A small group of anti-establishment Ratsadon group supporters rallied at Bangkok Remand Prison on Friday, to demand the release of four Ratsadon leaders, being held in custody pending their trials on lèse majesté and other charges related to protests at Thammasat University and Sanam Luang on September 19th and 20th.
The four held on remand are Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, Anon Nampa, Somyos Prueksakasemsook and Patiwat Saraiyaem.
The protesters, who call themselves “The New Generation of Nonthaburi”, marched the 8kms from Phra Nangklao Bridge to the prison to draw attention to their demand.
Mr. Chinnawat Chankrachang, a leader of the group, told the media that the protesters wanted to make a symbolic expression of their opinion of the judicial system, citing the different standards applied to the four as yet unconvicted Ratsadon leaders compared to those applied to eight convicted core members of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee.
He said that the PDRC core members were granted bail after only two days in prison following their convictions, while the four Ratsadon leaders have repeatedly had bail applications rejected over the past few weeks without conviction.
A lawyer for the Ratsadon leaders, Mr. Norasethv Nanongtoom, has submitted bail applications again, but there had been no response from the court at the time of reporting.
Ratsadon followers turned to social media today, to widely criticize the granting of bail on a public holiday for the PDRC core members, accusing the court of double standards.
A court official explained, however, that the granting of bail on public holidays is normal after 2019 changes to regulations covering court sittings to consider bail.
