CHONBURI — Thirteen Redshirt activists have been sentenced to four years in prison for storming the venue of an international summit in Pattaya nearly six years ago.

The defendants were found guilty by a court in Chonburi province yesterday of violating the Emergency Decree, which was enacted by the government in April 2009 in response to mass Redshirt protests in Bangkok. The court also fined the defendants 200 baht each for blocking traffic with their protests. 

Redshirts storming the hotel on in Pattaya on 11 April 2009.

The convicted activists include Arisman Pongruangrong, former folk singer and core leader of the Redshirts' umbrella organization, the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD). 

In April 2009, the UDD staged a massive protest in Bangkok to pressure then-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Gen. Prem Tinsulanonda, the top adviser to His Majesty the King, to resign from their positions. 

After their demands were not met, Arisman and other UDD leaders escalated the protest and staged another rally in front of Royal Cliff Beach Resort in Pattaya, where representatives from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) were gathering for an annual summit on 11 April 2009.

Clashes between the Redshirts and mysterious blue-shirted militants later broke out, and the angered Redshirts eventually forced their way into the hotel, prompting the government to cancel the summit. Thai and foreign government representatives were forced to flee from the hotel on helicopters. 

The mysterious blue-shirted militants who provoked Redshirts on 11 April 2009.

Two days later, on 13 April, Abhisit's government ordered the military to disperse the Redshirt protesters, who had reunited in Bangkok following the cancellation of the summit.

UDD leaders called off the rally and surrendered themselves to police on the following day. No fatalities was reported in the military operation, though two civilians were shot dead during a clash between demonostrators and residents of Nang Loeng district.

Violence would later return to Bangkok with a bloodier conclusion in April 2010, when UDD staged another round of mass protests in the capital city to demand a fresh election. The protests were crushed by the military in May 2010. At least 90 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the crackdown. 

Karom Polpornklang, the lawyer who represented the 13 defendants jailed by the court yesterday, said he has filed an appeal and requested bail releases for his clients.

All of the defendants are currently being held at Nong Pla Lai Remand Prison.

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BANGKOK — Junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has assured the nation that he does not intend to stay involved in politics after democratic rule is restored in Thailand, despite dismissing a proposal that would have him and other junta leaders formally banned from office for two years.

"I don't want anything," Gen. Prayuth said today in a keynote speech for an event promoting transparency in state projects. "This has nothing to do with self-interest. I and other ministers aren't gaining anything …  I have no intention to perpetuate my power or self-interest. If I thought like that, I wouldn't have come to work in these matters." 

Gen. Prayuth speaking at the Construction Sector Transparency Initiative event in Bangkok on 6 March 2015. 

However, Gen. Prayuth also repeated his opposition to a plan proposed by one of the drafters of the new constitution that would bar members of all five interim governing bodies, including the military junta, from politics for two years. 

"Don't worry about the Five Rivers, about who will go, who will stay," Gen. Prayuth said, using a nickname for the five agencies. "I will stick to the interim charter, and I will give verdict on this issue. Please don't mix things up and make them contradict each other. Otherwise, the country won't go anywhere."

Gen. Prayuth was referring to a clause in the interim charter, penned by the junta after the coup, which only bans members of the Constitutional Drafting Committee from politics after the new constitution is enacted, and not the junta or its appointed councils. CDC member Jate Thonawanik proposed this week that the restriction be extended to all five interim governing bodies. 

The Fiver Rivers agencies include the Cabinet, the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), the National Reform Council (NRC), the Constitutional Drafting Committee (CDC), and the junta itself, which is known officially as the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). 

Speaking at the event co-chaired by UK Ambassador Mark Kent today, Gen. Prayuth went as far as suggesting that he is willing to resign from his position if that is what the people want. 

"Who doesn't like my face, go ahead and tell me, so it will be over once and for all. If the people don't want me, I won't stay any longer," Gen. Prayuth said.

Gen. Prayuth has consistently cast himself as a reluctant coup maker who was forced to seize power from an elected government last May for the sake of the nation. However, in same speech this morning, Gen. Prayuth also vowed not to resign from his post until he has achieved “success.” 

"I have been trying to say and order things carefully. Some nights I've even dreamt that I gave orders. I had to think later, did I really give those orders? I admit that I am tired, but I can still fight. Don't think that I will go anywhere just because I am tired. No way. I won't leave until there is success. I wouldn't know why I was here in the first place if I cannot create success [for the country]," the general said.

"The other day, some reporter asked me what the government has done so far," Gen. Prayuth continued. "I almost punched that reporter in the face. I have done so many things, can they not see it? I will keep talking about what I have done. I am willing to be tired and hurt my throat." 

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PRACHUAP KIRI KHAN — The military has seized a remote residence in the middle of a forest that officers believe was a holiday home for former princess Srirasmi Suwadee and her family.

Soldiers from 15th Military Circle inspected the property, which has no home address, in a forest near Guiburi National Park yesterday. The operation was convened after local residents alerted authorities that the residence was "suspicious" and potentially encroaching on the national park land, said Cpt. Teerapong Namsala, commander of the group. 

The houses are located in the bottom section of land, Prachup Kiri Khan Province.

The soldiers invoked the power granted to them under martial law to investigate the property; under the martial law, which was imposed after the military seized power on 22 May 2014, security officers can detain individuals and search homes without warrants. 

The residence consists of two houses surrounded by orchards, located around 70 kilometer away from the nearest highway. Soldiers discovered many framed portraits inside the houses of the family of former princess Srirasmi, the wife of the Crown Prince who resigned her royal status in December 2014.

"There were many photos of Ms. Srirasmi Suwadee's parents," a military officer told reporters, "A photo that was taken next to the creek in front of the house appears to be taken in 2006, according to the date in the photograph. Officials have collected all photos as evidence."

Local residents reportedly told officers that members of the Suwadee family were seen visiting the area occasionally. 

According to the military, the residence and land were registered under the name of Mr. Chaiwat Hooyakorn. The military says an investigation has been launched to determine whether the residence encroached on National Park land. The investigation is expected to take seven days. At the time of publication, no charges had been filed.

Several local residents who lived close to the forest house declined to speak to the media, citing concerns for their safety. One of the residents said simply that no one dared to approach the land because it was believed to belong to "extraordinary people."

"It has to be someone with high influence, and there's also reports that the Suwadee family was involved," said the resident, who asked not to be named. "In the past, we have never seen any state agency inspecting the land. Sometimes state helicopters flew over the area, but there was no inspection." 

Srirasmi resigned from her royal status in December 2014 after several members of her family were arrested and accused of running a massive crime syndicate and citing their ties to the monarchy to intimidate victims. According to police, the network was guilty of extortion, illegal gambling dens, and oil smuggling, among other alleged crimes. 

Srirasmi's uncle has been charged with leading the crime syndicate, which also involved the former Princess's sister and brother, police say.

Srirasmi's parents, Apiruj and Wantanee Suwadee, are also being detained at Bangkok Remand Prison while they await trial for charges of lese majeste (insulting the monarchy), which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Apiruj and Wantanee were charged with lese majeste after an employee of a royal charity foundation accused them of using their ties to the monarchy to have her jailed for 18 months on bogus fraud charges.

Srirasmi has not been seen in public since 13 December 2014, when she applied for a new national ID card as a commoner. 

It is unclear whether Srirasmi and the Crown Prince are formally divorced. The couple married in 2001 and have one 9-year-old son. 

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