Key leaders of the rival yellow-shirt and red-shirt camps agreed yesterday to drop all eight libel lawsuits between them, after a marathon meeting arranged by the Criminal Court.

The court had failed before to persuade both sides to settle the cases out of court.

Sondhi Limthongkul and the other leaders of the yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy were represented by their attorney Suwat Apaipak at the meeting.

Veera Musigapong, Nattawut Saikua and Kokaew Pikulthong, leaders of the red-shirt movement, were taken to the meeting at the courthouse on Ratchadaphisek Road from Bangkok Remand Prison, where they have been detained for questioning on terrorism charges in connection with the recent political unrest.

Only Nattawut was shackled while at the court.

Krirkrit Ittharat, the Criminal Court secretary who was part of the team that mediated the seven-hour discussion, described the out-of-court settlement as a “good sign” for the court battle between the opposing groups.

Both sides admitted they had made certain accusations against their rivals based on misunderstanding and misleading information, he said.

The court had failed before to persuade both sides to settle the cases out of court.

Sondhi and 10 other PAD leaders filed two libel lawsuits against Veera and six other red-shirt leaders, while Veera sued Sondhi on six libel claims.

The legal action stemmed from political disputes between the leaderships of the red shirts and yellow shirts.

News item courtesy of The Nation at www.nationmultimedia.com