By Prachatai |
The Criminal Court yesterday (8 November) dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed against Prachatai by Sondhi Limthongkul, former leader of the People's Alliance for Democracy and founder of ASTV media group, who claimed that Prachatai misrepresented his views and implied that he supported a military coup.
By Prachatai |
Sondhi Limthongkul is suing Prachatai and its editor-in-chief for defamation, alleging that Prachatai distorted his words, leading its readers to misunderstand that he supported a coup. He stated that coups are not legitimate and he has never endorsed one.
<p>The Appeals Court today overturned a previous verdict and delivered a five-year sentence to Noppawan (lastname witheld), an online user who was charged in October 2008 under the Computer Crimes Act and lèse majesté law, or Article 112 of the Criminal Code, for allegedly posting a defamatory comment against the monarchy on the Prachatai.com webboard.</p>
<p>Sondhi Limthongkul, leader of the yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy, will testify in court on 21 Aug in his own defence against lèse majesté charges for repeating the words of Da Torpedo on a PAD stage in 2008. </p>
<p>A defamation lawsuit between Thai Rath newspaper and yellow-shirt leader Sondhi Limthongkul has been settled after Sondhi, the defendant, admitted that he had defamed the newspaper by presenting incorrect information in his ASTV-Manager talk show programme, as well as through his newspaper and website, and agreed to publish his apology for three days.</p>
<p>Sondhi Limthongkul has revealed a plan by American capitalists to rule Thailand in a bid to exploit natural resources, including oil, in the Asia Pacific region, exposing Nitirat and Prachatai as receiving money from American corporate-backed funders in a conspiracy to overthrow the monarchy. </p>
<p>‘Soldiers, don’t sit still. Come out and seize power. PAD supporters across the country will join the soldiers to seize Thailand back from those scoundrels,’ said Sondhi Limthongkul in a broadcast <a href="http://www.manager.co.th/Politics/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9550000009019">programme</a> on ASTV on 20 Jan. </p>
<p>The yellow shirts’ mouthpiece ASTV went off the air late on the afternoon of 17 Oct after it failed to clear debts owed to a Dutch satellite-operating company, but it still can be viewed on the internet and listened to on radio.</p>
<p>Sondhi Limthongkul has called for the country to be shut off so that an ‘appointed’ government can clean out dirty things. A retired air chief marshal has accused some in the government of colluding to assassinate Sondhi in 2009, and covering it up.</p>
<p>Sondhi Limthongkul told yellow shirts gathered at their rally site near Government House last Friday night what he would do if he were Prime Minister of Thailand.</p>
<p>Yellow-shirt leader Sondhi Limthongkul has urged the Thai military to seize Cambodian territory, including Angkor Wat, to barter for Preah Vihear Temple.</p>
<p>The Appeals Court in Chiang Rai has sentenced Sondhi Limthongkul to one year in jail for defaming a forestry official. Sondhi has appealed to the Supreme Court and has been released on bail. </p>