Bail still denied for lèse majesté detainee after 24 days
Outspoken anti-coup activist has been detained in prison since July 22. Two attempts have been made to post bail for her, but have failed.
Daranee Charncherngsilpakul, aka Da Torpedo, said that her close associates were seeking lawyers for her, and she had yet to see one. She wanted to be granted bail like Sondhi Limthongkul, leader of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), who was charged for the same offence for repeating her remarks, but got bail immediately. Unlike Sondhi, she said that she was arrested without a summons being issued first.
Daranee said that if she were to get bailed, she would not front the struggle for democracy anymore, because she felt hurt by the inaction of her fellow activists and the elected government only cared for its survival.
“It’s such a great pain that I am put into jail during the time of a democratically elected government,” said Daranee.
She insisted that Thai society needed to have the King as Head of state, like Japan and the UK whose monarchies are above politics. And Thai society should not allow the junta, the PAD, or anybody else to use the institution for political agitation among the public. Under a democracy, one needs to respect the rules, and it needs time for changes, she said.
She said the prison was crowded, with 82 female convicts in a 12 x 4 meters cell which normally accommodates 50. And she had difficulty in eating due to pain and swelling in a molar.
Suthachai Yimprasert, a fellow anti-coup activist, tried unsuccessfully to seek bail twice on July 23 and 25 using his own position as a lecturer of Chulalongkorn University as surety. The court denied both requests on the grounds that Daranee had committed a serious crime and would probably flee. Suthachai, however, will reportedly make another attempt.
On Aug 5, 139 people signed a public petition asking the court to release Daranee on bail, but to no avail.
Afterwards, a web-board member of www.sameskybooks.org posted an email from Amnesty International (AI) Thailand’s Director Boonthan Tansuthepweerawong responding to his inquiry that AI needed more information on the case. It needs to make sure that Daranee’s case fits the category of ‘prisoner of conscience’. If so, there would be a global campaign, but a thorough and comprehensive study of the case would need some time. AI Thailand has to forward the information to the secretariat in London as it does not sit on AI’s joint committee. It would be great if AI Thailand received the information in English to save translation time. Boonthan, however, finally said that there were certain issues that AI Thailand could not tackle, including political cases like this.
Daranee was a vociferous supporter of Thaksin, hence her alias ‘Torpedo’. She appeared on the anti-PAD stage at Sanam Luang on the night of July 18, saying ……… (Reproducing what she said can lead to another lèse majesté charge as learned by Sondhi himself). At the urging of Sondhi from the PAD stage, the Royal Army issued a ‘most urgent’ letter on July 21 to the Metropolitan Police Commander to press charges against her. She has her own website which has been suspended due to her absence.
Sondhi Limthongkul, Thaksin’s friend-turned-foe, was also charged with the same offence for repeating on the PAD stage on the night of July 20 what Daranee had said. On July 24, accompanied by about 500 PAD supporters, he reported to the police and was immediately released on bail, guaranteed by Senator Kamnoon Sitthisaman, his employee at the Manager Media Group, despite the Metropolitan Police Commander’s previous claim of ‘one standard’. Gen Pathompong Kesornsuk, Supreme Command’s Advisory Committee Chairperson, was reportedly also present at the police interrogation of Sondhi, claiming to be Sondhi’s witness. Gen Pathompong, a close aide of Privy Councillor Chairperson Gen Prem Tinasulanonda, had previously appeared on the PAD stage, claiming Gen Prem’s consent and urging his fellow soldiers to follow suit.
Related News:
Highest Institutional Problems
Daranee on lèse majesté charge
Triumph Labour Union downs tools, demands reinstatement of its leader
Labour woman leader sacked for wearing T-shirt defiant of lèse majesté law
Chotisak no show at forum due to threats from Manager Radio
Thai Traditions: Lèse majesté in Thailand
Same Sky Books and Prachatai websites charged for allowing comments about Chotisak’s ‘not standing’
Academic Says Standing for Royal Anthem Copied British Practice, and was Dropped There Long Ago
Punishments for not standing during the royal anthem
News not fit for printing at the Nation: the incident of Chotisak Oonsoong
Activist denies charge of lèse majesté (Bangkok Post)
Sit down protest lands Thai in royal trouble (Reuters)
Interview with Man Facing Lèse Majesté Charges for Refusing to Stand for Royal Anthem in Cinema
Thai couple faces lèse majesté charges for not standing for royal anthem in cinema
Sources:
´Ò µÍÃì»Ôâ´ à»Ô´ã¨¼Ô´ËÇѧ¢ºÇ¹¡ÒõèÍÊÙéà¾×èÍ»ÃЪҸԻäµÂ ËÅѧ¶Ù¡·Ôé§äÃéËÇѧÍÂÙè㹤ء 24 Çѹ
ÈÒÅÍØ·¸Ã³ì¡¤ÓÃéͧ¢Í»ÃСѹµÑÇ ´Ò µÍÃì»Ôâ´
µÓÃǨãËé»ÃСѹµÑÇʹ¸Ô áÅéÇ ãªéµÓá˹è§Ê.Ç. ¤Ó¹Ù³ ¤éÓ ¾Ñ¹¸ÁÔµÃÂéÒ¡ÅѺªØÁ¹ØÁ·ÕèÁѦÇÒ¹Ï
‘´Ò µÍÃì»Ôâ´’ ©Ð µÃ.àÅ×Í¡»®ÔºÑµÔ ËÅѧ¶Ù¡ÃǺ ¤´ÕËÁÔè¹Ê¶ÒºÑ¹Ï-µÃ.äÁèãËé»ÃСѹµÑÇ
Print version
Send by email
Comments
Sonti encouraged the police
Sonti encouraged the police to make an action aginst her who clearly violated the law. The police dragged their feet, because the woman was a Thaksin's supporter and related to the government backed"anti-dictotarship" movement. Finally Sonti dediced to quaote a part of what she said to appeal to the public. Police isseued warrant against him the next day. It was a political move from the police. They can't push it further because it's clear Sonti does not intend to dimminish the institution.
For Englsish readers in
For Englsish readers in this site. This site is cealy biased for Thaksin and against PAD movement. Prachatai may be right in going agaisnt the military coup but wrong in supporting Thaksin in so unbalanced why. You should use your own media leteracy in reading this site as you do when reading the Manager group's site. Try to minus their bias. The best why is, if you have time, to read the articles in the both sites.
not why but way
not why but way ¹Ð ¢Íâ·É Can I make a question to the site master? Does this site receive financial support from Thaksin or Thaksin's supporter? Everybody knows that manager newspaper owned by Sonti Limtonkun, the archenemy of Thaksin. I think your site looks more fair if you proclaim whether you have support from the other side so that the readers can consider your bias when they read the articles and columns. I can't believe this site is neutral or independent at all.
<i>The court denied both
The court denied both requests on the grounds that Daranee had committed a serious crime and would probably flee.
It's a pity they did not have that attitude with her hero!
IMO, she is entitled to bail on strict reporting conditions, although there would also be concerns for her safety.
Somsak: Your question regarding funding of Prachatai is interesting - has the Soros Foundation funding ceased?
I see. That's why
I see. That's why Prachatai is reporting a lot on Burma.
About Burma, I appreciate Prachatai's reports, anyway.
So, Prachatai and Awan
So, Prachatai and Awan Zaw's Burma site are both supported by Open-Society Institute, somthing Right? I don't know how Soros is close to Thaksin but anyway they are acquaiintances. Both of them made a lot of money in 1997 crisis. I may understand now how a site can criticisize the Burmese Military junta while praising Thaksin who had no interest in human right violations in Burma and supported the the generals fervently more than any other elected governments in Thailand.