COMMENTARY
Let police do their job on PAD case
- Writer: Boonsong Kositchotethana
- Published: 15/07/2009 at 12:00 AM
- Newspaper section: News
Let us be fair to the police in indicting those 36 suspects, including Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, who incited the mob to lay siege to Bangkok's two airports last November. Though long overdue, let us give them the credit for finally doing something to at least show that the rule of law does exist in this country and that justice is being served.
It is indeed a step in the right direction to help restore the Kingdom's tainted international image as a country with poor law enforcement, as well as revive confidence in the eyes of the international community. We should not get too embroiled in the political dimensions and personal political bias that may blur the heart of the issue - that seizure of Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports during Nov 25-Dec 4 last year by the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) was a very serious crime against the whole nation.
Let us not forget that the PAD held Thailand hostage to achieve its ambitious goal of remedying the Thai political malaise and putting the country on the right governing course - a mission they have not yet succeeded in.
The country has paid dearly for the PAD's embarrassing action: 210 billion baht in losses; the country's GDP has continued to contract ever since the airport seizure.
The blockade left some 350,000 visitors stranded and prevented 3.4 million tourists from visiting Thailand, severely denting the Kingdom's tourist-friendly image. Even today many foreign visitors are still haunted by their 10-day traumatic experience in Thailand, despite apologies from parties other than the demonstrators. Many of them have shunned Thailand for good.
Clearly, those leaders responsible for inducing a massive heart attack on the Thai economy while leaving a long-lasting grave impression about this country must be accountable and deserve to be punished by law.
At this stage, both PAD proponents and opponents ought not to try to draw a hasty conclusion as to whether the branding by police of those indicted for the airport blockage as "terrorists" - who are subject to the death penalty if finally convicted.
They should start by allowing the police to press charges if they have secured enough witnesses and evidence, see whether the public prosecutors will endorse the case, and whether the judicial review will rule the airport blockage as an act of terrorism.
The fact is that there exists a penal code (sections 135/1 and 132/2 amended in 2003) which classifies the seizure of airports as an act of terrorism, a crime subject to a fine of between 60,000 and 1 million baht, as well as the death penalty.
The police believe the PAD's action comes under the definition of this particular law. Law enforcers in the civilised world would most likely make a similar interpretation if such a case ever happened in their country.
Meanwhile, people like Democrat Party executive Sathit Pitudecha and Thepthai Senpong, a spokesman for the prime minister, should respect the legal proceedings and stop defending Foreign Minister Kasit for his involvement in the airport episode.
Mr Sathit has gone overboard in declaring that the charge of terrorism against Mr Kasit and the PAD's core leaders is too severe because the airport seizure was only meant to press the Somchai Wongsawat government into giving up power, as Mr Somchai was believed to be a proxy of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
That kind of rather odd excuse goes down the same avenue as the claims by Suriyasai Katasila, PAD spokesman and secretary-general of the New Politics Party, that the airport seizure "was not intended to create unrest but an exercise of the right to peaceful assembly under the Constitution to oppose the then government which was illegitimate".
By saying so, they are suggesting that those who instigated the airport closure should be allowed to go scot-free, as if nothing happened. Should they?
While the severity of the penalty should be left to the discretion of the judicial system, there is public consensus that the punishment needs to be harsh enough to deter any more crimes of this sort.
As for the growing call for Mr Kasit to quit his ministerial post, he should exercise his conscience more deeply, to decide whether he still has the credibility to remain in the office. Remember that in February he told reporters he would resign if charges were laid against him. By resigning, Mr Kasit would help raise the bar for Thai politicians by showing political spirit, a rare quality here.
Boonsong Kositchotethana is Deputy Assignment Editor (Business), Bangkok Post.
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