84 yellow-shirts get jail for NBT raid

[Flashermac]

Bangkok Post

30 December 2010

 

 

All except one of the 85 "Srivijaya warriors", supporters of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), were sentenced today to jail terms ranging from nine months to two-and-a-half years on charges relating to the seizure of the National Broadcasting Service of Thailand (NBT) television station, Channel 11, in August 2008.

 

The sentence was announced by the Criminal Court.

 

The prosecution earlier told the court that, 85 people, five of them under 20, who called themselves "Srivijaya warriors" of the PAD, invaded and occupied the NBT station premises on Vibhadi Rangsit Road from Aug 22 to 26, 2008.

 

They destroyed public property, causing more than 600,000 baht damage, while the PAD was staging a mass protest against the then government of prime minister Samak Sundaravej.

 

In the NBT seizure, Thanes Khamchum, the first defendant, illegally carried a weapon and a communication radio. The second defendant also had illegally possesed a weapon. Two defendants had in their possession leaves of the krathom tree, a native bush which contain a stimulant drug.

 

The charges levied against the 85 defendants varied from illegal assembly, instigating unrest, armed trespass at night, causing damage to public property, illegal use of firearms, and illegal use of a communication radio.

 

Most of the defendants were found guilty of illegal assembly and trespassing.

 

The court sentenced defendant No 1 to a combined two years and six months jail term, and, defendants No 2, 39 and 80 to one year and six month plus a fine of 500 baht each.

 

Defendants Nos 3-29, 31-38, 40-41, 43-46, 48-79, and 82 were sentenced to one year and six months in jail.

 

Defendants Nos 30, 47, and 81, were each given one year's imprisonment.

 

Defendants Nos 83-85 were sentenced to nine months each in jail.

 

Since defendants Nos 30, 47, 81, and 83-85 are under 20 years old and have never before received a jail sentence, their terms were suspended for two years, during which they are required to report to probation officers four times a year.

 

Defendant No 42 was not found guilty on any charge.

 

 

 

Now how about the Red Shirts who invaded the station this year?