Bangkok Library

The Democrat Party and its executives are facing a renewed crisis as prosecutors push to dissolve the party and ban its executives who held positions in 2004 and 2005.

Deputy Attorney-General Waiyawut Lortrakul said yesterday that prosecutors had finished drafting the recommendation and sent a 100-page document to the Attorney-General for approval. If no changes are suggested, the recommendation will be presented to the Constitution Court today.

Yellow shirt leaders and supporters are facing charges for the unlawful occupation of Government House and seizure of two Bangkok airports in 2008. The NPP's secretary-general, Suriyasai Katasila, has cried foul, claiming the actions of the PAD and yellow shirt supporters to be completely different to those of the red shirt movement, which he believes had supported armed militants.

Dutch journalist Michel Maas says that he was shot by the Thai army while reporting on the red shirt demonstrations.

In an interview with the IPI (International Press Institute), Michel Maas says that he has no doubt that he was shot by the Thai army.

I have no doubt whatsoever that it was the Thai army that shot me. No one else was shooting, as far as I could tell. The army had snipers on the ‘Skytrain’ over our heads, and soldiers in the Park just in front of us, covering the entire front line area. And troops were advancing from the direction from where I was shot.

Russian composer Pletnev continues to protest his innocence against the child rape charges laid against him, saying the matter was a “set up”. Pletnev also claimed that: “A big company wants to present me as a criminal, which I am not.” He did not elaborate any further about this claim, fueling further speculation that Pletnev will try to find ways of having the rape charges dropped by making a payment to corrupt officials or the family of the child.

Thai police have dismissed rumours that police were demanding money to drop the Mikhail Pletnev child rape case; however, rumours still abound that a financial settlement will be offered to the parents of the boy to drop the charges. If a settlement is not available, it seems incredible that Pletnev will voluntarily return to Thailand where if guilty he faces up to twenty years in prison.