Red shirt leaders denied bail

Red shirt leaders denied bail

The Criminal Court dropped a request by Pheu Thai MPs to bail two core red shirt leaders charged with lese majeste.

A group of Pheu Thai MPs yesterday sought to use their parliamentary position as a bail guarantee for the release of Surachai Danwattananusorn and Somyos Prueksakasemsuk and about 20 red shirt detainees in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan.
The Criminal Court judge decided not to grant temporary release for Mr Surachai and Mr Somyos, a labour activist and the editor of the red shirt Voice of Thaksin magazine.
The judge reasoned that Mr Surachai is facing other lese majeste charges, while for Mr Somyos, the court upheld its previous decision to reject a bail request. Only Thawatchai Iamnak, charged with having explosive materials in his possession, was released on bail. The court would forward bail requests for another six red shirt detainees to the Appeal Court.
Pheu Thai MPs and the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship this week kicked off a move to seek bail for red shirt detainees nationwide. The red shirts were arrested during the political unrest in April-May last year.
UDD chairwoman Tida Tawornseth, Pheu Thai list MPs and core red shirt leaders, including Natthawut Saikua, Weng Tojirakarn, Korkaew Pikulthong and Payap Panket, appeared at the court yesterday.
The parliamentary status of nine Pheu Thai MPs plus 500,000 baht cash each were used as collateral to seek the release of the nine red shirts.
At Min Buri Provincial Court, the judge decided to release on bail four UDD protesters, who are facing charges of alleged possession of explosive materials and ammunition.
Meanwhile, Wat Pathum Wanaram has banned the holding of a memorial ceremony for those killed during last year's anti-government protests at its venue, forcing red shirt supporters to move their ceremony to nearby Ratchaprasong intersection near CentralWorld shopping mall yesterday.
Many red shirt supporters arrived at Wat Pathum Wanaram in the morning to attend a merit-merit ceremony as well as a memorial service for 92 people, mostly red shirts, killed during the protests last year, but met with disappointment. The temple banned the memorial service at its venue.
Phayao Akkahad, mother of volunteer nurse Kamolkate, who was shot dead at Wat Pathum Wanaram during the military crackdown on red shirts last May, said she was surprised by the ban since she had sent a letter seeking temple permission to use its grounds a half-month in advance.
"If our children had not been killed at the temple and at Ratchaprasong intersection, we would not have held a merit-making ceremony here," said the mother of the slain volunteer nurse.