Insurrection charges against Thai protest leaders dropped

A THAI court dropped charges of insurrection yesterday against the main leaders of a protest movement bidding to topple the government, two days after the worst street unrest in Bangkok for 16 years.

Two protest leaders were released on bail in rulings greeted by protesters as a victory in their fight against the government, which is looking increasingly crippled as judicial decisions mount against them.

The court rulings followed Tuesday’s clashes between police and protesters which saw two people killed and hundreds injured, and left negotiations between the two sides in tatters.

The seven senior protest leaders not yet detained have promised to surrender to police on two lesser charges but show no sign of ending their campaign.

“Seven leaders will surrender ... after that we will bail ourselves out to continue our fight,” said Suriyasai Katasila, one the wanted leaders.

Soon after emerging from prison, senior protest figure Chamlong Srimuang and fellow organiser Chaiwat Sinsuwong returned to the prime minister’s offices, which have been occupied by their supporters since late August. A giant roar went up from the crowd as the retired general Chamlong took to the stage, with thousands of protesters clapping and cheering.

A court had issued arrest warrants for nine key leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy on August 27 — a day after they stormed Government House — and police had detained Chamlong and Chaiwat.

Thousands of anti-government protesters on Tuesday marched to parliament to try to stop Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat delivering a policy address. Police moved in and the violence left 478 injured and two dead. Somchai announced that the government would investigate Tuesday’s violence, when police fired tear gas on the protesters trying to besiege parliament, and some retaliated with gunfire, authorities have said.

“The committee will investigate who is right and who is wrong, where the problem occurred and who resorted to violence first so that the public will be accurately informed,” he said.

Somchai said he hoped it would prove the government had no role in the unrest.

In another apparent blow to the government, a senator said the Administrative Court had issued an injunction yesterday ordering police not to crack down on demonstrators, although the court was not able to give details.

That news came hours after the Appeals Court threw out the arrest warrants on three serious charges including treason for the protest leaders, and granted bail for Chamlong and Chaiwat.