Pipe foes win case
The National Police Office was ordered yesterday to pay Bt10,000 in compensation to each of 24 gas pipeline protesters for using excessive force against them.
Songkhla Administrative Court ruled that the protesters must be paid Bt10,000 plus statutory interest in response to a violent clash between police forces and protesters in front of JB Hotel in Hat Yai district on December 20, 2003.Nearly 100 protesters and 16 officers were injured in the melee that ensued when police guarding the JB Hotel, where the Cabinet was meeting, attempted to break up a rally. The court said it ruled in the protesters' favour based on video footage of the incident and a report by the National Human Rights Commission, which showed that police officers launched the crackdown while the anti-pipeline demonstrators were protesting peacefully. According to the court, some of the protesters were also praying at the time. Welcoming the verdict was Bangjong Nasae, a co-plaintiff and a leading protester against the Thai-Malay gas pipeline project. "It's a victory for people who have been fighting to protect the country's natural resources," he said. Surat sae Jung, another co-plaintiff, said the ruling would make it clear to the public that the protesters were not at fault when they clashed with police officers. "I am glad that justice is done. It's not about money. It's about justice." The Nation Songkhla
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