All except one of the 85 “Srivijaya warriors”, supporters of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), were on Thursday sentenced to jail terms ranging from nine months to two-and-a-half years on charges relating to the seizure of the National Broadcasting Service of Thailand (NBT) television station, Channel 11, in August 2008.

The sentence was announced by the Criminal Court.

The prosecution earlier told the court that, 85 people, five of them under 20, who called themselves “Srivijaya warriors” of the PAD, raided and occupied the NBT station premises on Vibhadi Rangsit Road from Aug 22 to 26, 2008.

They destroyed public property, causing more than 600,000 baht damage, while the PAD was staging a mass protest against the then government of prime minister Samak Sundaravej.

Bangkok Post