The Bangkok South Criminal Court yesterday acquitted nine activists charged with sedition and holding an illegal protest within 150 metres of a royal palace in January 2018.
The nine were Veera Somkwamkid, secretary-general of the People's Network against Corruption, Rangsiman Rome, an MP for Move Forward Party, Sirawich Seritiwat, Nutta Mahattana, Anon Nampa, leader of the Ratsadon movement, Ekachai Hongkangwan, Sukrit Piansuwan, Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal and Sombat Boonngamanong.
The protest on Jan 27 in 2018 was to call for a general election after the military regime had postponed polls. At the time, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) had banned all political gatherings.
The protest at the BTS skywalk near Pathumwan Intersection was also near a royal palace, which was also illegal.
However, according to the court, the protesters were not guilty of this charge as there was no information warning them that they could not conduct political activities within 150 metres of a royal palace.
On the sedition charges, the court said the protest was not meant to incite unrest. All the evidence -- their statements, banners and speeches showed their intention was to call for an election and on the military government to honour a pledge to hold one.
Meanwhile, the Nakhon Pathom provincial court found a Silpakorn University art student guilty of damaging state property by throwing paint at the gate of the university's Sanam Chandra Palace campus in Nakhon Pathom province, according to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights Center.
The male student, a member of the Seri Silpakorn for Democracy group, threw the paint on Nov 22 during a protest calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a new charter and reforms of the monarchy.
He was handed a one-month suspended sentence and a 1,000-baht fine.