Red given suspended jail term for violating emergency rule
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Red-shirt leader Sombat Boonngarm-anong yesterday received a suspended jail term after the Bangkok Kwang Court found him guilty of violating the emergency rule in connection with last year's anti-government protests.
The magistrate court initially sentenced him to 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 in May 21 last year attended by about 1,000 red shirts near their headquarters on Lat Phrao Road to protest in the wake of the crackdown at Ratchaprasong Intersection two days earlier.
Before his trial, he was detained for 14 days under the emergency rule.
In its decision, the court said the emergency rule had been imposed in accordance with charter provisions, hence the indictment against the defendant was valid.
The verdict also struck down a defence argument about the violent nature |of the Ratchaprasong |crackdown, noting that a personal view on one |incident in another case could not be cited to justify an offence against the emergency law.
