They’ve been accused of computer crimes, sedition and even belonging to the imaginary Illuminati. Now, a popular progressive political party is filing its own charges.
Vexed by their most rancorous rival in parliament, representatives of the Future Forward Party said they will file defamation charges tomorrow against Parina Kraikup after she used doctored images to suggest they were behind last week’s terror attacks.
“We’re planning to file the charges at Ratchada Criminal Court tomorrow at 9am,” party spokeswoman Pannika “Chor” Wanich told Coconuts Bangkok this afternoon.
The party, which had a strong third-place showing in the March election and is widely popular among younger Thais, said it would lodge the criminal complaint against the pro-establishment Palang Pracharath Party MP after she posted a series of photoshopped images blaming Pannika and party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit for Friday’s coordinated bomb and arson attacks.
“Future Forward Party is happy to listen to and exchange different opinions based on facts. …. However, this case is solely fake news, aimed to damage the party’s reputation as well as to turn people against us by stirring misunderstanding that Future Forward was involved with these violent attacks,” Pannika said Monday, announcing the legal threat.
Pannika said she did not want to see the conservative politician behind bars but rather hopes the case would dispel any misunderstanding that Future Forward was involved in the bombings.
“Especially as representatives of the people, [members of parliament] must be extra careful to not contribute to the spread of fake news and hatred,” Pannika said, urging people to do their own fact checking before sharing news stories.
Parina’s since-deleted Monday post showed 31-year-old Pannika and party leader Thanathorn with one of two suspects that have been detained in connection with the attacks.
“Proof is in the pictures. Who masterminded the bombings? I don’t know, you traitor jek,” Parina wrote in the post, using a racially derogatory term for Thais of Chinese ancestry. “I hope you and your entire lineage die painful deaths.”
Parina, 43, told Coconuts Bangkok this afternoon she’s not worried about the lawsuit.
“I don’t care. I’m not afraid at all. I’ll see [Pannika] in court,” she said in an interview, adding that she will file a counter-complaint Monday against Pannika for bad-mouthing her online.
She said Pannika is overreacting, and that her lawsuit will be rejected by the court as baseless.
“I didn’t mention any of their names or the name of their party. I don’t know why they’re all mad. … My followers know I’m talking about, but I didn’t accuse anyone by name. I was talking about those who hate our country,” she said.
Asked what the intention was behind the post, she said it was her duty to be active on social media and people shouldn’t take everything at face value.
“When [people] consume social media, they should do it for entertainment. Don’t believe everything you read,” she said.
Since the March 24 election was held, Parina has shown an eagerness to troll Future Forward members, with a particular enmity reserved for Pannika. Her beef with the progressive MP began back in June when she ignited a one-sided feud over Pannika’s choice of wardrobe and publicly called her “bitch.”
Since then Parina hasn’t relented – whether by digging up old college photos to alleging disrespect of the monarchy and sharing other suspect images.
Frustration with her behavior has led to the creation of an online petition nearly 72,000 people have signed to remove her from parliament. It alleges that she violated Section 270 of the constitution, a clause that enables MPs to be recalled if found guilty of malfeasance.
While Parina’s grenade-throwing habits draws considerable media interest, the Ratchaburi province representative seems more pariah than hero, at least on Facebook, where her posts consistently draw more “angry” reactions that likes.
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