A Thai court on Friday ordered leaders of a protest group that occupied Bangkok's airports for a week in 2008 to pay millions of dollars to the airport operators in compensation.
The self-styled People' Alliance for Democracy had sought to force out a prime minister they opposed. Criminal charges in the case have not yet gone to trial.
Thailand has seen aggressive protests by both the alliance, known as the Yellow Shirts, and the rival Red Shirt movement since a 2006 military coup. Earlier in 2008, the Yellow Shirts occupied the prime minister's office for three months.
A Civil Court document said 13 alliance leaders caused physical and commercial damage by leading demonstrators to occupy Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang airports. They were ordered to pay 522 million baht ($17.2 million) plus 7.5 percent interest to Airports of Thailand PCL, the semi-state-owned agency that operates both airports.
The agency closed the two airports, disrupting travel for thousands, for security reasons, and demonstrators defied an injunction calling for them to leave.
Panthep Wongpuapan, a spokesman for the protest group, said it would appeal the ruling.
"We did nothing wrong," he told The Associated Press. "We have clear evidence, which is a clip of the AOT governor saying that he was the one who ordered the closure of the airports. We just got onto their premises."
Peaceful Yellow Shirt protests set the stage for the 2006 coup, which the army justified by accusing ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra of corruption and disrespect to the monarchy. When Thaksin's political allies returned to power in a December 2007 election, the Yellow Shirts initiated more aggressive protests to try to force them out, using confrontational tactics that were later adopted by Thaksin's Red Shirt supporters.
Thai court rulings forced two pro-Thaksin prime ministers out of office in 2008, and parliamentary maneuvering installed the rival Democrat Party in power.
Thaksin's allies say the courts and the Democrats are pillars of the establishment, which felt its power threatened by Thaksin's huge popularity with Thailand's poor and working classes. Court rulings have generally favored Thaksin's opponents.
The failure to bring to criminal trial the Yellow Shirts who took over the prime minister's office and the airport, while delivering quick justice to Red Shirts, has led to accusation of double standards.
Source: AP
Thought: "We did nothing wrong" ... yeah right. Maybe PAD's 'sponsors' will help pay for their fines also.
In a related story:
Thailand on Thursday dismissed suggestions that foreign observers were needed to monitor its upcoming election, with the deputy prime minister saying he does “not respect” Westerners.
It would be “inappropriate” to allow outside involvement in the poll, which is due in June or July and comes after deadly street protests last year, said Suthep Thaugsuban.
Thailand has never officially allowed election monitors to operate during its polls, but anti-government “Red Shirts” have recently called for international observers to be present.
“I am surprised that Red Shirts do not respect our country’s sovereignty... I don’t understand why they constantly call for foreign involvement, it is inappropriate,” Suthep told reporters. The kingdom is struggling to recover from mass Bangkok rallies by the Reds, in which more than 90 people died in clashes between troops and protesters in April and May last year. It was the worst political violence in decades.—AFP
PAD ordered to pay B522 million for airport takeover
PAD ordered to pay B522 million for airport takeover
Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? - Hunter S Thompson