Academics request reprieve for the PAD
Academics yesterday asked state prosecutors not to press charges against five leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD).
Representatives from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), Chulalongkorn University, the Academic Network for Democracy and other groups submitted an open letter and written testimonies from 500 people to Wanchai Soithong, director-general of the Criminal Litigation Department.After accepting the documents, Wanchai said the PAD case would be treated fairly but with more than 6,000 pages to go through, prosecutors might not be able to decide by Monday, as scheduled, whether to pass the case on to the court or to drop it. Taweesak Suthakavatin, programme director for NIDA's Graduate School of Public Administration, said PAD's holding rallies to oust caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was a civil right protected by the Constitution. The participants also gathered peacefully and voluntarily. Police were lenient with them during the demonstrations but filed the case later, he said. The five accused are Chamlong Srimuang, Somsak Kosaisuk, Sondhi Limthongkul, Somkiart Pongpaibool and Pibhop Dhongchai. The Nation
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