Today, the Criminal Court acquitted 67 members of the now defunct political pressure group called the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD). They were found not guilty of multiple charges related to the seizure of Don Mueang airport from November 24 to December 3, 2008. This seizure was an attempt to force then Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to resign.
The charges included terrorism, incitement of public unrest, illegal seizure of an airport, intimidation of officials, assault, resisting arrest, and tampering with satellite communications equipment.
After the verdict, one of the 67 co-defendants, Panthep Puapongpan, who is the dean of Rangsit University’s Institute of Integrative Medicine and Anti-Aging, praised the decision. He sees it as significant because it recognizes the right of people to stage peaceful protests and believes that the PAD protests were beneficial to the people as a whole.
In relation to the airport siege, the court ruled that there was no evidence to prove that any of the 67 defendants disrupted airport operations or aeronautical communications.
The court stated that the PAD’s protests were in response to the government’s attempts to amend the Constitution, exonerate the Palang Prachachon party, and strip the Assets Examination Committee of its power to investigate alleged corruption during the Thaksin regime.
Concerning the clash between some protesters and officials during the protests, the court ruled that a scuffle likely occurred, but it was not ordered by the defendants.
Panthep described the verdict as historic and stressed its full content cannot be shortened. He emphasized that it is a relief for all the former defendants, who have been unfairly labeled as terrorists for the past 17 years.
The defendants included former industry minister Chaiwat Sinsuwong, Karoon Sai-ngam, Veera Somkwamkid, General Pathompong Kesornsuk, Sarocha Porn-udomsak, and Sirilak Pongchoke.
Due to the large number of suspects involved in the protests, the police had to split them into two groups. One group mainly consisted of leading PAD members such as Sondhi Limthongkul, Chamlong Srimuang, and Somsak Kosaisuk, who were tried separately.
In the first case involving the leading figures, most of them were acquitted on similar charges on January 17th.thSondhi was fined 20,000 baht.
