The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced 13 protesters from the now-defunct People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) to two years in jail as punishment for their attempt to violently obstruct the registration of party-list MP candidates in December 2013.
Their terms were commuted to 16-18 months depending on the severity of the crimes committed.
Led by Chanon Khanthong, the 13 defendants were found guilty of trespassing, criminal intimidation and violations of the 2007 organic law on the Election Commission (EC).
According to the indictment, they and a number of accomplices who have yet to be arrested used weapons — including glass balls, metal bolts and bricks — to attack security officers while forcing their way into Gymnasium 2 of the Bangkok Youth Centre (Thai-Japanese) in Din Daeng district of Bangkok on Dec 26, 2013.
Using a rubbish truck to break open the centre’s gates, the protesters intended to obstruct the EC’s registration of party list-MP candidates, scheduled for Dec 23-27, 2013, said the indictment.
The PDRC was at the time leading large protests against the Pheu Thai-led administration, which was toppled by the 2014 coup.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Court gave suspended sentences to 12 of 15 protest leaders who rallied outside the court on Ratchadaphisek Road on May 2, 2021, seeking the release of fellow activist Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak.