BANGKOK, Feb 5 (TNA) – Progressive Movement leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, along with former Mover Forward party leader Pita Limjaroenrat along with six others have been sentenced to four months in jail for violating the public assembly law in staging a flash mob gathering at the Pathumwan skywalk on Dec 14, 2019.
The jail terms were suspended for two years.
The Pathumwan Municipal Court found eight defendants also including Piyabutr Saengkanokkul and Pannika Wanich guilty in orchestrating the protest as they failed to notify authorities, obstructed entry and exit points, disrupted railway station services, neglected their duty in managing the assembly, causing undue obstruction to the public’s use of public spaces.
The public gathering occurred within 150 meters of a royal palace and they used loudhailers for advertising without permission. The court also ordered them to pay a fine of 11,200 baht.
The defendants staged the flash mob protest at the skywalk, demanding justice after the Constitutional Court ruled to dissolve the Future Forward party. The case involved the 191 million baht loan it received from party leader Thanathorn to be a donation, which is prohibited by the electoral laws. -819 (TNA)
