Thai public prosecutors defer decision on PAD case again

BANGKOK, June 17 (TNA) – Thailand’s Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) postponed deciding whether to indict nine leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), the ‘Yellow Shirts’, for seizing Government House in 2008, pending further investigation.

The decision has been re-scheduled to be announced on August 4 at 10am.

The Attorney General’s Office said it is still awaiting additional details of the case from the investigators after PAD leaders had asked police to investigate more points and police have not yet completed their examination of additional witnesses as requested by the suspects.

The prosecution has postponed many times its decision on indicting the nine suspects, most lately on April 22.

The nine PAD leaders include Sondhi Limthongkul, retired Maj-Gen. Chamlong Srimuang, Phiphob Thongchai, Somsak Kosaisuuk, Somkiet Pongpaibul, Chaiwat Sindhuwong, Suriyasai Katasila, Terdpoom Jaidee and Amorn Amornratananond.

They were charged by police with illegal assembly, inciting the people to break the law in violation of the Criminal Code and inciting unrest by seizing Government House in August 2008 and staying on there for 193 days.

The PAD Yellow Shirts played a pivotal role in the movement to topple the Thaksin Shinawatra government, with protests leading to the military coup d’etat on September 19, 2006. The movement staged a series of street protests which toppled two successive governments — those of Samak Sundaravej and Somchai Wongsawat — which it accused of being Mr Thaksin’s proxies. (TNA)