Members of civil society and animal rights groups held an exhibition and other activities at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre today, ahead of tomorrow’s announcement of a landmark Supreme Court verdict in the illegal hunting case against Thailand’s construction tycoon Premchai Karnasuta and three other individuals.
The event featured a panel discussion on the topic of “Return of Missing Justice” and a collection of cartoons, paintings and drawings depicting the slain black leopard and Premchai. It also featured a concert by several pro-democracy music bands, such as Rap Against Dictatorship.
At about 4.30 pm, a police officer from Pathumwan police station read an announcement warning the event organizer and participants that they were violating the law against public gatherings.
An animal rights activist said that he was pleased with verdicts of the Thong Pha Phum provincial court and the Appeals Court against the four poachers, which found them guilty and sentenced them to prison terms, and expects that the Supreme Court’s decision tomorrow to restore justice for the slain animals.
The Supreme Court’s verdict is to be read at Thong Pha Phum provincial court in Kanchanaburi province, where the poaching took place.
The case was referred to at the beginning of the Rap Against Dictatorship’s hit “What My Country’s Got” rap song detailing all the country’s political and social ills. It has gained more than 102 million views on YouTube since its release in October 2018.
