sriracha john
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Panel begins rating films under new act
Inglourious Basterds and three other foreign movies make up the first batch of films to be rated under Thailand's new ratings system. Quentin Tarantino's latest movie with a deliberately misspelt title, starring Brad Pitt as a Nazi scalper, was rated 18-plus by the seven-member committee set up under the new Film and Video Act.
United International Pictures, its distributor in Thailand, has been asked to place a rating sticker on the film's promotional materials.
There are seven ratings under the new law: "P" (for films deserving of promotion by the government), "G" (fit for all age groups), "13-plus", "15-plus", "18-plus", "20-plus" and, lastly, a ban.
The ratings function largely as guidelines. The law does not require cinema operators to check the ages of movie-goers, except for films which fall in the 20-plus category which forbids those aged under 20 from viewing them. The panel also rated
Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2221...s-under-new-act
-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-18
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Did they lose 2.1 million signatures between August 1 and August 17?
August 1:
Thaksin supporters claim 5.6m signaturesBy John Le Fevre
Veera Musigapong, one of the red shirts organizers, told a gathering that some put at more than 30,000, that 5.6 million signatures had been collected from all over the country.
August 17:
Natthawut Saikua, a key UDD leader, later told the crowd 3.5 million people had signed the petition.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/2...govt-for-review
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Thaksin petition sent to government for review
The Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary has forwarded the petition seeking a Royal Pardon for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to the government for a recommendation. After receiving the petition signed by up to 3.5 million people submitted by 10 members of the pro-Thaksin United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary said in a statement it would ask the government to review and provide a recommendation on the petition.
"This follows the traditional norm which has been applied to all petitions," the statement said. The cabinet will meet today on the issue, said acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn. The Justice Ministry will be assigned by the government to review the petition and decide if it is appropriate.
The review will include checking if the signatures are genuine. The timeframe for the government to deal with and send back its input to the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary cannot be determined at the moment, he said.
Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/2...govt-for-review
-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-18
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Former Commerce Minister and former Education Minister Adisai Bodharamik (left) at a Boy Scout Jamboree
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Arrest warrant issued for Adisai
The Supreme Court has issued an arrest warrant for former Commerce Minister Adisai Bodharamik and fined his guarantor a million baht after ruling he intentionally avoided hearing its judgement on the rubber sapling procurement case yesterday. Adisai's absence forced the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions to postpone the announcement of its ruling from yesterday to September 21.
Adisai's lawyer asked the panel of nine judges to hand down their judgement on the 44 defendants in the absence of his client. He told the court Adisai had notified him by email he was in the US to receive treatment for a spinal injury. He said Adisai had previously told the Supreme Court handling the two- and three-digit lottery case that he had to go to the US for treatment and the court allowed him leave from July 15 to Aug 31.
The nine judges yesterday said the hearing for the ruling on the rubber sapling case had been set in advance and if Adisai had to receive treatment, he should have informed the court in advance about his absence. The panel believed Adisai intended to evade the hearing and jump bail. It fined his guarantor a million baht and issued a warrant for Adisai's arrest. Adisai is one of five politicians from the Thaksin Shinawatra administration accused of malfeasance and
Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/2221...sued-for-adisai
-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-18
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On Saturday, the Bangkok Post reported that the forces have been deployed at Koh Kut, close to the 27,000-kilometre overlapping claims area (OCA), to monitor a recent exploration deal between the government and French petrochemical giant Total.
Koh Kut is almost IN Cambodia according to the wacky manner in which they claim their maritime border heads out at a 90 degree angle from the land border.
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Thaksin's cloying plea for clemency sounds shallow
Under the backdrop of the red-shirt rally seeking a pardon for him, former premier Thaksin Shinawatra made an emotional plea - like a closing statement for his defense. But does he have a genuine case to begin with? Or even a cause to fight for?
By using sugar-coated remarks, Thaksin portrayed himself as an undying royalist. Many see it an act of hypocrisy. The rally was billed as one of reverence, but the way it was organised was clearly an attempt to involve the monarchy in the political struggle.
For better or worse, Thaksin has shown his true colours in politicising the country's revered institution. The line has been crossed and time will reveal the consequences.
Less than two months ago, the high drama of Thaksin's plight began with the launch of a signature campaign to seek a royal pardon.
The petition was drafted to cite political injustice and double standards of law enforcement, both spawned by the 2006 coup, as grounds to seek a royal pardon for Thaksin. Some five million people reportedly signed the petition.
Leading figures and legal pundits reminded the parties concerned about the pardon process- and so campaign organisers shrewdly re-branded the petition from seeking a royal pardon to voicing the people's suffering from injustice.
Under court traditions and relevant laws, a pardon petition must be submitted by a convict or an immediate family member. But every Thai citizen is entitled to access the King to air a grievance.
By accident or design, the wording of the petition was murky from the start, simplifying the reclassification of the campaign.
If the organisers had insisted on seeking a royal pardon, then the Royal Palace might have suggested the petition be lodged with concerned authorities, such as the Justice Ministry and the Corrections Department.
At yesterday's rally, the red shirts and Thaksin highlighted their campaign to redress the people's suffering. Not a word about pardon was mentioned although the core message of the petition remained the seeking of clemency on Thaksin's behalf.
Thaksin grabbed the opportunity to equate his plight to that of the country's.
He attributed his predicament to the seizure of power in 2006, which in turn brought about the people's suffering, as warranting a petition for royal intervention to rectify the situation.
"His Majesty is the King for every Thai citizen and the only one who can redress the people's suffering," he said.
He crafted his speech to identify with the poor, showcasing his achievements in meeting the people's aspirations.
He said his success brought about his downfall because his opponents would have lost their vested interests with any advance of democracy.
Because of his ousting, the people suffered. The political system went haywire and he became a victim of reprisal, he said.
He claimed his opponents had tried to fault him for being disloyal to the monarchy, although he never wavered in his loyalty to Their Majesties. He also said the coup-triggered judicial review was unfair in convicting him.
It was a joke for the buyer and the seller to win an acquittal - while he was penalised with a two-year jail term for giving spousal consent to seal the Ratchadaphisek land transaction, he said.
He omitted to mention, however, that the sentencing was based on his wrongdoing committed as prime minister, wielding influence over the transaction.
Regardless of Thaksin's well-scripted speech, the bottom line is: Thaksin is demanding the King intervene and rectify his ill-fortune.
Even though he takes pride in his intellectual prowess, he appears to have overlooked no one can turn the clock back. He has fought and lost in the power struggle since 2006. And now he wants a rematch by invoking the monarchy to come to his rescue.
As a self-proclaimed democracy advocate, he should have realised the impropriety of seeking a royal intervention in the political and judicial process.
-- The Nation 2009-08-18
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The Cambodian Navy doesn't have any ships.... only small boats and... uhmm... canoes.
The navy possesses fifteen patrol craft and a further two patrol craft of the "fast attack" variety.There are also about 170 motorized and manual canoes.
- wiki
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Ex-PM pleads with His Majesty, teary over devoted red shirts
Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, with tears in his eyes, pleaded with His Majesty the King to grant him royal amnesty and thanked his red-shirted supporters for submitting the petition on his behalf.
During a video link-up, watched by thousands in Sanam Luang yesterday, he said: "I, Thaksin Shinawatra, and my family will be loyal to the King and the monarchy forever."
More than 20,000 red shirts marched to the Grand Palace yesterday to submit the petition for clemency. Before the group started marching, they gathered in Sanam Luang to hear the song "Deeka Dub Thook Thang Paendin" (A Petition to End the Suffering of the Nation) blaring out of the speakers and listen to Thakin's address.
The former PM, who has been on the run for about a year now, spoke from an undisclosed location abroad, and said that he was turning to His Majesty as a last resort. "We need to rely on His Majesty to bring back justice and peace to Thailand," he said.
Wearing a red shirt, the colour favoured by his supporters, Thaksin said he hoped His Majesty would live a long, healthy life like Phra Anond, Buddha's close confidant who passed away at the age of 120, according to Buddhist belief.
"We are here to inform the father of every Thai that we want to see unity and harmony. We want to see the return of right, freedom and dignity to Thailand. We want happiness return to the country through reconciliation," Thaksin said.
He continued to be adamant that his conviction over the Ratchadaphisek land-purchase deal was "a joke".
"It's funny how the owners, the buyers and the sellers were all acquitted, while I was the only one convicted," he said.
Thaksin was sentenced last August to two years in jail after he was found guilty of abuse of power for allowing his wife to successfully bid on a plot of prime Bangkok property in a public auction in 2003.
After completing his message, the tycoon turned around to bow before the portraits of Their Majesties, before leading a rendition of "Sadudee Maha Raja" (Love Live the Great King) and chanting "Long Live the King" three times.
Once the petition was submitted, Thaksin returned on the link-up to announce that the event had brought tears to his eyes.
He said his family was also touched by the fact that so many people loved him. Thaksin went on to thank the country's citizens for being merciful and for their moves to restore peace, unity and prosperity in the country. He said he had watched the petition being submitted on People's Channel.
According to Thaksin, during one of his "around the world" trips, his plane was flying close to Thailand and his pilot asked if it was wise to enter Thai airspace because it could lead to a lot of trouble if there was ever a need for an emergency landing. Thaksin said he told the pilot |to fly through Thai airspace regardless.
"During those 20 minutes I meditated. I prayed to all things holy and said that if I was really a bad person, I should not be allowed to return, but that if I was a truly honest person, then I should be able to come back," he said.
"If I am given a chance to return, the first thing I will do is pay obeisance to you all," he said, adding that he will wait for a miracle and hoped that peace would bring him victory.
Natthawut Saikua, one of the organisers, then had the song "Chan Ja Klub Ma" (I Will Return) blaring from the speakers and asked Thaksin to sing along.
Thaksin then declared he had always believed that he will return one day.
"Although I'm being harassed, I will be patient and wait to return," he said, before he singing the royal anthem and then chanted "Chai Yo" three times.
The organisers then turned on the song about the petition to close the event, before the red shirts peacefully dispersed.
-- The Nation 2009-08-18
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Court postpones verdict; warrant issued against former minister
BANGKOK, Aug 17 (TNA) - Thailand's Supreme Court on Monday delayed reading its verdict in a large-scale corruption case regarding the purchase of rubber saplings against 44 defendants, among them five ministers in the former Thaksin Shinawatra administration, while an arrest warrant was issued against former commerce minister Adisai Bodharamik for not appearing.
Forty-three defendants who arrived at court Monday afternoon included Newin Chidchob, former deputy minister of agriculture and agricultural cooperatives and a key figure of the current coalition member Bhumjaithai Party, former deputy prime minister Somkid Jatusripitak, former deputy finance minister Varathep Ratanakorn, and former agriculture minister Sora-at Klinprathum.
However, former commerce minister Adisai Bodharamik was absent. His lawyer submitted his electronic mail to the court explaining that he was having medical treatment on his spinal cord in the United States from July 15 to August 31.
The Supreme Court's Political Division for Political Office Holders postponed reading its verdict until September 21 and issued an arrest warrant against Adisai.
The court reasoned that the date for reading the verdict had been foreseen long before and that Adisai should have given the court prior notice about his planned absence before the scheduled hearing date.
The court then issued an arrest warrant for Adisai, and his guarantor must settle the fine within 30 days as the defendant apparently intended to miss the verdict’s reading.
After the court order, Newin, Varathep and Sora-at said they would attend the court's verdict reading on September 21.
Newin said he had no contact with Adisai and could not say whether the former commerce minister will attend the verdict reading next month.
Monday’s court session was conducted amid tight security as the so-called blue-shirts came together to show their support for Mr Newin, while the anti-government, red-shirted activists gathered at Sanam Luang, not far from the court compound, to prevent possible clashes between the two groups.
The 44 defendants were earlier allegedly involved in the Bt1.44 billion (about US$41 million) in a rubber sapling supply programme in which the former government of Thaksin awarded contracts to private companies to grow 90 million saplings.
Three private companies were charged, including a subsidiary of Thailand's largest agro-industrial conglomerate, the Charoen Pokphand Group.
The subsidiary, Charoen Pokphand Seeds, and other two companies are alleged to have been involved in the procurement and were charged with supplying poor quality rubber saplings to farmers.
-- TNA 2009-08-14
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Justice Ministry to examine petition
The government will assign the Justice Ministry to examine the pardon petition for Thaksin Shinawatra filed by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship to see if it meets all criteria, said acting government spokesman Panithan Wattanayakorn on Monday.
He said the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary, on receiving the petition from the UDD, has passed it to the government for examination.
The next step is for the Justice Ministry to go through all details including verification of the names of those who signed to support the petition to see if all criteria for making a petition are met before sending a report to the Prime Minister's Office with recommendations. After that the government will forward its opinion on the petition to the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary.
Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/15...xamine-petition
-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-17
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Pandemic (H1N1) or pandemic A(H1N1) is the official name for the virus as ascribed to it by the worlds peak medical body, the World Health Organization - not influenza, not flu 2009, not swine flu or anything else.
As for sriracha john, go out and buy a dictionary before opening your big mouth. Last week you couldn't differentiate between a minus sign and a hyphen and now this load of tripe. The word author refers to the person who wrote the letter.
You seem to have significant problems with understanding basic English.
My journalism coach was perfectly correct all those years ago when he said "when you sit down to write a story consider that the average mentality of your reader is that of a six-year-old". You do his words proud.
Putting your name-calling and flaming aside for a moment, I understand ascribing "author" to mean the writer of a letter... it's just that I'm surprised this "letter" is an uncorroborated email from an unnamed, convicted, incarcerated felon and that it is now considered a suitable source for news.
Still, it's good to get some feedback finally on this thread. Now then, if we could only have something more to validate this news besides the blogging words of an imprisoned heroin trafficker.
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Ruling on Rubber Sapling Case Postponed to Next Month
The Supreme Court for political post holders has decided to postpone its verdict on the rubber sapling case to September 21, following the absence of the former Commerce Minister, one of the 44 defendants. The court also issued an arrest warrant for him despite his e-mail saying that he is sick in the US.
Former Commerce Minister Adisai Bhodharamik sent a request to the Supreme Court for political post holders for a delay in the verdict on the rubber sapling case, claiming he has to be absent from today's court session because of a planned treatment of his backbone ailment between July 15 and August 30 in the United States.
Adisai's lawyer said he has received an e-mail from his client that he was granted permission by the tribunal in charge of the two and three-digit lottery to leave for the United States during this period.
However, the court stated Adisai had no urgent need to receive the treatment as he did not go abroad after his previous petition was granted due to the concern on the outbreak of the A/H1N1 Flu in the US and Mexico and he is still in the recovering stage from an operation last year.
The court, therefore, ordered his bail guarantor to be fined and an arrest warrant to be issued for him.
Forty-three of defendants in rubber sapling case today appeared before the court to hear its ruling, but Adisai's no show resulted in the verdict reading to be postponed to September 21.
In conclusion to the order, the court said it hoped all 44 defendants will be present for the reading of the ruling next month.
One of the defendants in this case is Newin Chidchob, ruling coalition partner Bhum Jai Thai Party's henchman. Newin said he has not kept contact with Adisai and does not know why he was not present for today's ruling.
Newin affirmed he will not flee anywhere and will be present for the reading of the verdict next month. Two other former ministers, Sora-at Klinpratum and Warathep Ratanakorn, also affirmed their attendance at the reading of the verdict.
-- Tan Network 2009-08-17
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Part of the issue is that Adisai the Absconder has more than one criminal case in which he is a defendant and another court had granted him permission to go to the USA and now he's attempting to use one court's decision to apply to all his cases.
Pretty crass of him, though, to notify the courts via an email to his lawyer.
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former Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Juthamas Siriwan
Film producers are accused of paying bribes in Thailand
Gerald and Patricia Green deny they paid a Thai official to secure movie festival and other lucrative contracts.
Before film producers Gerald and Patricia Green took over a movie festival in Bangkok, the week-long event struggled to capture Hollywood's attention.
Over the next four years, the Southern California couple transformed the festival into a rising star on the international circuit for screening new films, attracting the likes of Michael Douglas, Jeremy Irons and director Oliver Stone to Thailand.
The success earned the couple a small fortune and drew scrutiny from federal prosecutors who have charged them with bribing Thai officials to run the festival and land lucrative contracts.
In a novel trial scheduled to start Tuesday in U.S. District Court, prosecutors allege the Greens paid bribes so they would be awarded business contracts that brought the couple $14 million. The trial is the first in which entertainment industry figures are charged under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, a federal statute prohibiting corrupt payments to foreign officials for business purposes.
Gerald Green, who produced Stone's "Salvador" and the Christian Bale-led "Rescue Dawn," faces 20 counts. Patricia Green, who produced "Diamonds," a comedy starring Kirk Douglas, Dan Aykroyd and Lauren Bacall, faces 21 counts.
If convicted, they each could receive up to life in prison. They have both pleaded not guilty and are free on bond.
The outcome of the trial coupled with recent comments by federal officials could have an effect on how Hollywood studios conduct business in foreign countries. This month, Robert Khuzami, head of the Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement division, said the agency would create a unit that would focus on possible foreign corruption violations.
"I think a message is being sent loud and clear that the government is going after violators no matter what industry they are in," said Franceska Schroeder, an attorney in Washington, D.C., who specializes in trade compliance law. "Even if you are in the entertainment industry, you have to be mindful of payments government officials are asking you to make."
Prosecutors contend the Greens paid Juthamas Siriwan, the former Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, about $1.8 million to help secure the Bangkok International Film Festival and tourism-related deals, beginning in 2002.
The payments, often disguised as sales commissions, were transferred into accounts of Juthamas' daughter and a friend or paid in cash to Juthamas directly, according to court documents.
The Greens' lawyers said they never paid to get the contracts.
"They got the contracts because they did good work," said Jerome Mooney, Gerald Green's lawyer. "They entered into consulting agreements with those who had connections with powerful people."
One of the agreements allowed them to sell a "Thai privilege card" giving wealthy foreigners special perks in Thailand such as being escorted through customs and some discounts at hotels and restaurants.
Other contracts were to design calendars, a book and a website. The couple inflated their budgets so Juthamas could be paid off, prosecutors said.
Patricia Green, 54, is accused of making false statements on tax returns and conspiring with her husband to cover up the payments by using different business entities, some with phony addresses and telephone numbers. Once Gerald Green, 77, learned about the federal investigation, he altered company documents, prosecutors allege.
Mooney said the couple had lost several development deals in China, Vietnam and Thailand because of the government's probe.
"It's been stressful and difficult because any time the federal government starts an investigation, it's extremely disruptive and extensive," said Marilyn Bednarski, Patricia Green's lawyer. "It's been a two-year investigation that hasn't turned up any evidence of bribery. The allegations are ridiculous."
- Los Angeles Times / 2009-08-17
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Rubber case verdict put off to Sept 21
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions postponed the reading of its verdict on the rubber sapling procurement case to Sept 21 after former Commerce Minister Adisai Bodharamik, one of the defendants, failed to show up at the court. The court issued a warrant for Adisai's arrest and set Sept 21 for delivering the verdict.
Out of the 44 defendants in the case, only Adisai, the fifth defendant, did not show up at the court, which originally set to read the verdict at 2pm, but had a lawyer submit a request to travel to the United States to seek treatment of his backbone. In the request, he said the court could read the verdict in his absence.
The court, however, said Adisai's reason was unacceptable, adding that the ex-minister should have notified it long in advance that it was necessary for him to seek treatment abroad and would not be able to be present to hear the verdict. It was of the opinion that Adisai had intentionally evaded it.
The court ordered that his bail guarantor be fined, and issued a warrant for Adisai's arrest.
Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/15...-off-to-sept-21
-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-17
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Supreme Court issues arrest warrant against Adisai
The Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Office Monday issued an arrest warrant against former commerce minister Adisai Potharamik after he failed to go to the court to hear the ruling in the rubber sapling case Monday afternoon.
Since Adisai failed to show up, the court postponed the verdict reading to September 21.
Adisai sent his lawyer to tell the court that he was ill with backbone pain and needed to receive a treatment in the United States from July 15 to August 30.
The court also fined the guarantor of Adisai for Bt1 million for failing to have him appear in court.
-- The Nation 2009-08-17
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Among those who have been accused in the case are:
former Commerce Minister Adisai Photaramik
Adisai fails to attend ruling session
Former Commerce Minister Adisak Potharamik did not attend the court session Monday to hear the ruling in the rubber sampling corruption case.
All other 43 suspects attended the session, but Adisai sent his lawyer to inform the call that he was sick and was receiving a treatment overseas.
-- The Nation 2009-08-17
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Thaksin supporters present petition seeking pardon
BANGKOK, Aug 17 (TNA) – Representatives of the 'Red Shirt' United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) movement on Monday presented five million collected signatures and their petition seeking a royal pardon for ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to His Majesty the King’s Deputy Principal Private Secretary.
Earlier Thaksin had telephoned his supporters, saying he was a ‘victim of injustice’.
The self-exiled ousted prime minister complained to his supporters gathering at Sanam Luang, thanking them for petitioning on his behalf to seek a royal pardon for him, saying he was a victim of injustice and a so-called double standard.
Thaksin telephoned his supporters at 11am before they were due to submit the petition to the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary at the Grand Palace at 1pm.
"I was the victim of a smear campaign and that led my brothers to gather to seek His Majesty's clemency,” said Thaksin.
The ousted premier said he did not want to see divisiveness in the country as Thais are divided into two groups, the Red Shirt group of his supporters and the Yellow Shirt group, which opposes him.
"We want to see unity and reconciliation in our country. No matter what colour we wear, don’t let people who are indulged with power to make us fight each other. We must cling to unity for the King, so he won’t be worried,” Thaksin said.
He then took an oath that he and his family would be loyal to the King and the royal family until the last day of his life and led his supporters to sing a song in honour of the King.
About 1,500 police provided security at the capital’s Sanam Luang royal ceremonial ground as tens of thousands of the anti-government ‘Red Shirts’ from upcountry added numbers to the gathering.
Thaksin, ousted in a coup in 2006, was sentenced in absentia last October by a Bangkok court to two years imprisonment for abuse of power by helping his then wife acquiring a parcel of prime Bangkok commercial property at a price far below the market the market value.
-- TNA 2009-08-17
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*oops, wrong thread.
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2 pm: The Supreme Court will any minute read the much-anticipated Newin verdict. A ruling has been made, we know that much. Whether Newin will escape a jail term for malfeasance remains to be seen. Very few Newin supporters have shown up at the court, largely because Newin had urged his followers to stay away to avoid causing trouble.
-- The Nation 2009-08-17
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Once the administration has overlooked the petition, it will be submitted to the
I believe our friends at the NNT actually mean....
once the administration has looked over the petition, it will be submitted to the
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Dr Panithan clarifies process for royal pardon
BANGKOK, 17 August 2009 (NNT) – A petition seeking a royal pardon for ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra will be reviewed by the government and the Ministry of Justice before it reaches His Majesty the King, according to acting Government Spokesman Dr Panithan Wattanayagorn.
Dr Panithan said the petition, created by the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), will be reviewed by the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary and then forwarded to the government.
Once the administration has overlooked the petition, it will be submitted to the Department of Corrections for revision and the Minister of Justice for approval.
Finally, it will be returned through the Office of the Prime Minister's Secretary-General to the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary, the acting spokesman said.
The Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary will have the final say as to whether or not the petition will be presented to His Majesty the King.
-- NNT 2009-08-17
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600 red boxes of petition-related documents
Bangkok Post / 2009-08-17
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Police deployed at Supreme Court
About 1,000 police have been deployed outside and inside the Supreme Court's Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions ahead of the reading of the verdict in the rubber sapling case scheduled for 2pm.
About 700 police have been positioned outside and 300 inside the court. People who are not concerned with the case will not be allowed inside. Closed-circuit television sets have been installed outside the courtroom for the mass media to cover the news. Journalists are not allowed to take pictures inside the courtroom. The nine judges were holding a secret meeting in the morning to consider charges against each of the 44 defendants before making their own verdicts. The reading of the verdict is scheduled for 2pm.
As of noon, supporters of Newin Chidchob, one of the defendants, have not yet shown up at the court.
Continued here:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/15...t-supreme-court
-- Bangkok Post 2009-08-17
Former Prime Minister Somchai Charged With Criminal Misconduct
in Thailand News
Posted
Police Chief fails to defend rally dispersal allegation as scheduled
BANGKOK, 17 August 2009 (NNT) – The National Police Chief Police General Patcharavat Wongsuwan did not defend allegation with the National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) on his role in the rally dispersal case last year.
He was accused of violent crackdowns in rally dispersal on October 7, last year, which killed and injured a large number of people.
A member of NCCC Mr.Wicha Mahakhun, who was responsible in this case said that August 17 was set by the NCCC for the Police Chief to defend his case.
It was reported that he would come to defend his allegation on August 19. However the NCCC was waiting for confirmation from Police General Patcharavat and it would give the last chance for him to defend his allegation until August 23.
Another NCCC member responsible for the case Mr.Wichai Wiwitsewee said that if the Police Chief did not appear during this period until August 23, the NCCC would consider that he had nothing to defend and all evidence and witness would be concluded for indictment.
-- NNT 2009-08-17