By Max Constant
BANGKOK
A Thai criminal court sentenced five leaders of the Red Shirts movement to jail terms Wednesday over a 2007 protest in front of the house of an influential figure who is chairman of the King’s Privy Council.
The Red Shirts are supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was overthrown in September 2006 by military officers sympathetic to the chairman, Prem Tinsulanonda.
Weerakan Musikapong, Nattawut Saikua, Wiputalaeng Wattanapumthai and Weng Tojirakarn -- four leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), the official name of the Red Shirt movement -- were each sentenced to four years and four months in prison for illegal assembly.
A fifth leader, Nopparut Worachit, was sentenced to two years and eight months for resisting arrest.
All of them, except Musikapong - who was not present at court because he was hospitalized - were released on bail awaiting appeals.
The protest took place in July 2007 in front of Tinsulanonda’s residence and was one of the first significant reactions from the Red Shirts to the Sept. 19, 2006 coup which overthrew Shinawatra’s government.
The protesters were accusing Tinsulanonda of being behind the coup.
Scuffles occurred and bricks were thrown at police when they attempted to make arrests.
The conviction of the five men is particularly significant as the current junta is trying to push through a political system akin to the “guided democracy” which Tinsulanonda installed from 1980 to 1988 when he was prime minister.
The junta themselves took power on May 22, 2014 by overthrowing the government of Yingluck Shinawatra, Thaksin’s sister.
Under "guided democracy", elections took place but the prime minister was chosen by MPs under the guidance of the military.
A draft charter written by a military-appointed constitutional committee was rejected Sept. 6 by a National Reform Council whose members were hand-picked by the junta.
The rejection automatically extended the junta's hold on power by 20 months to allow for a new constitutional drafting process.
Since the rejection of the draft constitution, the junta has hardened its stance, detaining two politicians and a journalist critical of the military regime at military camps for several days.
They were released on Tuesday after committing themselves not to support anti-government activities.
Earlier this month, junta leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha told reporters of his plans for critics.
"I am just going to tape their mouths shut," he said.
