With a major update: Some red shirts bailed/ICC case

Some readers may have missed a report buried in the Bangkok Post that makes two critical points.

First, it states that “a court in Mukdahan agreed … to release 13 jailed red shirts on bail of 2 million baht each.” They should be released today as the “Rights and Liberties Protection Department and the Lawyers Council of Thailand will put up 26 million baht…”.

Justice Minister Pracha Promnok said:

the department and the lawyers’ council would also earmark funds to seek bail for 18 other red-shirt protesters who are in jail for similar offences in Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani and Maha Sarakham. The lawyers’ council will also proceed with a bail request for 14 other red-shirt suspects detained in Bangkok.

Then there is this cryptic note: “Authorities have yet to decide whether they will seek bail for suspects accused of defaming the monarchy…”, citing the minister.

The second note states:

Tida Tawornseth, chairwoman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, said yesterday she would go to the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands on Tuesday to tell the international community via the court that there were plots to kill people in April and May 2010, referring to the crackdowns on red-shirt protesters.

Both notes are worthy of more attention and should readers have more information, please email us: thaipoliticalprisoners@gmail.com

Update: The Nation includes a report on the continuing efforts at the International Criminal Court. It reports the mother of slain nurse Kamolkade Akkahad will provide a statement to a prosecutor at the ICC in the Hague. Phayao Akkahad’s daughter was murdered at the Pathum Wanaram temple. Recent reports and most of the evidence suggests that Army shooters killed Kamolkade on 19 May 2010.

It seems that the ICC is investigating the complaint lodged on behalf of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship in January 2011.  However, it seems clear that the ICC has not yet accepted the case.

Phayao, who said “she did not care about the amnesty law,”  stated:

I’m going there as a victim who had to face the loss. I want to give the information to the prosecutor, as my daughter should not have died at the event. Didn’t the Red Cross sign mean anything to the (Thai) state officials? My daughter was a volunteer. She graduated in nursing. I will speak via a translator without a script….

She added: “The government must care about people’s feelings. The justice process must go on so the cases go to court. Don’t just let the people forget it…”.

The report notes that red-shirt leaders Weng Tojirakarn and Thida Tawornsate Tojirakarn were also traveling to The Hague.