ID :
136141
Wed, 08/04/2010 - 19:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/136141
The shortlink copeid
Prosecutors postpone indictment on Yellow Shirt's Government House seizure
BANGKOK, Aug 4 - Thailand's Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) on Wednesday postponed its decision on whether or not to issue indictments in the case against the Yellow Shirt leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) for their role in the seizure of Government House two years ago.
Director-General Kaiyasit Pitsawongprakan of the Criminal Litigation Department, said the postponement came because investigators have not yet completed questioning of additional witnesses as earlier proposed by the accused.
Mr Kaiyasit said the prosecutors will decide whether to proceed the case against the nine PAD leaders charged with taking over Thailand's seat of government to October 7.
The nine PAD leaders include Sondhi Limthongkul, retired Maj-Gen. Chamlong Srimuang, Phiphob Thongchai, Somsak Kosaisuuk, Somkiet Pongpaibul, Chaiwat Sindhuwong, Suriyasai Katasila, Terdpoom Jaidee and Amorn Amornratananond.
All of them have been charged with illegal assembly and inciting unrest over the seizure of Government House in August 2008 for 193 days.
In April, the OAG had once postponed its decision as to whether to indict nine PAD leaders, saying it was awaiting additional details of the case from the investigators after the PAD leaders had asked police to investigate more.
The PAD Yellow Shirts played a pivotal role in the movement to topple the Thaksin Shinawatra government, with protests leading to the military coup on September 19, 2006. The movement staged a series of street protests which led to the fall two successive governments -- those of Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat -- which it accused of being Mr Thaksin's proxies.
The six months of protests against the last government ended on December 3, 2008 after a court dissolved the ruling People Power Party (PPP). PAD protests reached their peak at the end of November when thousands of their supporters occupied Bangkok's two main airports for about a week, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers and causing huge economic damage.
The group only ended their siege after the PPP was dissolved over poll fraud charges related to elections they won one year ago, allowing the Democrats to win over former PPP lawmakers and small parties to form the government. (MCOT online news)
Director-General Kaiyasit Pitsawongprakan of the Criminal Litigation Department, said the postponement came because investigators have not yet completed questioning of additional witnesses as earlier proposed by the accused.
Mr Kaiyasit said the prosecutors will decide whether to proceed the case against the nine PAD leaders charged with taking over Thailand's seat of government to October 7.
The nine PAD leaders include Sondhi Limthongkul, retired Maj-Gen. Chamlong Srimuang, Phiphob Thongchai, Somsak Kosaisuuk, Somkiet Pongpaibul, Chaiwat Sindhuwong, Suriyasai Katasila, Terdpoom Jaidee and Amorn Amornratananond.
All of them have been charged with illegal assembly and inciting unrest over the seizure of Government House in August 2008 for 193 days.
In April, the OAG had once postponed its decision as to whether to indict nine PAD leaders, saying it was awaiting additional details of the case from the investigators after the PAD leaders had asked police to investigate more.
The PAD Yellow Shirts played a pivotal role in the movement to topple the Thaksin Shinawatra government, with protests leading to the military coup on September 19, 2006. The movement staged a series of street protests which led to the fall two successive governments -- those of Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat -- which it accused of being Mr Thaksin's proxies.
The six months of protests against the last government ended on December 3, 2008 after a court dissolved the ruling People Power Party (PPP). PAD protests reached their peak at the end of November when thousands of their supporters occupied Bangkok's two main airports for about a week, stranding hundreds of thousands of passengers and causing huge economic damage.
The group only ended their siege after the PPP was dissolved over poll fraud charges related to elections they won one year ago, allowing the Democrats to win over former PPP lawmakers and small parties to form the government. (MCOT online news)
