19 red leaders |to face charges over violating ban on gathering

The summons stated that the UDD leaders who attended the inaugural ceremony of the centres on Sunday must report to the Crime Suppression Division on June 30. They would face charges of violating the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) chief’s order No 3/2558 by holding a gathering of more than five people for political purposes. 

The move came after NCPO’s legal expert Colonel Burin Thongprapai filed a police complaint on the order of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha seeking action against the UDD leaders. 

Members of the movement, led by Jatuporn Prompan and 18 other UDD leaders, were stopped from opening one of the anti-fraud centres at the Imperial shopping mall in Bangkok’s Lat Phrao area. Similar centres were to be simultaneously inaugurated in other provinces at 10am and the ceremonies were to be broadcast live on the red-shirt Peace TV channel.

Meanwhile, Mongkolkit Suksintharanont, secretary-general of the National Anti-Corruption Network, called on the Election Commission (EC) to check if the UDD’s anti-fraud centres and Pheu Thai Party members’ Facebook posts declaring that they would reject the draft charter violated clause 1 of Article 61 of the referendum law banning political gatherings. 

Mongkolkit also suspects that the UDD leaders may have violated Article 116 of the Criminal Code, alleging that they had caused national disturbance and were a threat to national security. He also said that the UDD leaders may have violated Article 14 of the Computer Crimes Act. 

Separately, UDD filed a petition with Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan, saying they were being intimidated in relation to the anti-fraud centres and called on him to review the decision to file charges against them. 

“I and the other UDD leaders did not hold a [political] gathering. Police were fully deployed in our area and this legal action can be regarded as a means to frame us. Colonel Burin Thongprapa was not in the area and he could be filing a false statement,” Jatuporn said. “I want to tell General Prawit to not push us into a corner.” 

Jatuporn also hit back at Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC) chairman Meechai Ruchupan over allegations that some thugs were harassing charter draft specialists at the grassroots level. He claimed that Meechai’s allegations came because he was afraid the charter draft would not make it through the referendum. 

In related news, the EC said it will “invite” the political cartoonist as well as the editor of Matichon Weekend to ask them about a cartoon that was deemed as disseminating false information about the draft charter. 

EC commissioner Somchai Srisutthiyakorn said the cartoonist, Aroon Watcharawat, and the editor would be summoned to meet him on June 30 because of a recent cartoon published on the magazine’s website.

“We would like him to clarify whether he had misunderstood the aim of the referendum or if he had other intentions. If it was a misunderstanding, then it must be corrected, otherwise we will take action, which cannot be revealed yet,” he said. “I would like them to come here in person, but they may choose not to do so.”

He said he would send a personal invitation to the two today. 

Somchai added he had already checked with the CDC and it confirmed that the cartoon portrayed incorrect information about the draft charter.

“We are not taking formal action yet because we need to find the facts first. We have seven days for fact finding, so I will invite those concerned for a talk,” Somchai said.