Thai police charge protest leaders with blocking airports in 2008

Aug 26, 2010, 6:33 GMT

Bangkok - Thai police on Thursday charged leaders of the protest movement that closed down Bangkok's two airports for a week in late 2008 with terrorism and other crimes.

Some 58 leaders of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD), which staged anti-government protests for seven months in 2008 on the streets of Bangkok, reported to the Crime Suppression Division Thursday to hear charges against them.

The protests culminated in the seizure of Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports by the protestors for a week in November-December 2008.

'I've come here today to hear the various charges against me which include terrorism,' PAD core leader Sondhi Limthongkul said. 'I think this case will take a long time.'

Critics of the current government have complained that the cases against the PAD have already taken too long.

Chamlong Srimuang, another core PAD leader, was also charged Thursday.

Police have on several occasions summoned the leaders of the PAD, whose movement was also dubbed the yellow shirts after their preferred clothing, but they have previously refused to show up to face charges.

The authorities perceived lax attitude towards bringing the royalist yellow shirts to justice has give rise to accusations of double standards in the justice system.

The airport blockades caused flight chaos throughout the region and lost the country billions of dollars in tourism and trade revenues.

In contrast, the government has been swift to imprison and charge leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, known as red shirts, who staged anti-government protests in Bangkok this spring.

The demonstrations from March 12 to May 19 sparked street battles that left 91 dead, including 11 police and soldiers.

Authorities rounded up more than 200 red shirt protestors, and on July 30 charged 26 of the movement's leaders with various crimes including terrorism.

The red shirt movement was partly financed by fugitive ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, a billionaire former telecommunication tycoon who was toppled by a coup in September 2006 and faces a two-year jail sentence for abuse of power should he return to Thailand.

The yellow shirts helped to topple the pro-Thaksin government in power in 2008, paving the way for the current government led by the Democrat Party.