THE Attorney General’s Office said today (March 8) a class action lawsuit will be filed against 18 suspects over the September 19, 2020 demonstration with three of them facing an additional lawsuit under Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law, over charges of defaming His Majesty the King, Siam Rath newspaper said.
The spokesman of the Attorney General’s Office, Mr. Prayut Petchkhun, said the three facing lese majeste lawsuit are Ms. Panusaya Sitthichirawattanakul, or Rung, Mr. Panupong Chadnok, or Mike, and Mr. Jarupat Boonpattararaksa, or Phai Dao Din.
The class action suit cites various offenses including inciting, which is in breach of Section 116 of the Criminal Code, gathering of more than ten people, a violation of Section 215, as well as violating the Public Assembly Act, the emergency decree, obstructing traffic and putting an object on the road, destroying an historical site and causing loss of property.
The morning after the huge demonstration at Sanam Luang on September 19 the People’s Party had installed a plaque at Sanam Luang at 6.14 a.m. with this being similar to the one installed by Khana Rasadorn at the Royal Plaza in 1932 after the revolution they mounted had ended absolute monarchy and brought in constitutional monarchy.
Khana Rasadorn’s plaque disappeared in April 2017 and was replaced with an ultraroyalist plaque.
Regarding the case against Mr. Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan, a popular singer whose stage name is Ammy the Bottom Blues, who has been detained on the charges of violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, known as the lese majeste law, for setting fire to a portrait of His Majesty the King in front of Klong Prem prison, as well as breaching the Computer Crime Act, Prayut said the suspect has not requested for fairness from the prosecutors.
The next step would be for the suspect to apply for bail and this is for the court to decide whether to grant it or not.
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Top : A bird’s eye view of September 19, 2020 demonstration at Sanam Luang released by an anonymous member of Free Youth group and shared by Thai Rath.
Home Page: Rung giving a speech at a recent rally. Photo: Siam Rath
