Some of the 16 lao dissidents arrive at the Criminal Court yesterday. The court declined Vientiane's request to extradite them. - Apichart Jinakul

The Criminal Court has declined to extradite 16 Lao dissidents wanted in Vientiane for a bloody raid at a checkpoint on the Thai border three years ago.

The court, in its decision yesterday, doubted the testimony of prosecution witnesses, which gave their account to Lao authorities a year after the attack took place. Vientiane did not provide a sound reason for the late testimony.

Witnesses for the protesters including police from Sirindhorn district said 30-40 raiders at Vang Tao checkpoint in Laos' Champasak province, opposite Ubon Ratchathani, were fleeing capture by Lao authorities early on July 3, 2000.

Local police said most were clad in uniforms with red scarves and did not behave like robbers as charged by Vientiane.

One of them even took time to change the Lao national flag to a three-headed elephant flag of the Lao Liberation Group, the witnesses said.

The court said it would release the 16 men in 48 hours if no appeal was made.

Of more than 30 checkpoint raiders, six were shot dead on the spot by Lao troops while 28, 11 of them Thai nationals, were arrested in Thailand for illegal entry and possession of firearms. A Thai and a Laotian died of ill-health during the trial.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has yet to receive approval from the Foreign Ministry to interview the defendants, who have requested asylum in third countries since last year.

Suang Saengsura, one of the raiders, said he was glad to be freed and looking forward to going to a third country for asylum.