Villagers vindicated as Thai court awards damages against police use of force in 2002 protest against gas pipeline

Historic ruling against police action

Published: 16 Jan 2013 at 14.40
Online news:

The Supreme Administrative Court on Wednesday ordered the Royal Thai Police Office (RTPO) to pay 24 people 100,000 baht in damages for using force to break up a protest against the Thai-Malaysian gas pipeline and gas seperation plant projects in Songkhla's Chana district in 2002.

Twenty-four villagers filed a lawsuit with the Songkhla Administrative Court against the RTPO and the Interior Ministry demanding compensation for damages caused by excessive use of force to disperse the protesters in violation of their right to unarmed and peaceful rally under Section 40 of the 1997 constitution.

The Songkhla Administrative Court accepted the case for consideration.

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brilliant
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Discussion 13 : 17 Jan 2013 at 00.4913
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robins - did you miss the fact that red farmers do it all the time?
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siamitude
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Discussion 12 : 16 Jan 2013 at 19.4112
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Next we need a ruling against military.
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lucy
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Discussion 11 : 16 Jan 2013 at 19.3111
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Ianprince disc# 2. They were not red shirt protesters, although Thaksin was in power. They were Muslim villagers. This is a very forgiving forum, but least get your facts right before you blather on
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bkk-farang
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Discussion 10 : 16 Jan 2013 at 18.3110
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So how about the people of Bangkok suing the police for non-action in 2010 when the police allowed the red-shirts to erect street barricades and when the police stood by while “red guards” controlled who could get in and out of their illegal restricted area? Sometimes the police are overactive and sometimes they do nothing – I guess according to what some influential person tells them to do. It is time that the police enforce the laws in the same way for all people. And if some officers are unable to do that then they should be prosecuted and fired.
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bangkokbob
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Discussion 9 : 16 Jan 2013 at 17.569
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It's too bad they can't convict the man who ordered the police to break up the protest - violating the 1997 constitution - none other than Thaksin Shinawatra.
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kena
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Discussion 8 : 16 Jan 2013 at 17.568
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Zero killed by police action = large compensation. At the two Muslim demonstrations around the same time, nearly 100 were killed by Army action = low compensation. What's wrong with this picture?
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robins
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Discussion 7 : 16 Jan 2013 at 17.417
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Sad that blocking traffic and commerce, which is really a form of economic terrorism is considered a lawful protest. Protest all you want and where you want but do not block roads.
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joninnak
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Discussion 6 : 16 Jan 2013 at 17.326
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Ianprince disc# 2 You are 100% correct in your estimation. This is indeed the intelligence of the red shirts and they also ran into the bullets. Quite true and they get compensated for doing it.
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nitnoi
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Discussion 5 : 16 Jan 2013 at 17.285
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This incident occured in 2002, appealed 2006 and bore the fruits in 2013,What is the lesson here?
never too late, there is a will there is a way. well done people.
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andreaust
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Discussion 4 : 16 Jan 2013 at 17.184
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Discussion 2,
You are right. The brutality of the police according to the video was probably because a crook was going to visit the area.
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Villagers vindicated as Thai court awards damages against police use of force in 2002 protest against gas pipeline | Bangkok Post: breakingnews

Historic ruling against police action

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