Abhisit, Suthep face murder charges

[webfact]

Abhisit, Suthep face murder charges
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation, public prosecutors and police agreed yesterday to file murder charges against former PM Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ex-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban in relation to crackdowns on red-shirt protesters in 2010.

DSI director-general Tarit Pengdit said Abhisit and Suthep would be charged in connection with the deaths of Phan Khamkong and Kunakorn Srisuwan, as well as with severe injuries sustained by Samorn Maithong.

Tarit said the DSI investigators, prosecutors and police agreed that the probe related to the victims had been completed and that the cases could now be submitted to court.

Since inquests by the Criminal Court had found that Phan and Kunakorn were killed by troops, and Samorn had been injured by troops, Abhisit and Suthep would be charged with collaborating in ordering troops to kill and injure members of the public "with foreseeable outcomes of their orders", Tarit said.

Suthep and Abhisit will be summoned to meet DSI investigators on June 26, so that they can be handed over to public prosecutors for arraignment.

The troops involved will not be charged, as they were carrying out orders, he added.


-- The Nation 2013-06-15

[NongKhaiKid]

The government is going to have to set aside a dedicated court with a completely clear diary to hear all of this and a tame judge would help.

I'd love Wikileaks to get a hold of some of the diplomatic cables that embassies are sending home about this in particular and the Thai government in general. I doubt they will be very complimentary.

[bigbamboo]

The government is going to have to set aside a dedicated court with a completely clear diary to hear all of this and a tame judge would help.

I'd love Wikileaks to get a hold of some of the diplomatic cables that embassies are sending home about this in particular and the Thai government in general. I doubt they will be very complimentary.

A tame judge? I wonder if Skippy is available.

[Thai at Heart]

So they are actually charged with

Collaborating with troops in ordering troops to kill the public

I didn't know notthenation was syndicated to thaivisa.

Where did they get that law from? Do they realise that any member of a family of someone killed by the troops down south can now accuse yingluck?

[bigbamboo]

So they are actually charged with

Collaborating with troops in ordering troops to kill the public

I didn't know notthenation was syndicated to thaivisa.

Where did they get that law from? Do they realise that any member of a family of someone killed by the troops down south can now accuse yingluck?

She's not a Democrat.

[Bellweather]

If and it's possibly a big IF justice is served these cases will be thrown out but not until more dirt is dished and a lot of public money spent and all for revenge not justice.

Depending on when all of this comes to pass and depending on the political situation will the calm, very reasonable and fair minded reds accept the court's decisions or will they react as we might expect especially if whipped up to do do ?

[Thai at Heart]

So they are actually charged with

Collaborating with troops in ordering troops to kill the public

I didn't know notthenation was syndicated to thaivisa.

Where did they get that law from? Do they realise that any member of a family of someone killed by the troops down south can now accuse yingluck?

She's not a Democrat.

But down south they are, and she won't be pm forever. What type of a law is this? I cannot believe that this law is on the books like this.

Has anyone ever fallen foul of such a tightly written law before?

[worgeordie]

I thought the judges said it was LIKELY that these men were killed by soldiers,not that

they were.

regards Worgeordie

[Sing_Sling]

Good, and so they should.

Next I'd like to see Thaksin being charged with more of the crimes he committed/oversaw/ordered.

It is about time the powers that be got their comeuppance, irrespective of their political or social position

[GentlemanJim]

Well even if Abhisit gets a lawyer from the University of silly backward Lawyers i cannot see how it is possible for the charges to stick unless the court trial is Cambodian style.

I think this is yet another desperate step to far , the question remains how many more steps can the Government take.

I hope Tarit is being paid well because when this Government are kicked out he will have to run.

[chainarong]

One wonders when DSI is going to charge Thaksin Shinawatra for the deaths and disappearances of people in the so called war on drugs episode, which happened on he's watch, when the leader of a country is charged with murder and the people concerned are burning , looting and out of control public disobedience and he has requested the security force commanders to bring it under control, one wonders what junta is running the country, because there's no democracy in this decision making, Thailand has along way to go and to call the country a Democracy is a joke.

[whybother]

Good, and so they should. 

 

Next I'd like to see Thaksin being charged with more of the crimes he committed/oversaw/ordered.

 

It is about time the powers that be got their comeuppance, irrespective of their political or social position

Yes... Protesters should be free to shoot at authorities and throw grenades at them without fear of being shot.

Sent from my HTC Desire HD A9191 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[GentlemanJim]

One wonders when DSI is going to charge Thaksin Shinawatra for the deaths and disappearances of people in the so called war on drugs episode, which happened on he's watch, when the leader of a country is charged with murder and the people concerned are burning , looting and out of control public disobedience and he has requested the security force commanders to bring it under control, one wonders what junta is running the country, because there's no democracy in this decision making, Thailand has along way to go and to call the country a Democracy is a joke.

There is an important and appropriate word in your post .......Junta!

[bigbamboo]

So they are actually charged with

Collaborating with troops in ordering troops to kill the public

I didn't know notthenation was syndicated to thaivisa.

Where did they get that law from? Do they realise that any member of a family of someone killed by the troops down south can now accuse yingluck?

She's not a Democrat.

But down south they are, and she won't be pm forever. What type of a law is this? I cannot believe that this law is on the books like this.

Has anyone ever fallen foul of such a tightly written law before?

Being accused is one thing, being charged is quite another.

[Thai at Heart]

So they are actually charged with

Collaborating with troops in ordering troops to kill the public

I didn't know notthenation was syndicated to thaivisa.

Where did they get that law from? Do they realise that any member of a family of someone killed by the troops down south can now accuse yingluck?

She's not a Democrat.

But down south they are, and she won't be pm forever. What type of a law is this? I cannot believe that this law is on the books like this.

Has anyone ever fallen foul of such a tightly written law before?

Being accused is one thing, being charged is quite another.

Well if there is a law against conspiring with the army to do what's and what, they are on a bit of poop.

As I said though, I find it hard to believe that that this offence even exists.

[virtualtraveller]

The first charges should go to trial so the court can utterly embarrass the DSI for connecting the dots so vaguely, and while they are about indict the entire CRES, which of course includes Tarit. All sorts of realistic but derogatory adjectives come to mind for this chap, though moderators here would baulk at allowing them published.

[rogerdee123]

The government is going to have to set aside a dedicated court with a completely clear diary to hear all of this and a tame judge would help.

I'd love Wikileaks to get a hold of some of the diplomatic cables that embassies are sending home about this in particular and the Thai government in general. I doubt they will be very complimentary.

Lighting the fuse .... Instability coming ... maybe another coup? ....... Watch the credit ratings fall .... etc

[kimamey]

Good, and so they should.

Next I'd like to see Thaksin being charged with more of the crimes he committed/oversaw/ordered.

It is about time the powers that be got their comeuppance, irrespective of their political or social position

I agree with you but in the case of Abhisit and Suthep I would think a lot depends on whether the troops involved were actually following orders. I don't know the details of these cases but there was a thread regarding the death of the Italian photographer and from the details of the Rules of Engagement that I saw it was clear that those had not been followed so the charge of murder based on those orders would not be valid.

It will be interesting to see the details in these cases.

[affen02]

I cant see this desicion as a laughing matter. What i think is real is that the the public riots in 2010 could have been solved with a totally different metod, like water cannons, massive tear gas and so on. No need to go in with blazing guns and snipers. If we look at the arab spring, the top guys who tried to resolve the uprising the same way now find them self in the dock, some have even been given life sentence.

[GentlemanJim]

I cant see this desicion as a laughing matter. What i think is real is that the the public riots in 2010 could have been solved with a totally different metod, like water cannons, massive tear gas and so on. No need to go in with blazing guns and snipers. If we look at the arab spring, the top guys who tried to resolve the uprising the same way now find them self in the dock, some have even been given life sentence.

What, like the tear gas that the police used on the yellows that blew the legs of at least 4 people and killed 2 (note that was the police clearing the yellows the ones that wouldnt clear the reds.

[Tatsujin]

I've said it before, as far as I am concerned, the SoE that was in operation at the time is their very simple get out of jail free card.

[Thai at Heart]

I've said it before, as far as I am concerned, the SoE that was in operation at the time is their very simple get out of jail free card.

Of course it was. The army wasn't going to hang themselves without getting the legal plan in place.

But trying to get abhisit is stupid. Using a law like this criminalises any politician for ordering the army to intervene in Thailand against Thais.

What is the legal difference between this and the army acting in the south?

[GentlemanJim]

"What is the legal difference between this and the army acting in the south?"

Abhisit was involved!

Edited June 15, 2013 by GentlemanJim

[ramrod711]

This is just a ploy, a way to pressure democrats to agree to reconciliation so that Thaksin can come back. If Abhisit and Suthep were to be convicted then Thaksin would be next, even if it is 10 years before a different government was elected. People would not forget and pheu Thai know it.

[AleG]

I cant see this desicion as a laughing matter. What i think is real is that the the public riots in 2010 could have been solved with a totally different metod, like water cannons, massive tear gas and so on. No need to go in with blazing guns and snipers. If we look at the arab spring, the top guys who tried to resolve the uprising the same way now find them self in the dock, some have even been given life sentence.

Those methods were tried, the peaceful Red Shirts literally dismantled a water canon truck in front of Lumphini park.

Besides that, you can't go in with tear gas against grenades.

[NongKhaiKid]

So they are actually charged with

Collaborating with troops in ordering troops to kill the public

I didn't know notthenation was syndicated to thaivisa.

Where did they get that law from? Do they realise that any member of a family of someone killed by the troops down south can now accuse yingluck?

Thailand's criminal law, like many others, is completely codified so inventing a charge isn't on and should be rejected by a court as being " Ultra Vires " ( in excess of powers ) BUT This Is Thailand !

I can imagine the government thinking that since they control the country they can do what they like and what's wrong with playing around with the law in a good cause especially when that cause is sticking the boot in political enemies ?

[butsarakam]

The DSI should charge those who suppressed and kill the yellow shirt during their protest against the somchai government for murder to show their impartiality

[animatic]

And the witch hunt continues.

[NongKhaiKid]

I wonder how many TV contributors, especially the more " mature " of us will live long enough to see an end to this ?

I'm sure long before trial there will be various court appearances to discuss points of law, admissibility of witnesses and evidence and all the other aspects of the legal two step. In any case the Thai legal process can be torturously slow as it is.

Even if a verdict is actually reached, irrespective of what it may be, the appeal process will start and off we go again and by that time most of the country will have forgotten what it's all about.

[GeorgeO]

I thought the judges said it was LIKELY that these men were killed by soldiers,not that

they were.

regards Worgeordie

Correct. The conclusion was that the victims were killed by high-powered rifles, the same type used by the Army, although there is no tangible evidence that the weapons were fired by troops. We are, however, all aware that large caches of these weapons and ammo were removed from a military base prior to the riots, so the evidence is, at best, circumstantial.

The case will have be thrown out. If I am proven wrong, and it isn't, then the justice system in Thailand becomes an even greater mockery on the world stage than it already is, and many individuals, and companies, will find themselves needing to reconsider their presence here.

What I find remarkable is that those clowns such as Jatuporn, Arisman and Nattawut have not been convicted of terrorism, inciting riot, inciting arson and other grievous charges, all based upon video evidence, whilst they continue to chase Abhisit and Suthep with such trumped up nonsense...!!?