Soldiers get more jail time for attack on community over Tungkum mine

The Nation 26 September 2017 | Pratch Rujivanarom

TWO SOLDIERS who led an armed attack on a local community near Tungkum gold mine to open a blockade on a gold transportation route had their sentences extended yesterday.

Loei Provincial Court yesterday read the Regional 4 Appeal Court verdict.

The lawyer representing local people, Sor Rattanamanee Polkla, said after the court delivered the verdict that Lt-Colonel Poramin Pomnak’s jail term had been extended to four years and 12 months and Lt-General Porapet Pomnak’s sentence had been extended to two years 16 months. The amount of compensation to the plaintiffs of Bt165,600 remained unchanged.

They had previously been sentenced in Criminal Court for harming others, detaining others and unlawfully possessing firearms. The two defendants were found guilty of leading a group of armed men to attack a local community near Tungkum gold mine and open a blocked gold-mine shipping route on September 15, 2014. Three local people were detained by the group and many were beaten.

Sor Rattanamanee said that the local people were happy with the verdict and would not appeal to the Supreme Court, while the defendants can appeal to the Supreme Court within 30 days.

They were seeking bail permission.

Pleading innocent

Also yesterday, seven local female activists appeared at Loei Provincial Court accused of violating the Public Gathering Act by illegally arranging the protest at Tambon Khao Luang Administrative Organisation on November 16, 2016.

Sor Rattanamanee said the activists had told the court that they did not commit the crime and there will be on further investigation on this case.

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