An estimated 4,000 Red Shirts marched from the Royal Plaza to the Government House on Tuesday to demand amnesty for Thailand’s political prisoners. Organized by the Red Shirt group called the Declaration of Street Justice, recently renamed the January 29 For the Release of Political Prisoners group, the protesters called
Read MoreMonthly Archives January 2013
Calls for Amnesty Intensify
Red Shirts across Thailand have amplified their calls for the government to grant amnesty to all political prisoners still suffering in jail. These calls have increased in intensity following the Criminal Court’s decision to sentence prominent Red Shirt activist Somyot Prueksakasemsuk to 10 years imprisonment for allegedly violating Thailand’s lèse
Read MoreSomyot’s Sentence Exposes the Dark Heart of Thailand
On the 23rd of January, a Criminal Court judge sentenced Red Shirt activist Somyot Prueksakasemsuk to 10 years imprisonment for publishing two articles that violated Thailand’s notorious lèse majesté law, enshrined in article 112 of the Thai criminal code. Somyot’s arrest, detention, and verdict betrays Thailand’s disregard for the fundamental
Read MoreUDD Reacts to Constitutional Court’s Silence
At a press conference on Friday, Red Shirt leaders reacted to the Constitutional Court’s response to a letter submitted by the UDD which sought clarifications on the Court’s 2012 decision on amending the constitution. The UDD also reiterated its calls for the government to act on amnesty for political prisoners
Read MoreUDD Responds to Democrat Delusion
At a press conference on Friday, the UDD leaders called on the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to reopen their investigation into the death of Boonmee Rermsuk, one of the 98 victims of the 2010 military crackdown, after the Criminal Court failed to establish his killer. In a unsurprising distortion
Read MoreA Call for Amnesty
Below is the English translation of the UDD’s statement that was released together with the draft amnesty decree. January 15 2013 UDD Statement: A Call for Amnesty The coup d’état of September 19th 2006 executed by the Council of Democratic Reform under the Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM), later renamed the Council
Read MoreUDD Draft Amnesty Decree
The following is the draft of an Amnesty Decree. It was proposed by the UDD to the government, together with this statement. Draft Amnesty Decree (English Translation) Royal Decree on Amnesty of Political Convicts and Political Defendants Stemming from the Political Conflict between 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2012,
Read MoreUDD Submits Draft Amnesty Decree
On Tuesday, 500 Red Shirts and UDD leaders gathered outside Laksi Prison in Bangkok to announce a draft executive decree which, if signed by prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, would grant amnesty to all political prisoners, excluding decision-makers. The concise draft decree states that all persons, Red, Yellow, or other, charged
Read MoreUDD submits letter to Constitutional Court, announces plans to observe Bangkok governor election
Yesterday the UDD submitted a letter to the Constitutional Court, with the intention of clarifying issues surrounding the government’s current attempts to amend the constitution. In a Constitutional ruling in July 2012, in which the Court ruled that amending the constitution does not pose a threat to the monarchy, the
Read MoreUDD Outlines Four Tier Strategy for 2013
At a press conference on Friday, the UDD leadership outlined their four tier strategy for 2013. Each tier means to challenge a different consequence of the 2006 coup and its aftermath. First of all, the UDD will prioritize its ongoing struggle for amnesty for political prisoners. UDD leader Tida Tawornseth
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