On Thursday (March 5) the defendants were found guilty by a court in Chonburi province of violating the Emergency Decree, which was enacted by the government in April 2009 in response to mass Redshirt protests in Bangkok. The court also fined the defendants B200 each for blocking traffic with their protests.
The convicted activists include Arisman Pongruangrong, former folk singer and core leader of the Redshirts’ umbrella organization, the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD).
In April 2009, the UDD staged a massive protest in Bangkok to pressure then-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, the top adviser to His Majesty the King, to resign from their positions.
After their demands were not met, Arisman and other UDD leaders escalated the protest and staged another rally in front of Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya, where representatives from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were gathering for an annual summit on 11 April 2009.
Clashes between the Redshirts and mysterious blue-shirted militants later broke out, and the angered Redshirts eventually forced their way into the hotel, prompting the government to cancel the summit. Thai and foreign government representatives were forced to flee from the hotel on helicopters.
Two days later, on April 13, Abhisit’s government ordered the military to disperse the Redshirt protesters, who had reunited in Bangkok following the cancellation of the summit.
UDD leaders called off the rally and surrendered themselves to police on the following day. No fatalities was reported in the military operation, though two civilians were shot dead during a clash between demonstrators and residents of Nang Loeng district.
Karom Polpornklang, the lawyer who represented the 13 defendants jailed by the court, said he has filed an appeal and requested bail for his clients. All of the defendants are currently being held at Nong Pla Lai Remand Prison.
See original story here.