Four-year jail term for Arisman upheld
CHON BURI: The Court of Appeal upheld a lower court’s ruling yesterday sentencing red-shirt member Arisman Pongruangrong and 12 others to four years in prison in connection with a riot that disrupted the 2009 Asean Summit in Pattaya.
In its ruling, the court found Arisman and the other defendants guilty as charged for their role in the protest at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort Hotel, which forced the evacuation of regional leaders and the postponement of the summit.
The court stood by the lower court’s ruling including the four-year jail terms without suspension.
Following the court’s ruling, the defendants’ families submitted bail requests, with 2 million baht offered as collateral for Arisman and one million baht each for the 12 others.
The court yesterday rejected their bail requests, despite the large sums offered as surety.
They were taken separately to Pattaya Prison and Nong Pla Lai Prison in Chon Buri for detention.
Lawyer Kharom Polpornklang said another appeal would be lodged with the Supreme Court within 30 days in a further bid to overturn the ruling.
The storming of the Asean Summit venue took place on April 11, 2009 during the Abhisit Vejjajiva government.
The red-shirt United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) protesters forced their way into the hotel and sparked safety concerns for the regional leaders, some of whom had to be evacuated by boat. The prosecutors filed a lawsuit against the group for defying an order prohibiting a rally of more than 10 people and violating traffic regulations.
The Pattaya Provincial Court, in March 2015, found them guilty and sentenced each of them to four years in jail, without suspension.
The 12 others who were involved are Nisit Sinthuprai, Payap Panket, Worachai Hema, Wanchana Kerddee, Pichet Sukjindathong, Sakda Noppasit, Pol Lt Col Waipot Aparat, Nopporn Namchiangtai, Samrerng Prachamrua, Somyot Promma, Wallop Yangtrong and Singthong Buachum.
The summit was restaged in Phuket later in June, with a strong military guard ensuring the proceedings were not disturbed for a second time.