Court acquits PAD protesters facing terror charge over 2008 airport siege
The Criminal Court on Friday acquitted 67 leading protesters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) charged with terrorism and sedition for storming Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport in 2008.
In January, the court had dropped similar charges against the top PAD leaders.
The defendants had led thousands of “yellow shirt” protesters to seize the VIP building of the airport between November 24 and December 3, 2008. At the time, the building was being used as the temporary office of then-prime minister Somchai Wongsawat, when Government House was occupied by a large crowd of anti-government protesters.
The PAD protesters took control of Bangkok's two airports – Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang – to demand Somchai’s resignation, making international headlines and causing flight disruptions that stranded several thousands of travellers.
The PAD accused Somchai of acting as a proxy of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in September 2006. Somchai is Thaksin’s brother-in-law.
The court on Friday ruled that there was no proof the 67 defendants were involved in any violent or armed protest, therefore the charges of terrorism, sedition and inciting public disturbances against them should be dropped.
According to Panthep Puapongphan, the PAD’s former spokesman who is now the dean of Rangsit University's College of Oriental Medicine, the court found that the protest was held in line with their constitutional rights.
Panthep is one of the defendants. Others include former industry minister Chaiwat Sinsuwong, actress Sirilak Pongchok, media celebrity Sarocha Pornudomsak, General Pathompong Kesornsuk, Karoon Sai-ngam, and Veera Somkwamkid. All the defendants denied the charges against them.
Panthep said on Friday that the “historic” court verdict served as a remedy for all those defendants who had been stigmatised by the terrorism charge, which carries a maximum capital sentence, for the past 16 years.
He said some of the defendants were reduced to tears after learning about the court verdict. “They have long been branded as terrorists who seized the airport and undermined national security,” Panthep said.
Due to the large number of protest leaders involved in the Don Mueang Airport siege, police investigators separated the defendants into two groups. The first group comprised 31 defendants, including top PAD leaders Sondhi Limthongkul, Chamlong Srimuang, Somsak Kosaisuk, and Suriyasai Katasila. The second group included second-tier PAD leaders.
In January, the Criminal Court dropped similar charges against the protest leaders but ordered some of them to pay a fine of 20,000 baht for violating an emergency decree that was in place at the time of anti-government rallies.
