Public prosecutors in Thailand have decided to indict 14 core members of the anti-establishment Ratsadon group, in connection with the mass protest at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok in July last year.
Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, Panupong Jadnok, alias Mike Rayong, Anon Nampa, Juthathip Sirikan, Tattep Ruangprapaikitseree, Nattawut Somboonsap, Korakot Saengyenphan, Suwanna Tarnlek, Thanayut Na Ayutthaya, Baramee Chairat, Tossaporn Sinsomboon, Dechathorn Bamrungmuang, Tanee Sasom and Panumas Singprom have been charged with breaching Sections 116 and 215 of the Criminal Code and the Emergency Decree for their leading role in the mass protest, organized under the “Free Youth” umbrella.
Only 11 of them showed up at the 10th Criminal Litigation Division of the Office of Attorney-General this morning (Thursday), in the company of police officers from Samranrat police station, to be informed of the prosecutors’ decision.
The protest, which spread to several other province, was triggered by the impacts of COVID-19 and enforcement of the lockdown under an Emergency Decree.
Absent today were Parit and Nattawut, who are in home isolation, and Panupong, who is in Rayong province dealing with another court case.
Mr. Noraseth Nanongtoom, a lawyer of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), said that he had prepared 35,000 baht in cash for each of them, to be used as bail surety. There are also five Move Forward party MPs and lecturers at Thammasat University who are willing to lend their status to bail them out when they are arraigned this afternoon.
Anon, Parit and Panupong, other protest leaders, are currently out on bail in other court cases, related to the protests at Thammasat University and Sanam Luang on September 19th and 20th last year.
