Red given suspended jail term for violating emergency rule
Red leader Sombat Boonngarm-anong on Wednesday received a suspended jail term after the Bangkok Kwang Court found him guilty of violaing the emergency rule in connection with the 2010 red rally.
The magistrate court initially sentenced him to serve six months in jail before citing leniency to suspend the Imprisonment. Sombat is still liable to pay a fine of Bt6,000.
Sombat, also editor of Lai Jud magazine, led a rally last May 21 attended by some 1,000 red shirts near their headquarters on Lad Phrao Road to protest in the wake of the May 19 crackdown at Ratchaprasong intersection.
Before trail, he was detained for 14 days under the emergency rule.
In its decision, the court said the emergency rule was impoased in accordance with the charter provisions, hence the indictment against the defendant was valid.
The verdict also struck down a defence argument about the violent nature of the Ratchaprason crackdown, noting that a personal view on one incident in another case could not be cited to justify emergency offence.
