‘We Walk’ case postponed due to police inaction

The public prosecutor of Thanyaburi Provincial Attorney Office in Pathum Thani yesterday postponed until Friday consideration of the case against eight prominent members of the People Go Network, who were sued on allegations of violating the National Council for Peace and Order’s ban on political public gatherings.

All eight activists involved in the march, which advocated a range of econmic, civil and political rights, reported to Thanyaburi Provincial Attorney Office to hear the prosecutors’ decision on the schedule of the case and whether it would be tried in court. Lertsak Kamkongsak, one of the defendants, said they had been told prosecutors had not read the docket and police had not started interviewing six defence witnesses, so a decision was still pending.

Lertsak complained that the defendants had been forced to waste their time and money travelling to the attorney’s office based on contradictory information provided by police, as some of the defendants live far away from Pathum Thani and had to work.

Another defendant in the case, Nimit Tianudom, said a defence lawyer had told police at the last meeting on Tuesday to interrogate six more people to ensure that the investigation would be comprehensive, but police did not comply and submitted the docket without the testimony.

“These witnesses are experts on civil rights and some are our hosts who allowed us to stay with them during the We Walk long march earlier this month,” Nimit said. He added that it was the right of all citizens to rally in public peacefully.

Meanwhile, provincial chief public prosecutor Pol Captain Apiwat Khammong said he was unsure if the case could proceed on Friday, given the short time period to interview witnesses and review the docket. Apiwat said police had recommended that the case be brought to court, but prosecutors would have to review the evidence to make a decision based on relevant laws.

However, he added that the defendants still had to report to the attorney’s office on Friday. Meanwhile, 10 of 14 defendants who were sued on similar allegations of violating the junta’s political gathering ban in Doi Thewada community in Payao’s Phu Sang district reported to Chiang Kham Provincial Court as scheduled yesterday.

A member of the Doi Thewada community, Thaweesak Maneewan, said the military had offered to withdraw its lawsuit against the 10 defendants, because they were physically challenged, elderly or poor farmers. The other four still face charges for actively engaging in the gathering at their community to show support for the We Walk march on February 5.