Thailand's anti-government protest leaders released on bail

BANGKOK, May 26 (TNA) - Protest leaders of the People's Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) who were charged with insurrection and other offences, including PDRC secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban, turned themselves in to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) on Monday and were released on bail of 100,000 baht each. DSI interrogators said they will later summon the PDRC leaders for indictment with public prosecutors and the Criminal Court. Suthep, who is a former Democrat deputy prime minister, was also freed on bail in a previous case in which he was charged with ordering the murder of people in crackdowns on demonstrators four years ago. Suthep was charged together with former Democrat prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. In 2010, when fatal crackdowns on red-shirt demonstrators happened from April to May, killing 98 people, Suthep oversaw national security affairs in the Democrat Party-led coalition government and he was also the director of the Center for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES). Suthep placed a bank account with his 600,000-baht saving as a guarantee and was released on bail by Bangkok's Criminal Court on the condition that he must not leave the country without the court's permission. The Criminal Court has set July 28, 2014 for evidence examination. After being released, Suthep waved his hands to supporters and left the court on his vehicle right away without speaking to reporters. Suthep's lawyer, Sawasdi Charoenpol, told journalists that the Criminal Court considered Suthep was unlikely to escape, tamper with any evidence or witness or cause any dangerous incident and the plaintiff did not oppose his temporary release. The army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) did not arrest Suthep after he was released from the court. (TNA)