The Matichon online website has reported that on 30 June at the Central Administrative Court, South Sathorn Road, Mr. Suwat Apaipak, a lawyer, authorized his personal lawyer, Mrs. Atchara Saekao to file a complaint to the court to issue a warrant against Assoc. Prof. Dr. Worachet Pakeerut (Head of the Public Law Department, Faculty of Law, Thammasat University), Ms. Chiranuch Premchaiporn (Prachatai website manager), and Mr. Chuwat Rerksirisuk (Prachatai website editor). The charge calls for the three persons to be punished for violating the jurisdiction of the court.

Mr. Suwat, together with nine other persons, earlier filed charges against Mr. Noppadon Patama, the Foreign Minister for conducting an unlawful act in signing the joint communiqué between Thailand and Cambodia on 18 June to register the Preah Vihear temple as a World Heritage site. The communiqué is planned to be submitted to UNESCO on 2-10 July 2008.

The complaint refers to a 27 June 2008 interim injunction by the Central Administrative Court.  On 28 June 2008, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Worachet criticized the ruling of the Administrative Court, which prohibited the joint communiqué between Thailand and Cambodia and any other joint action, pending a court ruling. Dr. Worachet said that the order was influenced by the political situation and it is unprincipled as the issue is outside the jurisdiction of the Administrative Court. 

The complaint also states that comments have been made on the website which violate the court’s decision. It alleges that there are comments defaming the President of the Administrative Court. The complaint says that Prachatai web board has been posting articles encroaching on the monarchy. In order to prevent similar actions in the future and to end such actions, the complaint requests the Administrative Court to issue a warrant summoning the three persons for questioning and punishment for violating the court’s jurisdiction. The court accepted the charge with the case number Black 984/2551. A decision will be made later whether the complaint will be considered or not.

Prachatai had judged that the academic comments made by Dr. Worachet were based on an interview regarding the injunction against the process on the registration of Preah Vihear. He commented that the order is outside the jurisdiction of the Administrative Court, and the case should be filed with the Constitutional Court. The article posted in the Prachatai web site was made by a contributor who created a link to the article on the Krungthep Turakij website. 

Source: Information from the Matichon website

Edited at 5.13 pm on 30 June 2008