power should let this go unless it wants to keep its use of fear strong. They've got to kill their chickens in front of the monkeys to keep control.

 

FYI yes compulsory voting. AFAIK registered voters who don't vote are not " brought to court " or fined as they are in Oz (where the emphasis is attending a voting station rather than voting)

OTOH every election seems some mug lair attention seeker being prosecuted for destroying their ballot paper. Did you just get here?

[soalbundy]

silly protest

[djjamie]

Thankfully the overwhelming majority have spoken and this guy is but a bitter minority voice belonging to a dark part of Thailand.

[sharecropper]

I applaud this brave Thai who had the courage to stand up to - how can I put it mildly - a deeply flawed "government" and a shockingly disgraceful referendum process.

[bark]

They have a video, and the guy says why he did it.

But is takes one month ?

[Emster23]

We risked being arrested for burning our draft cards in USA during Vietnam war in the 60's....

[kannot]

4 hours ago, baboon said:

Come on, then. Enlighten me as to why ripping up a piece of paper and filming your mate ripping up a piece of paper justifies being sent to prison for Christ knows how long and why you are so desperate to put them away you are charging them with multiple offences. This is democracy? This is in any way reasonable? 

Perhaps he would have been looked more kindly upon if he had driven a Mercedes at full speed through the polling station and taken a few people out?

but he didnt, his wrong doing was  way more serious  than running down a few plebs.

[kannot]

1 minute ago, Emster23 said:

We risked being arrested for burning our draft cards in USA during Vietnam war in the 60's....

They do say Thailand is 50+ years behind the times

[kannot]

3 hours ago, djjamie said:

Thankfully the overwhelming majority have spoken and this guy is but a bitter minority voice belonging to a dark part of Thailand.

Love the sarcasm...............its is sarcasm isnt it.?.......a  bitter minority in a tiny turnout and as one person already mentioned  that his  local viallgers didnt vote as no one was paying them to.

[Baerboxer]

8 hours ago, NongKhaiKid said:

They've got the video and I presume it's the one I saw on the BBC but it's to take a month before the case goes to the public prosecutor  ?

Playing for time for one of several reasons  ?

 

People can be caught on cctv nipping home to tool up before several murder a disabled man. And some witnesses were also brave enough to speak. But again, in the interests of fairness, takes weeks, months or even years before all the facts, angles, alternatives, negotiations and sussing out opportunities can be completed.

 

Wonder what the statute of limitation is on these charges? 

[happy Joe]

I fully agree with the principle of severely punishing this kind of provocation.

Obviously one will say that home is usual, but precisely, Thais have no need of these activists eager spotlights ..

[brucec64]

8 hours ago, halloween said:

 

FYI yes compulsory voting. AFAIK registered voters who don't vote are not " brought to court " or fined as they are in Oz (where the emphasis is attending a voting station rather than voting)

OTOH every election seems some mug lair attention seeker being prosecuted for destroying their ballot paper. Did you just get here?

 

FYI no, not compulsory for the referendum. But don't let facts get in the way of your irrational need to defend all things junta.

Did you just get here?

 

- Anyone who is 18 or older on the day of the referendum is eligible to vote but it is not mandatory.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Thailand-Explainer-30287176.html

[mankondang]

7 hours ago, halloween said:

 

FYI  ye" s compulsory voting. AFAIK registered tte are not " brought to court  " or fined as they are in Oz (where the emphasis is attending a voting station rather than voting)

OTOH every election seems some mug lair attention seeker being prosecuted for destroying their ballot paper. Did you just get here?

 

In Oz as you call it, "the ephasis is ON "registering to vote" (not just attending a voting station) and this can be accomplished in severalways, postal etc. Failure do so will result in a "Please explain" letter, which can be addressed by stating you were sick, out of the country on holiday , etc. If your reply is not acceptable, and does in fact contrafine the act, then further action may be taken against you. There are many step before the goverment takes you to court. Basically this law was introduced to prevent complacency which could if taken to the extreme, make an election null and void, as the percentage of votes would be below that required by the constitution.

The voting in Thailand for the referendum was not compulsory.

[Wilsonandson]

[PoorSucker]

5 hours ago, halloween said:

 

FYI yes compulsory voting.

 

If you don't vote the only punishment is that you can not hold an political office for five years.

One political party wanted their voter this referendum as last referendum to boycott the election, but the politicians went voting anyway.

[tbthailand]

18 hours ago, halloween said:

Perhaps it would be wiser to wait until we hear what the charges are, and the applicable penalties before raving about " being sent to prison for Christ knows how long".

At least one of the charges would most likely be destroying a ballot paper (yes, a crime here in a country with compulsory voting) which carries a small fine.

 

 

The charges were in the first paragraph:

 

the suspect, Piyarat Chongthep, also a Thammasat University student, faces the charges of ripping up a ballot sheet and obstructing voting in the referendum in accordance with the Referendum Act and two additional criminal charges of destroying official document and causing damage to state property.

 

I could be mistaken, but I believe the first charge may fall into that 10-year maximum penalty that the EC pulled out of their collective backsides.   It would not be a surprise if his buddy, who was also hit with obstructing the referendum, also gets slapped with a violation of the computer crimes act which is a near guarantee for multiple years in the klink... 

 

[halloween]

22 hours ago, mankondang said:

 

In Oz as you call it, "the ephasis is ON "registering to vote" (not just attending a voting station) and this can be accomplished in severalways, postal etc. Failure do so will result in a "Please explain" letter, which can be addressed by stating you were sick, out of the country on holiday , etc. If your reply is not acceptable, and does in fact contrafine the act, then further action may be taken against you. There are many step before the goverment takes you to court. Basically this law was introduced to prevent complacency which could if taken to the extreme, make an election null and void, as the percentage of votes would be below that required by the constitution.

The voting in Thailand for the referendum was not compulsory.

You seem to be confusing "register to vote" with getting your name crossed off at a polling station. If you don't register to vote, they don't bother chasing you. Having registered, your only duty is to attend the polling station and get your name crossed of the voter list. It is not compulsory to actually vote, and AFAIK there is no penalty for destroying your ballot as there is here.