PAD leaders sentenced to two years' jail
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SIX LEADERS of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) were yesterday sentenced to two years in jail after they were found guilty at the Criminal Court for their roles in Government House raids in 2008.
Maj-General Chamlong Srimu-ang, 80; Sondhi Limthongkul, 67; Pipop Thongchai, 69; Somkiat Pongpaiboon, 65; Somsak Kosai-suk, 69; and Suriyasai Katasila, 42; were accused by prosecutors of violating Articles 83, 91, 358, 362 and 365 of the Criminal Code for damaging state assets.
The complaint said the PAD led a rally from Democracy Monument to Government House to oust then-prime minister Samak Sundaravej. They laid siege to state agencies including the National Broadcast-ing Services of Thailand (NBT), the Finance Ministry’s radio station and Agriculture Ministry, it said.
When Samak stepped down as PM after the Constitutional Court disqualified him, Somchai Wongsawat replaced him and was planning to deliver his policy speech before Parliament on October 7, 2008.
The six men led mass rallies starting from August 26 until December 3, 2008, blocking all entrances at Parliament and destroying blockades put up by security officials.
The complaint said the group led mass rallies that resulted in the destruction of grass, decorative plants, water sprinklers and security-camera systems. The damage bill was more than Bt6 million.
The defendants pleaded not guilty.
The court said the defendants called for the October 26 rally at the Democracy Monument and organised for protesters to gather at state agencies such as the NBT and the Finance Ministry.
Protesters rallied at Government House and pushed away metal barricades and climbed into the compound. Some protesters cut off locks to Gates 2 and 4 and entered in a truck equipped with loudspeakers.
The courted said the defendants persuaded protesters to enter Government House and took turns speaking on a stage set up there until December 3, when they ended the rally after the Constitution Court decided on December 2 to dissolve the People’s Power Party.
The court dismissed the defendants’ claim that they had nothing to do with the protesters’ actions and they tried to stop protesters destroying property.
There was no proof they stopped the protesters.
The court rejected the defendants’ claim that they had held peaceful gatherings in accordance with Provision 63 of the 1997 Constitution, saying the defendants broke into the Government House by climbing over the fences and cutting open the locks.
The court also said the defendants’ claim that they had hidden in Government House because there were people firing weapons at protesters was not grounds to exempt them from punishment, even if they staged the rallies with the intention of protecting the country’s interests.
Suwat Apaipak, the lawyer of the defendants, said he would seek their temporary release on Bt200,000 bail and would appeal against the ruling within 30 days.
He said he would cite the Court of Appeal ruling that acquitted Jon Ungpakorn and other civic-group members accused of instigating chaos and trespassing on Parliament’s compound in a 2007 protest against the Surayud Chulanont government.
