Ex-Thai PM faces indictment over protest crackdown

BANGKOK, October 28, 2013 (AFP) - Thailand's attorney general has decided to prosecute former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ex-deputy on murder charges related to a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in 2010, officials said Monday.

About 90 people died and nearly 1,900 were wounded in a series of street clashes between mostly unarmed "Red Shirt" demonstrators and security forces firing live rounds in central Bangkok.

Abhisit, who is now the opposition leader, and his former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban ordered security forces to reclaim areas of the capital and allowed authorities to use arms, said Nanthasak Poonsuk, a spokesman for the attorney general's office.

"Evidence shows that their orders caused others to carry out murder and attempted murder as charged," Nanthasak told reporters.

The case will now be referred to a criminal court which will decide whether to put the pair on trial.

Oxford-educated Abhisit -- who was formally charged in December -- insists he is innocent and has described the accusations against him as politically motivated.

Thailand has been racked by political turmoil since a coup in 2006 ousted the Red Shirts' hero Thaksin Shinawatra.

In the 2010 protests, the Red Shirts were demanding immediate elections, saying Abhisit's government took office undemocratically in 2008 through a parliamentary vote after a court stripped Thaksin's allies of power.

Tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators occupied parts of central Bangkok for weeks before the army ended the standoff.

Polls in 2011 brought Thaksin's Red Shirt-backed Puea Thai party to power with his sister Yingluck Shinawatra now prime minister.

The murder case is expected to be referred to a court soon but Abhisit and Suthep enjoy immunity while parliament is in session because they are lawmakers, prosecutors said.

The attorney general's office denied there was any link between the decision to prosecute and a move by Thaksin's party to seek parliamentary approval for legislation granting an amnesty for politically related crimes.

The planned bill is strongly opposed by Abhisit's opposition, which fears it will open the door to Thaksin to return to Thailand.

"We're an independent organisation which is not attached to the prime minister or the prime minister's office. There's no political interference," said another spokesman for the attorney general's office, Watcharin Panurat.

Some observers doubt Abhisit will go to prison given his links to the Thai elite.

In December, the trial began of 24 Red Shirt leaders on terrorism charges related to their roles in the 2010 violence.

Proceedings against the top Red Shirts -- several of whom are lawmakers -- will likely drag on for years, with counsel on both sides calling several hundred witness.


-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-10-28

"We're an independent organisation which is not attached to the prime minister or the prime minister's office. There's no political interference," said another spokesman for the attorney general's office, Watcharin Panurat."

Riiiiiiiiiiight!

Well, if the precedent of bias has been set by Thaksin's ludicrous Ratchada case decision, I don't like their chances of a fair trial. What goes around comes around.

Translation of the article seems more like "So... You are fighting the amnesty bill, huh? heh, heh, heh..."

With this same logic Yingluck (not to mention Thaksin) should also be indicted for murder and attempted murder.

Ex-Thai PM faces indictment over protest crackdown

BANGKOK, October 28, 2013 (AFP) - Thailand's attorney general has decided to prosecute former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ex-deputy on murder charges related to a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in 2010, officials said Monday.

About 90 people died and nearly 1,900 were wounded in a series of street clashes between mostly unarmed "Red Shirt" demonstrators and security forces firing live rounds in central Bangkok.

Abhisit, who is now the opposition leader, and his former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban ordered security forces to reclaim areas of the capital and allowed authorities to use arms, said Nanthasak Poonsuk, a spokesman for the attorney general's office.

"Evidence shows that their orders caused others to carry out murder and attempted murder as charged," Nanthasak told reporters.

The case will now be referred to a criminal court which will decide whether to put the pair on trial.

Oxford-educated Abhisit -- who was formally charged in December -- insists he is innocent and has described the accusations against him as politically motivated.

Thailand has been racked by political turmoil since a coup in 2006 ousted the Red Shirts' hero Thaksin Shinawatra.

In the 2010 protests, the Red Shirts were demanding immediate elections, saying Abhisit's government took office undemocratically in 2008 through a parliamentary vote after a court stripped Thaksin's allies of power.

Tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators occupied parts of central Bangkok for weeks before the army ended the standoff.

Polls in 2011 brought Thaksin's Red Shirt-backed Puea Thai party to power with his sister Yingluck Shinawatra now prime minister.

The murder case is expected to be referred to a court soon but Abhisit and Suthep enjoy immunity while parliament is in session because they are lawmakers, prosecutors said.

The attorney general's office denied there was any link between the decision to prosecute and a move by Thaksin's party to seek parliamentary approval for legislation granting an amnesty for politically related crimes.

The planned bill is strongly opposed by Abhisit's opposition, which fears it will open the door to Thaksin to return to Thailand.

"We're an independent organisation which is not attached to the prime minister or the prime minister's office. There's no political interference," said another spokesman for the attorney general's office, Watcharin Panurat.

Some observers doubt Abhisit will go to prison given his links to the Thai elite.

In December, the trial began of 24 Red Shirt leaders on terrorism charges related to their roles in the 2010 violence.

Proceedings against the top Red Shirts -- several of whom are lawmakers -- will likely drag on for years, with counsel on both sides calling several hundred witness.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2013-10-28

'Some observers doubt Abhisit will go to prison due to his links to the Thai elite'.

Surely all the powerful elite in Thailand are linked to KT? The PM is his sister as well as being the DM in charge of the Armed Forces, the FM is his cousin and the Chief of Police appears to take his orders directly from him.

Abhisit's best hope is that prosecuting him would drag the prosecutors through all kinds of unpleasant stuff, most of which will stick and all in front of the world's media. And there's wouldn't be enough whitening cream in Thailand to clean up all those lost faces.

"causing others to commit murders with foreseeable results "

Are there also murders where the result is not foreseeable, i.e. the death of the person murdered? Sometimes the mind really boggles...

"We're an independent organisation which is not attached to the prime minister or the prime minister's office. There's no political interference," said another spokesman for the attorney general's office, Watcharin Panurat."

Riiiiiiiiiiight!

true they are not attached to the PM and no one asked about Thaksin

Isn't this the same office that cleared Thaksin of terrorism charges because Thaksin was not in Thailand when he and his Red army terrorized and burned down a dozen buildings?

Yes it's the Attorney Generals Office as a department but that decision was made by the former AG, you know, the AG that was appointed by abhisit?

It doesn't matter who was appointed by whom, all allegiances change with the change in power, and if it's 10 times a year, so be it.

All bow to the ever changing wind, better work on your lower back muscles, oh appointed ones...

You know who else was in the CRES and ordered the crack down?

Besides former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and former deputy prime minister Suthep Thaugsuban there was also one Tarrit, who happens to (still) be the boss of the DSI, the same DSI which now recommended indication of Abhisit and Suthep.

Why not Tarrit? The whole world wonders?

Good. Very good

"Attorney General Spokesman Nantasak Poonsuk said k. Abhisit / Suthep's offences were not determined as part of their official duties and, thus, it was unnecessary to submit it to the National Anti-Corruption Commission."

Now this needs some explanation. 'offences not part of official duties'? A PM ordering being illegal? Seems a terrible case of 'lost in translation'

...there is no legal basis...obviously....

...causing others to commit murder....???...nobody...nowhere..ever..gave an order.....'shoot to kill'....

...the police...or the soldiers....were simply doing their jobs......

...they were fired upon...and returned fire...they acted according to the situation...

...this is insane....while murder and corruption run rampant.....

...not to mention countless fugitives that have run from the law....

Off topic posts has been removed, this is not about Chuan Leekpai.

While we knew these trumped up BS charges were coming, it really makes me want to puke seeing the timing of the indictments. How convenient to come just as the amnesty bill is about to be debated. Gotta to love these PTP a..holes and their cronies!

I agree. Timing is everything. Me thinks... Oh...amnesty bill needs passing so,lets charge these guys and get bill passed or they go to prison.

Bloody low act

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Another sold out to Taksin. How low this government will go to destroy once beautiful Thailand

I'm beginning to wonder if it is even technically possible for honest men to govern any group of people larger than a little league team.

Finally. Unfortunately they will never get jail time.

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...there is no legal basis...obviously....

...causing others to commit murder....???...nobody...nowhere..ever..gave an order.....'shoot to kill'....

...the police...or the soldiers....were simply doing their jobs......

...they were fired upon...and returned fire...they acted according to the situation...

...this is insane....while murder and corruption run rampant.....

...not to mention countless fugitives that have run from the law....

Simply doing their, job a lot people were hanged at the end of the second world war,and that was their answer.

I don't think that the nurse in the temple was shooting at any one when she was shot and killed.

I find very strange that this report is about Abisit and Suthep yet Taksin is drawn into it,may be these pages should be painted yellow.

When ill-educated lackeys attempt to explain due legal process using the lexicon of the moo baan I can't help but feel that a water buffalo has taken over a brain surgery

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Finally. Unfortunately they will never get jail time.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

As they are innocent of these seedy, trumped up, PT self serving charges, I should hope so.

Simply doing their, job a lot people were hanged at the end of the second world war,and that was their answer.

I don't think that the nurse in the temple was shooting at any one when she was shot and killed.

I find very strange that this report is about Abisit and Suthep yet Taksin is drawn into it,may be these pages should be painted yellow.

Did Abhisit or Suthep order anyone to shoot the nurse?

Maybe it's the people who shot the nurse that should be charged.

My comment-Bleeding ridiculous, where on earth are these so called officials dragged from. A complete waste of Thai money and time, the more important things are to get these persons that have already been charged back here to face up to their crimes, and the rest of the corrupt bunch.

Save your games for your computers/mobiles. All this rubbish and you cannot shut the mouth of an ex PM who is openly running this country, and already charged with more crimes to be aired. AMAZING

Hear, hear... hop you're feeling a bit relieved after the retirade

Simply doing their, job a lot people were hanged at the end of the second world war,and that was their answer.

I don't think that the nurse in the temple was shooting at any one when she was shot and killed.

I find very strange that this report is about Abisit and Suthep yet Taksin is drawn into it,may be these pages should be painted yellow.

Did Abhisit or Suthep order anyone to shoot the nurse?

Maybe it's the people who shot the nurse that should be charged.

Dont be stupid no one can accept blame, it was the guns fault and the gun will say it was the bullets fault, then the man who made the bullet then the man who invented the gun, then ultimately its Gods fault for making people....................but "my fault".............no way!

Bunch of <deleted> the lot of them red yellow pink green blue.

In December, the trial began of 24 Red Shirt leaders on terrorism charges related to their roles in the 2010 violence.

Proceedings against the top Red Shirts -- several of whom are lawmakers -- will likely drag on for years, with counsel on both sides calling several hundred witness.

Years, indeed, as we still await adjudication for 9 Red Shirt leaders on rioting charges related to their roles in the 2007 violence.

At this pace, Abhisit can look forward to his case still waiting to be heard somewhere around 2020.

"BANGKOK, October 28, 2013 (AFP) - Thailand's attorney general has decided to prosecute former premier Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ex-deputy on murder charges related to a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in 2010, officials said Monday."

This should read "Thaksin told the AG to prosecute AV ...."

This is a key sentence in the second Nation article:

"About 90 people died and nearly 1,900 were wounded in a series of street clashes between mostly unarmed "Red Shirt" demonstrators and security forces firing live rounds in central Bangkok." [emphasis mine].

Remember, the Nation is not known for its Red Shirt sympathies...

Well, if the precedent of bias has been set by Thaksin's ludicrous Ratchada case decision, I don't like their chances of a fair trial. What goes around comes around.

What do you believe to be ludicrous about the criminal conviction of Dr. Thaksin ?

Any comment on the other outstanding criminal charges Dr, Thaksin faces should he return to Thailand prior to a whitewash amnesty?

W ell what more is there to say? All I can add is that upon reading this news I felt genuine shivers down my spine. This move is highly dangerous - I can't help thinking that Thaksin is getting ready for the final push.

This is a key sentence in the second Nation article:

"About 90 people died and nearly 1,900 were wounded in a series of street clashes between mostly unarmed "Red Shirt" demonstrators and security forces firing live rounds in central Bangkok." [emphasis mine].

Remember, the Nation is not known for its Red Shirt sympathies...

Nice try, but that article came from AFP and not the Nation. Another piece of attempted red misinformation goes down in flames. Rather appropriate given their fire raising penchant. Besides which, what does "mostly unarmed" mean? How many were armed then? And how can there have been a "clash" unless both sides are involved? One could just as easily write "The army dispersed the protestors, who for months had severely disrupted the livlihoods of thousands who work or own businesses in the Ratchaprasong area, clashing with several armed elements in the crowd. Armed elements who showed little regard for the safety of their fellow protestors. On the whole, though, the red shirt demonstrators were mostly unharmed and the vast majority returned home safely.