Fresh rebuttals in newspaper siege
protest organisers from the Caravan of the Poor yesterday petitioned public prosecutors to review their fresh rebuttals before deciding whether to try them on charges relating to the siege of Kom Chad Luek newspaper's office last March.
The petition has effectively delayed the prosecution order, previously scheduled for yesterday, to March 16. The accused are Attarit Singlo, Chupong Theethuan, Thawit Palakawong na Ayutthaya, Chinwat Haboonpad and Somroeng Adisa. Police recommended they stand trial for leading about 1,000 protesters to blockade the newspaper's office at the height of street protests ag-ainst the Thaksin Shinawatra regime. The blockade disrupted business at the complex housing Nation Multimedia Group, publisher of The Nation. Chief prosecutor Sumet Chaichuangchote said he would examine the rebuttals before deciding whether to order police to collect additional evidence or proceed with the prosecution order. In one of its key defence arguments, the petition said it would be unjust to prosecute the protesters because prosecutors had dropped the case alleging that Kom Chad Luek had offended the monarchy. It said that case was central to the events that triggered the protest and they should receive the same leniency as granted to the newspaper.
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