RED IN USA

Two Thai 'Red Shirt' leaders jailed

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gaYy4QKiJqxf90lk4cqcENolBwig?docId=CNG.1e5b01d7a0facaec3f2717d2dd941611.41 Two Thai 'Red Shirt' leaders jailed BANGKOK — Two leaders of Thailand's "Red Shirt" protest movement, including an opposition politician, were sent to jail Thursday on terrorism charges after a court revoked their bail. The Criminal Court ruled that Jatuporn Prompan and Nisit Sinthuprai violated the terms of their freedom with remarks they made about the revered monarchy at a rally in the capital last month. The comments "might cause confusion among people which could create trouble in the country", the judge said. The royal family is an extremely sensitive subject in the politically divided nation. Insulting the monarchy is punishable by up to 15 years in jail. The move comes ahead of a general election set for July 3, and a week before the first anniversary of the end of the Red Shirts' mass rally in the capital, which sparked the country's worst political violence in decades. Deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who oversees national security, welcomed the ruling. "It's in line with judicial procedures and must be respected because they could not comply with the bail conditions," he said. More than 90 people, mostly civilians, died in a series of street clashes between Red Shirt protesters and troops who stormed the movement's fortified encampment in Bangkok firing live ammunition. Jatuporn, a Puea Thai party candidate seeking re-election in the upcoming election, had enjoyed parliamentary immunity until the lower house was dissolved this week. Seven other senior members of the red-clad movement were released on bail in February after they spent nine months in detention. A date for their trial has not yet been set. The mainly rural, working class Reds are broadly loyal to fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who was ousted in a military coup in 2006 and lives overseas to avoid a jail sentence for corruption imposed in absentia. About 200 Red Shirt supporters gathered at the court on Thursday. Some sat on the road after the ruling in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent a prison truck taking Jatuporn to jail. "We respect the court's decision. We will seek their bail and appeal the order. The ruling will not affect our plans for the one-year anniversary next week," said another Red Shirt leader, Nattawut Saikuar.

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