ID :
176096
Mon, 04/18/2011 - 10:48
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http://m.oananews.org//node/176096
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DSI seeks revocation of bail for nine red shirt protest leaders
BANGKOK, April 18 (TNA) - Thailand's DSI has asked public prosecutors to seek revocation of bail for nine red shirt protest leaders who are being tried on charges of lese majeste.
On Monday morning, interrogators from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) brought evidence, including transcriptions of speeches given by the nine to public prosecutors, requesting that the latter tries to convince the Criminal Court to revoke the defendants' bail. The protestors have also been charged with terrorism because their speeches insulted the royal institution and thus violated the court’s conditions for their temporary release.
The red shirt protest leaders were arrested in May last year after a police and military crackdown on their protests. They were released on bail recently before continuing to partake in the regular activities of their red shirt supporters. Their speeches have been consistently criticized for violating the royal institution, though it is worth noting that the institution is often used by opposing political parties to defame or discredit one another.
Democrat MP for Bangkok Watchara Phetthong brought to the Crime Suppression Division CDs the transcriptions of the speeches of Puea Thai Party list MP Manit Jitjanklab and leaders of the red shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) on April 13, 2009. He sought prosecution against them for lese majeste and posed the question of why police had not heeded the case for as long as two years.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said that politicians were trying to involve the armed forces in their attempts to violate the royal institution. He insisted that the armed forces had nothing to do with politics and that he will let the justice system handle the UDD’s accusation against the armed forces.
Gen Prawit talked to reporters before leaving for Indonesia with the army chief Monday morning to visit the Indonesian defence minister. (TNA)
On Monday morning, interrogators from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) brought evidence, including transcriptions of speeches given by the nine to public prosecutors, requesting that the latter tries to convince the Criminal Court to revoke the defendants' bail. The protestors have also been charged with terrorism because their speeches insulted the royal institution and thus violated the court’s conditions for their temporary release.
The red shirt protest leaders were arrested in May last year after a police and military crackdown on their protests. They were released on bail recently before continuing to partake in the regular activities of their red shirt supporters. Their speeches have been consistently criticized for violating the royal institution, though it is worth noting that the institution is often used by opposing political parties to defame or discredit one another.
Democrat MP for Bangkok Watchara Phetthong brought to the Crime Suppression Division CDs the transcriptions of the speeches of Puea Thai Party list MP Manit Jitjanklab and leaders of the red shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) on April 13, 2009. He sought prosecution against them for lese majeste and posed the question of why police had not heeded the case for as long as two years.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwon said that politicians were trying to involve the armed forces in their attempts to violate the royal institution. He insisted that the armed forces had nothing to do with politics and that he will let the justice system handle the UDD’s accusation against the armed forces.
Gen Prawit talked to reporters before leaving for Indonesia with the army chief Monday morning to visit the Indonesian defence minister. (TNA)
