A legal roundup

The Nation reports that nine of the activists  who took part in a trip to Rajabhakti – Corruption – Park to “check out allegations of corruption”  have postponed meeting authorities for the second time. Two did show up and denied the charges. None of the 11 showed up when first called. The military regime is unamused.

Khaosod reports that the Ministry of Defense “investigation” of Corruption Park “found no irregularity…”. General Charnchai Changmongkol “explained that the committee only looked at transactions made during the construction, so it was beyond their duty to see whether some sophisticated corruption might have taken place.” In case you are confused by this, Gen. Charnchai explained: “We cannot say what is right, what is wrong…”.

Prachatai reports that the Supreme Court confirmed the impunity enjoyed by state murderers and “has acquitted five police officers allegedly involved in the enforced disappearance of Somchai Neelapaijit, a Muslim human rights lawyer.” After 11 years of legal battlese, the Court “confirmed the Appeal Court acquittal of five policemen accused of involvement in the enforced disappearance of Somchai.” In yet another act of legal calisthenics that defines the judiciary, the Court “also ruled that the Neelapaijit family cannot act as joint plaintiff on Somchai’s behalf because it cannot be confirmed that he was murdered or injured to the extent that he is unable to act for himself.” In addition, decisions by the courts mean that “the current law only recognizes a murder case when there is a dead body.” State official will continue to hide bodies.

The Bangkok Post reports that the Civil Court has confirmed former defence minister ACM Sukumpol Suwanatat’s dismissal of former prime minister Abhisit Vejajjiva from the army reserve and stripping him of his military rank “on the grounds he did not go through the conscription process as required by law.” THe report states that “Abhisit … presented a fake Sor Dor 9 document, issued to males aged 17 and registering  them for the draft…”. He “dodged conscription…”. How very royalist elite of him.

More significantly, though, this same faker and liar is reported at Prachatai as being cleared by the National Anti-Corruption Commission of responsibility “for ordering the violent military crackdown on the anti-establishment red-shirt protesters during the April-May 2010 political violence.” Suthep Thaugsuban, his former Deputy, was also cleared, along with then Army boss General Anupong Paojinda. The NACC “has reached a resolution to withdraw corruption and malfeasance allegations against Abhisit, Suthep, Gen Anupong … and other military officers under his command.” The basis for the decision is “that the 2010 red shirt protest was not peaceful and that there were [unknown and unidentified] armed militants among the demonstrators.” The murder of demonstrators was considered to have been in accordance with “international standards…”.

The Bangkok Post reports that the military dictatorship “is fed up with [Ms Yingluck Shinawatra’s] behaviour delaying the investigation. She has asked for more witnesses three times, now totalling dozens of individuals…” in order to “to stave seizure of her personal assets as compensation for her administration’s rice-pledging scheme.” The junta seems far less concerned that Suthep repeatedly fails to show up for court cases against him and Abhisit.

Double standards? Bucket loads of them. Judicial bias and politicization? You bet.