By Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation |
<p>Inactive since the military crackdown on May 19, the Democratic Alliance against Dictatorship (DAAD) came back to life with the naming of Thida Tawornsate Tojirakarn, the wife of jailed co-leader Weng Tojirakarn, as the acting chairperson of the movement on Wednesday.</p>
<p>The provincial court in Mukdahan has denied bail requests from 19 red shirts remaining in detention, including some who are ill and a student, on the grounds that their alleged offences carry severe penalties and they might flee.</p>
<p>Sombat Boonngam-anong, leader of the Red Sunday group, has cancelled his political talk show scheduled for 5 Dec, after receiving much pressure and a bomb threat.</p>
<p>Nikorn Srikamma has been set free after the court sentenced him to two years in jail, reduced to 6 months because he had confessed and behaved well.</p>
<p><em>by Chairit Yonpiam and Cholthicha Lermthong, </em><a href="http://www.posttoday.com/%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B4%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%84%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%B0%E0%B8%AB%E0%B9%8C/%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%AA%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A1/62113/%E0%B8%A7%E0%B8%B1%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%AB%E0%B8%99%E0%B8%B6%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B5%E0%B9%88%E0%B8%99%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%AD%E0%B8%87%E0%B8%88%E0%B8%B0%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%82%E0%B9%89%E0%B8%B2%E0%B9%83%E0%B8%88-%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%98%E0%B8%A1-%E0%B8%82%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%87"><em>Post Today</em></a></p>
<p>Numbers were not the point of the latest yellow-shirt rally, because the rally was aimed at exposing the Abhisit government’s hidden agenda in amending the constitution, to show the public that this government could not be trusted, said Suriyasai Katasila, coordinator of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), in an interview with Post Today about the low turnout of PAD supporters in front of Parliament on 23-25 Nov. </p>
<p>A worker for a car cleaning service in Mukdahan is the latest suspect to be arrested by police for the burning of the provincial hall during the unrest on 19 May.</p>
<p>Police arrested a flip-flop vendor at the red shirt rally at Ratchaprasong intersection, and confiscated about 100 pairs of flip-flops bearing the PM’s face.</p>
<p>Wasu Suriyakansai, 59, was beaten unconscious by soldiers during the military crackdown on the red shirts on the afternoon of 10 April at Ratchadamnoen Rd. He regained consciousness three days later in hospital. The People’s Information Centre (PIC) visited him and his wife at their home in Klong Luang district, Pathum Thani.</p>
By Pravit Rojanaphruk, The Nation |
<p>The military should withdraw armed soldiers from BTS Skytrain and MRT subway stations and lift immediately the emergency decree which has been imposed for nearly six months. The prolonged decree and soldiers' presence is militarising Thai society and creating fear among those who oppose the government, said Patchanee Kumnak, a committee member of Social Move, a fringe group of Thai leftists.</p>
<p>Three red shirts detained under the Emergency Decree have been temporarily released by the courts on bail provided by the Ministry of Justice, while two other red shirts have been denied bail, despite the Ministry’s assurances to their families.</p>
<p>The mother of a paramedic killed at Pathum Wanaram Temple on 19 May has urged the Department of Special Investigation to reveal the results of autopsies carried out on those who were killed and protested against the indefinite postponement in announcing the results by the DSI Director-General.</p>
<p>Akekasit Man-ngam, 19, was arrested under the Emergency Decree on the night of 14 May, when he was helping a red shirt direct traffic near Din Daeng intersection. He is now serving a one-year jail term.</p>