Four former yellow-shirt leaders acquitted of sedition charges

The Supreme Court today acquitted four leaders of the now-defunct People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC), known as the Yellow Shirts, of sedition charges in connection with the prolonged protests against the Yingluck Shinawatra government in 2013.

One of them, Sontiyan Chuenreuthainaidhama, an executive of Top News, was, however, sentenced to eight months in prison for interfering with an election and was fined 20,000 baht, but the sentence was suspended for two years.

The three other defendants were former rector of the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA), 73-year-old Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, 75-year-old Dr. Seri Wongmontha, a mass media and marketing specialist, and Sakoltee Phattiyakul, a former Bangkok MP.

The four defendants were acquitted by the Criminal Court in 2019. The verdict was upheld by the Appeals Court, except for Sontiyan.

The four were just part of leadership of the PDRC put on trial for their roles in organising the prolonged protests from November 23, 2013 to May 1, 2014, which attempted to force the resignation of then prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

The other leaders, among them Suthep Thaugsuban, were tried separately. All were acquitted.