Democrat lawyer Rames attacked

Abhisit expressed confidence that the attack late Monday night against Rames Rattanachaweng, who is also a Democrat deputy spokesman, was an act of political intimidation.
Rames was badly injured after he was hit on the head at the Palm Condo Town 1 on Soi Bang Na-Trat 19 and was rushed to Bang Na Hospital. Rames was attacked by a pillion rider after he parked his car in the compound of the condominium. He was hit while he was standing and checking things inside his car.
Rames apparently anticipated his attack as he had earlier alerted security officers of the condominium to watch for people who might be trailing him, said Pol Maj-General Parinya Chansuriya, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police.
Parinya said the condominium had no security cameras so police would have to check feeds from cameras around the area.
Democrat MP Somchai Lohsathapornpipit, chairman of the House committee on police affairs, said Rames told him he felt intimidated after he had filed a complaint against Metropolitan Police Commissioner Pol Lt-General Kamronwit Thoopkrajang. The complaint seeking disciplinary action against Kamronwit was submitted to then national police chief Pol General Priewpan Damapong.
The House panel chairman said Rames had also filed a complaint with police that he had been trailed by possible assailants.
Rames was formerly a Democrat party-list MP and is close to Democrat chief adviser Chuan Leekpai. He is on the Democrats’ team of lawyers handling several legal cases for the party.

PM’S LAWSUIT
In one, Rames is a defence lawyer in an action in which Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has filed a defamation lawsuit against Democrat MPs who hosted the “Sai Lor Fah” (Lightning Rod) programme on the pro-Democrat Blue Sky satellite TV.
In another case, Rames is representing a Democrat seeking legal action against Kamronwit for allegedly instructing his subordinates to organise a protest against the Democrats at the party head office.
Rames is also on the legal team defending Abhisit and the former deputy prime minister in cases filed by the Department of Special Investigation over the 2010 crackdown on red-shirt protesters, and over donations for Democrats to help flood victims.
Somchai said he would send a letter, in his capacity as chairman of the House police panel, to Royal Thai Police commissioner-general Pol General Adul Saengsingkaew for a written explanation of the attack against the Democrat lawyer within seven days.
Somchai said after receiving the explanation, he would consider whether to have the panel consider the issue and whether to summon police officers and other people involved to testify or not.
While speaking to reporters, Abhisit showed a photo of Rames on the hospital respiratory system with a bandage around his head.
Abhisit said it was fortunate there was no bleeding inside the brain and doctors had now removed the respiratory system after Rames was found to be in a safe and stable condition.
“Adul must solve this case because we, the Democrats, feel that it was an act of intimidation. Rames is a key lawyer of the Democrat Party and handling several important cases. He has told us that he was being pursued so the police chief must make the case clear,” Abhisit said.
“I would like to call on the police commissioner-general to take care of this case. I would like to tell the government that several incidents indicate that the government does not really want to achieve reconciliation.”
Abhisit said he had told all Democrats to be careful because they might face similar intimidation.
“But the Democrats are not discouraged. We will go on performing our duty to monitor the government,” Abhisit said.