Bt2m aid for 'mushroom pickers'

[webfact]

Bt2m aid for 'mushroom pickers'
By Jakkapong Rawiwan
The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- THE Justice Fund will provide Bt2 million to help a couple apply for bail after the Supreme Court on Tuesday sentenced them to five years in prison for illegal logging in Dong Ranang national forest seven years ago, if their lawyer files a petition for a retrial.

 

The case has gained attention as Udom, 54, and Deang Sirisorn, 51, from Non Sa-ard village in Kalasin’s Huai Mek district, claimed to have been merely picking mushrooms in the area, raising questions about the severity of the sentence.

 

Kalasin Justice Office director Narong Khamphetch said yesterday that their defence lawyer, Songkran Achariyasap, had signalled that there was significant new evidence that would justify a retrial. Songkran had announced plans to file a petition next week to prove the couple’s innocence, prompting the Justice Fund to approve Bt1 million each for the couple’s bail release applications, Narong said. 

 

“The Kalasin Justice Office already has the money ready to proceed with their bail applications once the lawyer submits the petition to revive the case,” he said. Although Deang had already spent one year and nine months in prison, while Udom had served one year and eight months, Narong said the couple still had to go to prison and qualify for good behaviour in order to get suspended jail terms.

 

Kobkiat Kasiwiwat, director of the Corrections Department, said the couple could not seek suspension of their jail term yet although they had served a third of the sentence, as they did not fulfil the other conditions. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30314161

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-05-04

[ratcatcher]

"Kobkiat Kasiwiwat, director of the Corrections Department, said the couple could not seek suspension of their jail term yet although they had served a third of the sentence, as they did not fulfil the other conditions. "

This just about sums up the state of the "Justice" system. Meanwhile the real killers, and I'm referring to a select few,  enjoy the good life.

 

[ukrules]

Prove yourself innocent and all will be well, I guess it's too much hassle for the justice system to instigate their own investigation

[ezzra]

These two people have been made to be a scape goats, never minds that both

Thai and other neighboring nationals are raping and pillaging Thailand's

flora, fauna and forests on a massive scales for many years and profiting

billions out the illicit trade, you don't hear that any of those guys got 10

years in jail for what they do....

[tracker1]

Not sure but picking mushrooms appears to be classed as logging ! a very big differance

[canopy]

Quick recap: picking mushrooms was their claim and they were never found guilty of this. They were found guilty of encroaching on 72 rai of national forest land, cutting down over 1000 valuable trees, and possessing restricted timber illegally.

 

[tomwct]

This is typical of the Thai Justice System. The haves the Justice System says Mae bin Lai. The have nots throw them in jail

and forget about them.

 

[williamgeorgeallen]

i went to court for having the wrong address in my work permit. we were crammed into a court room with many other offenders (all the others were thai) there was no judge. we were all asked to stand up and plead guilty. i only speak basic thai so was a bit worried when i heard i was being sentenced me to 1 year jail for working without a work permit. the jail sentence was suspended on the provision i did not commit the crime again. whole mess took 2 years and about 85000thb to sort out. i wont work in thailand again. i will never risk getting involved in the court system again.

[Crash999]

Had The Justice Fund done a thorough investigation here? Illegal logging is a huge problem and underpinned by organized crime. 

 

If these guys just by coincidence were picking mushrooms next to the loggers then why did they drop their motorcycles and run into the woods when they saw the police? They were caught because they were the slowest. 

 

There's more here than meets the eye. 

[tomwct]

17 minutes ago, canopy said:

Quick recap: picking mushrooms was their claim and they were never found guilty of this. They were found guilty of encroaching on 72 rai of national forest land, cutting down over 1000 valuable trees, and possessing restricted timber illegally.

 

If that is true, they forgot to share their ill-gotten monies with the rich and famous! Never leave them out in this Kingdom or bad things will happen.

[darksidedog]

If you can get five years for picking mushrooms, I wonder what sentence you can expect for running a policeman over and killing him before driving away, or for selling underage girls to top Government Officials for sex? Assuming any cases of that nature ever reach court of course.

[timewilltell]

I wonder how the 2 million baht fund was calculated for two bail applications?

[wvavin]

What is there a necessity for retrial? Its all about how much they can afford to give the fat cats.

[mercman24]

so i suppose all those hi so untouchables, building mansions on gov property will get 30 years in jail then ? no. not a chance ,

[ThaiWai]

1 hour ago, tracker1 said:

Not sure but picking mushrooms appears to be classed as logging ! a very big differance

Believe everything you read and what people claim??

[klauskunkel]

1 hour ago, tomwct said:

1 hour ago, canopy said:

Quick recap: picking mushrooms was their claim and they were never found guilty of this. They were found guilty of encroaching on 72 rai of national forest land, cutting down over 1000 valuable trees, and possessing restricted timber illegally.

 

If that is true, they forgot to share their ill-gotten monies with the rich and famous! Never leave them out in this Kingdom or bad things will happen.

as it says in the article: "as they did not fulfill the other conditions"

[claffey]

1 hour ago, williamgeorgeallen said:

i went to court for having the wrong address in my work permit. we were crammed into a court room with many other offenders (all the others were thai) there was no judge. we were all asked to stand up and plead guilty. i only speak basic thai so was a bit worried when i heard i was being sentenced me to 1 year jail for working without a work permit. the jail sentence was suspended on the provision i did not commit the crime again. whole mess took 2 years and about 85000thb to sort out. i wont work in thailand again. i will never risk getting involved in the court system again.

Is this true? Or a joke?

[z42]

1 hour ago, Crash999 said:

Had The Justice Fund done a thorough investigation here? Illegal logging is a huge problem and underpinned by organized crime. 

 

If these guys just by coincidence were picking mushrooms next to the loggers then why did they drop their motorcycles and run into the woods when they saw the police? They were caught because they were the slowest. 

 

There's more here than meets the eye. 

And from where did you hear this fairytale then my friend? Look at the people, I doubt very much they'd chance a foot race with any authority figures (due to their age and fragility for 2)... The court documents (as shown on CSI LA) said they were done on encroachment and for having 1000 logs from restricted trees in their possession. Unless pictures are shown proving this, and some background on how they transported all 1000 to wherever they were found remains inexplicable.
How exactly they're carrying them defeats me.. Care to hazard a guess.. Am all ears

[Beats56]

This just makes me angry

 If that all they did picking mushrooms what the hell is wrong with the justice system in this country. 5 years come on.

 

[300sd]

Law of Thailand,  (for the poor) "Guilt by Association"! 

 

If you were in the woods and the trees are missing then we don't need proof.....

 

We only need to think you are guilty......

[prakhonchai nick]

2 hours ago, canopy said:

Quick recap: picking mushrooms was their claim and they were never found guilty of this. They were found guilty of encroaching on 72 rai of national forest land, cutting down over 1000 valuable trees, and possessing restricted timber illegally.

 

Not seen any photos of them surrounded by the 1000 trees they allegedly cut down.

[williamgeorgeallen]

32 minutes ago, claffey said:

Is this true? Or a joke?

its all true. there is even more to what happened but i got banned from this form when i originally posted it all. i work for a large franchise that runs in 10 locations around thailand. each location has had visits from immigration several times. my experience was the worst by far. normally they are happy to leave with a cash fine but for some reason they really wanted to cause my location the most trouble. turns out one of my western staff reported another of my western staff to immigration after they got into an argument. as that person was not there that day they hauled me away.

[mtls2005]

2 hours ago, canopy said:

Quick recap: picking mushrooms was their claim and they were never found guilty of this. They were found guilty of encroaching on 72 rai of national forest land, cutting down over 1000 valuable trees, and possessing restricted timber illegally.

 

Can you share any links to information which supports these - and other allegations/charges, someone else mentioned that they were also charged with setting fire to 70 rai? I have looked for these details, but all I could find was a series of arrests (first in 2010), bail, re-arrest, charges, judicial finding, pleading guilty, etc.

 

And what exactly does "encroaching" mean in your context? I always assumed that meant people basically assuming ownership of land and constructing buildings on it.

 

They just don't look like the type capable of felling a thousand trees (another poster upped the ante to "Teak"), transporting them and storing them somewhere?

 

Possessing "restricted" timber would seem like fairly conclusive evidence? It seems like the police should be able to quickly produce the evidence used originally, and put this kerfuffle to rest.

 

Assuming they are eventually acquitted, maybe they can be stitched up for some hit and run somewhere?

[pookiki]

It would appear that there are some posters on this topic that have a lynch mob mentality when it comes to any allegations of encroachment activities.  Based on all the conflicting news accounts of this incident, I am still not sure to what charge this couple's attorney advised them to enter a guilty plea. Irrespective of the fact that they entered a guilty plea, such an act under the Thai just system does little to establish guilt.

 

If you want to compare other cases of alleged encroachment (and I don't think this couple was involved in encroachment or illegal logging), please refer to the link on the article below.

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30295877

 

 

Edited May 4, 2017 by pookiki
grammar

[ujayujay]

Funny.....most prisoners claim to be innocent

not just in TH.

[The Deerhunter]

5 hours ago, ukrules said:

Prove yourself innocent and all will be well, I guess it's too much hassle for the justice system to instigate their own investigation

Well, someone might lose face; and we can't have that, can we?   Better they rot in jail than someone important and connected lose any face.  Simple, isn't it?

[bander]

Stay away from national parks, you may get one year in the slammer for littering.

Thailand getting worse by the minute, better leave before we get charged with rape when buying a lady drink to the bar girl.

 

[jesimps]

1 hour ago, z42 said:

And from where did you hear this fairytale then my friend? Look at the people, I doubt very much they'd chance a foot race with any authority figures (due to their age and fragility for 2)... The court documents (as shown on CSI LA) said they were done on encroachment and for having 1000 logs from restricted trees in their possession. Unless pictures are shown proving this, and some background on how they transported all 1000 to wherever they were found remains inexplicable.
How exactly they're carrying them defeats me.. Care to hazard a guess.. Am all ears

Waste of time trying to reason with the fanboys. Notice how quiet they go when one of the rich and famous commits a serious crime? Peasants are guilty as charged.

 

See, they even think like their heroes.

 

[pookiki]

26 minutes ago, jesimps said:

Waste of time trying to reason with the fanboys. Notice how quiet they go when one of the rich and famous commits a serious crime? Peasants are guilty as charged.

 

See, they even think like their heroes.

 

See my earlier post with this link:

 

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30295877

[the guest]

The law has no value, nor does the justice system in Thailand. All corrupt, and needs to be totally reformed. Until the country starts behaving like adults, then my respect for them will be no more than zero.