Earth Times
Thu, 16 Apr 2009
Author : DPA
Bangkok - Thai courts on Thursday issued arrest warrants for 22 people allegedly involved in violent demonstrations and denied bail for three protest leaders amid calls for fair investigations into politically motivated mayhem over the past year. The Bangkok Criminal Court has refused bail for three leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) who turned themselves in to authorities Tuesday after their followers blocked intersections, burned buses and allegedly killed two people Monday before authorities moved in to end the protests.
Veera Musikhapong, Weng Tojirakarn and Natthawut Saikua were accused of violating an emergency decree declared Sunday by Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
They were among 14 UDD organizers against whom arrest warrants were issued Tuesday, including fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been leading the protests from abroad.
On Thursday, the Bangkok Criminal Court issued 10 new arrest warrants for protestors who attacked Abhisit's car in Bangkok and a Pattaya court issued another 12 for protestors who attacked the prime minister's vehicle in that beach resort city. The prime minister escaped injury in both incidents.
Hundreds of protestors forced Abhisit to cancel a regional summit in Pattaya, 90 kilometres south-east of Bangkok, over the weekend, after they forced their way into the conference venue.
Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the government to set up an independent commission to investigate the recent politically motivated violence "by all sides," including those responsible for this week's mayhem and demonstrations last year by rival protestors.
Thailand has been wracked by street protests for almost a year, starting with demonstrations led by the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which began in May and culminated with the closure of Bangkok's two airports for a week in November and December.
To date, none of the PAD leaders - dedicated to the overthrow of last year's elected government that was openly supportive of Thaksin - have been prosecuted or jailed for the damage they caused the country, including airport shutdowns that cost Thailand billions of dollars in tourism and export revenues.
"Now that the protests are over, it is time for the government and protest leaders to make public commitments to end abuses and ensure that those committing violence are properly investigated and prosecuted," said Brad Adams, the Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
"The many casualties during the protests cannot simply be forgotten or ignored," he added.
The international rights watchdog called for the establishment of an independent commission to carry out "a prompt, effective and impartial investigation" into the politically motivated violence over the past year and "hold those responsible accountable."
It said the commission should also investigate alleged abuses perpetrated by the PAD last year.
A clash between yellow-shirted PAD protestors and police in October left two protestors dead and 443 people injured.
"To date, there has been no independent and impartial investigation into politically motivated violence and human rights abuses related to the PAD protests," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
While Abhisit has been widely praised for his handling of the UDD-led violence on Monday and Tuesday, there have been calls for him to address some of the protestors' demands for a more equitable society and judicial system.
Abhisit came to power after the Constitution Court disbanded the previous government, led by the pro-Thaksin People Power Party (PPP), for election fraud.
His Democrat Party has close ties with the PAD, which helped bring the PPP government to its knees.
"The question now is what lessons Mr Abhisit will take from the short-lived rebellion," Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a Thai political scientist, said in an analysis published in the Bangkok Post newspaper.
"His call for justice for all consistently fails to address the legal infractions of the yellow-shirted protestors of last year," Thitinan said. "His sense of justice apparently starts from January 2009 when he took office but not seemingly before then."
Thu, 16 Apr 2009
Author : DPA
Bangkok - Thai courts on Thursday issued arrest warrants for 22 people allegedly involved in violent demonstrations and denied bail for three protest leaders amid calls for fair investigations into politically motivated mayhem over the past year. The Bangkok Criminal Court has refused bail for three leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) who turned themselves in to authorities Tuesday after their followers blocked intersections, burned buses and allegedly killed two people Monday before authorities moved in to end the protests.
Veera Musikhapong, Weng Tojirakarn and Natthawut Saikua were accused of violating an emergency decree declared Sunday by Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
They were among 14 UDD organizers against whom arrest warrants were issued Tuesday, including fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who has been leading the protests from abroad.
On Thursday, the Bangkok Criminal Court issued 10 new arrest warrants for protestors who attacked Abhisit's car in Bangkok and a Pattaya court issued another 12 for protestors who attacked the prime minister's vehicle in that beach resort city. The prime minister escaped injury in both incidents.
Hundreds of protestors forced Abhisit to cancel a regional summit in Pattaya, 90 kilometres south-east of Bangkok, over the weekend, after they forced their way into the conference venue.
Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the government to set up an independent commission to investigate the recent politically motivated violence "by all sides," including those responsible for this week's mayhem and demonstrations last year by rival protestors.
Thailand has been wracked by street protests for almost a year, starting with demonstrations led by the anti-Thaksin People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which began in May and culminated with the closure of Bangkok's two airports for a week in November and December.
To date, none of the PAD leaders - dedicated to the overthrow of last year's elected government that was openly supportive of Thaksin - have been prosecuted or jailed for the damage they caused the country, including airport shutdowns that cost Thailand billions of dollars in tourism and export revenues.
"Now that the protests are over, it is time for the government and protest leaders to make public commitments to end abuses and ensure that those committing violence are properly investigated and prosecuted," said Brad Adams, the Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
"The many casualties during the protests cannot simply be forgotten or ignored," he added.
The international rights watchdog called for the establishment of an independent commission to carry out "a prompt, effective and impartial investigation" into the politically motivated violence over the past year and "hold those responsible accountable."
It said the commission should also investigate alleged abuses perpetrated by the PAD last year.
A clash between yellow-shirted PAD protestors and police in October left two protestors dead and 443 people injured.
"To date, there has been no independent and impartial investigation into politically motivated violence and human rights abuses related to the PAD protests," Human Rights Watch said in a statement.
While Abhisit has been widely praised for his handling of the UDD-led violence on Monday and Tuesday, there have been calls for him to address some of the protestors' demands for a more equitable society and judicial system.
Abhisit came to power after the Constitution Court disbanded the previous government, led by the pro-Thaksin People Power Party (PPP), for election fraud.
His Democrat Party has close ties with the PAD, which helped bring the PPP government to its knees.
"The question now is what lessons Mr Abhisit will take from the short-lived rebellion," Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a Thai political scientist, said in an analysis published in the Bangkok Post newspaper.
"His call for justice for all consistently fails to address the legal infractions of the yellow-shirted protestors of last year," Thitinan said. "His sense of justice apparently starts from January 2009 when he took office but not seemingly before then."
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