The Supreme Court has dismissed riot charges against all 32 defendants arising from their protest in Hat Yai against the Thai-Malaysian gas project 13 years ago, in a ruling delivered on Wednesday. The court in Songkhla spent two hours reading out the judgement, which upheld the acquittals handed down by the two lower courts. The demonstrators included villagers, researchers, community and religious leaders, and NGO activists. The Supreme Court ruled that the demonstration on Dec 20, 2002 was lawful as the protesters had no intention of instigating violence or of attacking police. The riot was due to an abrupt change of plan by riot police led by then-Pol Col Surachai Suebsuk and Pol Col Kamronwit Toopkrachang, who decided to confront and disperse the protesters, the court said.