Thai court acquits five people accused of blocking queen’s motorcade during 2020 protests

Five people in Thailand who were arrested by police in 2020 on charges of impeding the queen’s motorcade during the pro-democracy protests, have been acquitted.

Police arrested student activist Bunkueanun Paothong, 23, and four others in October 2020 for the offence of impeding the limousine carrying Queen Suthida, the wife of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, and their son, Prince Dipangkorn Rasmijoti, who was 15 at the time. The offence carried a potential sentence of 16 years in jail or even the death penalty.

The verdict was issued by the Bangkok Criminal Court on Wednesday and was rendered under a seldom-used section of the Criminal Code in Thailand, designed to protect the freedom of the queen, the heir apparent, and the regent, according to reports.

Local media said that the court verdict marked a significant victory for Thailand’s pro-democracy movement.

After the verdict was read out in the court, one of the defendants Ekachai Hongkangwan said that he always had faith in the fairness of the judiciary, and the judges demonstrated that the justice system remains trustworthy.

Another defendant in the case, 23-year-old Bunkueanun Paothong, maintained that the case against him was misguided. He denied knowledge of the royal motorcade’s scheduled passage and claimed that he had urged people to move away upon seeing it.

Bangkok Post reported that the video of the incident that took place on 14 October in 2020 showed authorities pushing activists away from the queen’s convoy.

However, witness testimony in court indicated that everyone – police and protesters included – appeared to have been caught off-guard by the sudden appearance of the motorcade approaching.

The court also found that the police had not prepared for any such event, and there were still cars parked on the roadside, according to local reports. There had been no signs posted or announcements made before the procession.

Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said on Wednesday: “Witness testimony was different and even police in the area did not know there would be a royal motorcade (passing through).”

The court concluded that the incident was most likely a result of miscommunication rather than a deliberate attempt to hinder the motorcade.

The five activists charged in the motorcade incident were Bunkueanun “Francis” Paothong, Suranat Panprasert, Ekachai Hongkangwan, Chanathip Chaichayangkul and Panupat Phaikoh.

“I’m really glad … we’ve been fighting this and insisting on our innocence,” Mr Bunkueanun told Reuters.