Former Thai leaders may face impeachment over 2010 crackdown

[Lite Beer]

Former Thai leaders may face impeachment over 2010 crackdown

Bangkok, Thaïlande | AFP

BANGKOK: -- Two prominent pro-establishment Thai politicians should face impeachment for their role in a 2010 military crackdown that killed more than 90 anti-government protesters, the country's powerful graft watchdog said Tuesday.


The National Anti-Corruption Commission said former prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban should face "abuse of power" charges for overseeing the crackdown which also left hundreds injured.


If found guilty by the country's junta-stacked parliament, they could be banned from politics for five years.


Scores of "Red Shirt" demonstrators loyal to ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra were killed in April and May 2010 -- the culmination of months of street protests against Abhisit's administration and one of the bloodiest chapters in Thailand's recent turbulent history.

The kingdom has been battered by a decade-long political crisis that broadly pits Bangkok's middle class and royalist elites, backed by parts of the military, against rural and working-class voters loyal to Thaksin and his sister Yingluck, both of whom were ousted as prime minister.


Abhisit and Suthep belong firmly in the former category -- Suthep went on to become a key leader in last year's street protests that toppled Yingluck and led to the military's May takeover.


Both men have always denied wrongdoing over the 2010 crackdown, saying troops were forced to confront armed protesters.


But opponents, academics and human rights investigators say scores of unarmed Red Shirts and bystanders were cut down by soldiers' bullets, including medics and two foreign journalists.


Vicha Mahakhun, a spokesman and member of the anti-corruption commission, told reporters a fact-finding committee within the commission had decided "innocent people" were among those killed in the violence.


"It (the crackdown) was an abuse of power which can lead to impeachment," he said, adding that the committee had unanimously agreed to charge Abhisit and Suthep.


The charges are the first step in the impeachment process, and are not criminal accusations.


Last August a court dismissed murder charges against the two men over the 2010 crackdown.


Both Abhisit and Suthep will be given 15 days to respond to accusations that they mishandled the crackdown before the anti-graft body decides whether to fully indict them, Vicha added.


If it does approve an indictment, Thailand's junta-appointed rubber stamp parliament will then decide whether to impeach the pair after a hearing.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2015-02-24

[Lite Beer]

NACC resolves to push for Abhisit, Suthep's impeachment

BANGKOK: -- The National Anti-Corruption Commission has unanimously resolved to kick off the process of impeaching former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban for their alleged mishandling of the bloody breakup of a red-shirt rally in 2010.

The April-May crackdown on protesters left more than 90 people dead, mostly red-shirt members of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship, but also ordinary citizens.

Vicha Mahakhun, spokesman for the NACC, said Tuesday that Abhisit and Suthep did not review or adjust the tactics used by military personnel to disperse the demonstrators.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/NACC-resolves-to-push-for-Abhisit-Sutheps-impeachm-30254774.html

-- The Nation 2015-02-24

[tullynagardy]

All kids of dodgy deals are being cut behind the scene and this is clearly the result of one.

Seeing Suthep and Mark lifted would make me chuckle I must say

[TheDiva]

Cue reams of posts pointing out how balanced the NACC are in it's pursuit of corruption - oh that's not what this is about is it, I forgot their remit has been subject to mission creep as of late.

Not that I believe anything will come of this - probably due to a Judicial intervention.

[2fishin2]

This is Thai Military junta version of "reconciliation". Us in the west dont know what the thai version means. We don't understand thainess

[Robby nz]

Knew after reading the first paragraph that it was yet another bias piece from AFP.

[kkerry]

Yingluck, Suthep or Abhiset, regardless, this whole impeachment business is a colossal waste of time.

[Robby nz]

Actually its great and needs to be done for after someone took the charges against them to the wrong court either because they knew they could never get a conviction and wanted to show they were doing something or through ignorance of the law. there has not been a platform where all the speeches from the stages, the videos of the men in black (who never existed) and all the other evidence they can produce in their defense can be aired.

Now they have a chance to bring all of this out and show exactly what did go on and what they had to counter.

I am sure it will not suit the red mercenary leaders (yes that's what people who get paid to riot are) to have all their speeches come back to haunt them, nor Thaksin when all the recorded phone-ins are rebroadcast.

[Artisi]

Yes, bring it on and see the real truth of the red shirts and their coward leader pulling strings from a safe distance all in his own self interests at the expense of his followers.

[Plowman]

Suthep must be scratching his head,after all he did all the leg work to enable the coup to take place and now this.

Hahahahahahahahaha!

Too bad they won't actually follow through with this.

[thesetat2013]

Yingluck, Suthep or Abhiset, regardless, this whole impeachment business is a colossal waste of time.

Well! If they impeach everyone then there will be no one to run for the first election. Yeah! Mr. P for thinking ahead.

[jacky54]

'May' does not mean will, just makes it look like there is some sort of impartiality and justice, no chance.

[Stradavarius37]

Kill 'em all - let God sort 'em out...

[Stradavarius37]

Can hear all the gnashing of teeth of the TV red shirts - trying to think of what to say that this turn of events...

[rubl]

Can hear all the gnashing of teeth of the TV red shirts - trying to think of what to say that this turn of events...

Makes you wonder what the comments would have been if the NACC had declared to see no valid reasons to further investigate a possible case of "abuse of power" involving Abhisit/Suthep

PS will former PM Somchai lodge a defamation case against the NACC since they didn't deem him important enough for impeachment, but directly went to the Supreme Court with the "abuse of power' case ?

Edited February 24, 2015 by rubl

[NeverSure]

"If it does approve an indictment, Thailand's junta-appointed rubber stamp parliament will then decide whether to impeach the pair after a hearing."

This doesn't have anything to do with shirt color. The accused were "useful idiots" up until now.

This is about consolidating power. Get rid of anyone with power other than the junta.

[jdinasia]

Suthep must be scratching his head,after all he did all the leg work to enable the coup to take place and now this.

Hahahahahahahahaha!

Too bad they won't actually follow through with this.

Sutherland has retired from politics and won't be returning. A 5 year ban won't bother him.

This isn't a court case so I doubt videos of the redshirts will be shown.

[djhotsox]

Yingluck, Suthep or Abhiset, regardless, this whole impeachment business is a colossal waste of time.

Well! If they impeach everyone then there will be no one to run for the first election. Yeah! Mr. P for thinking ahead.

What election? (Maybe he has done just that....thought ahead?)

[surangw]

the key word in all these proclamations is "may" we rarely see the word "will"

[samii]

Yingluck, Suthep or Abhiset, regardless, this whole impeachment business is a colossal waste of time.

Well! If they impeach everyone then there will be no one to run for the first election. Yeah! Mr. P for thinking ahead.

Yes and make it even easier, he can say he does not allow any candidates that are running against him

[Gonsalviz]

How do you impeach someone that is not in office and hasn't been for years?

[Srikcir]

Actually its great and needs to be done for after someone took the charges against them to the wrong court either because they knew they could never get a conviction and wanted to show they were doing something or through ignorance of the law. there has not been a platform where all the speeches from the stages, the videos of the men in black (who never existed) and all the other evidence they can produce in their defense can be aired.

Now they have a chance to bring all of this out and show exactly what did go on and what they had to counter.

I am sure it will not suit the red mercenary leaders (yes that's what people who get paid to riot are) to have all their speeches come back to haunt them, nor Thaksin when all the recorded phone-ins are rebroadcast.

Wrong court?

DSI about six months before the NCPO coup charged both with MURDER and took the case to the Criminal Court for justice. Two months after the coup, the court decides it has no jurisdiction and the case goes to the NACC for indictment. But now the charge is political abuse of power.

Yingluck is criminally charged for paying double the market price for rice to rice farmers but murder is only worth a five-year ban from public office. Is this really the best justice the NCPO can devise?

Edited February 24, 2015 by Srikcir

[Basil B]

There is another former Prime Minster, who had a big hand in orchestrating the event, hope one day justice catches up with him.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Basil B

[casualbiker]

Actually its great and needs to be done for after someone took the charges against them to the wrong court either because they knew they could never get a conviction and wanted to show they were doing something or through ignorance of the law. there has not been a platform where all the speeches from the stages, the videos of the men in black (who never existed) and all the other evidence they can produce in their defense can be aired.

Now they have a chance to bring all of this out and show exactly what did go on and what they had to counter.

I am sure it will not suit the red mercenary leaders (yes that's what people who get paid to riot are) to have all their speeches come back to haunt them, nor Thaksin when all the recorded phone-ins are rebroadcast.

Wrong court?

DSI about six months before the NCPO coup charged both with MURDER and took the case to the Criminal Court for justice. Two months after the coup, the court decides it has no jurisdiction and the case goes to the NACC for indictment. But now the charge is political abuse of power.

Yingluck is criminally charged for paying double the market price for rice to rice farmers but murder is only worth a five-year ban from public office. Is this really the best justice the NCPO can devise?

How can a serving PM be charged with murder, when he didn't actually murder someone!

Dereliction of duty .. Negligence or some other similar term but murder was NEVER going to stick !

[casualbiker]

How do you impeach someone that is not in office and hasn't been for years?

Impeachment shows on the political records AND the recipient is banned for 5 years!

[jdinasia]

Actually its great and needs to be done for after someone took the charges against them to the wrong court either because they knew they could never get a conviction and wanted to show they were doing something or through ignorance of the law. there has not been a platform where all the speeches from the stages, the videos of the men in black (who never existed) and all the other evidence they can produce in their defense can be aired.

Now they have a chance to bring all of this out and show exactly what did go on and what they had to counter.

I am sure it will not suit the red mercenary leaders (yes that's what people who get paid to riot are) to have all their speeches come back to haunt them, nor Thaksin when all the recorded phone-ins are rebroadcast.

Wrong court?

DSI about six months before the NCPO coup charged both with MURDER and took the case to the Criminal Court for justice. Two months after the coup, the court decides it has no jurisdiction and the case goes to the NACC for indictment. But now the charge is political abuse of power.

Yingluck is criminally charged for paying double the market price for rice to rice farmers but murder is only worth a five-year ban from public office. Is this really the best justice the NCPO can devise?

Yes wrong court.

DSI didn't send the case to the court for political office holders. Private citizens cannot issue commands to the military.

[jayboy]

Can hear all the gnashing of teeth of the TV red shirts - trying to think of what to say that this turn of events...

Makes you wonder what the comments would have been if the NACC had declared to see no valid reasons to further investigate a possible case of "abuse of power" involving Abhisit/Suthep

PS will former PM Somchai lodge a defamation case against the NACC since they didn't deem him important enough for impeachment, but directly went to the Supreme Court with the "abuse of power' case ?

As you may know my view is that both Abhisit and Suthep have serious questions to answer about this period.Nevertheless it is also my strongly held view that this matter has nothing repeat nothing to do with the NACC.They should mind their own damned business and concentrate on eradicating corruption, their only purpose for existence.

It doesn't take a genius to work out this latest piece of tomfoolery is more evidence of out of control right wing crazies.

[Xircal]

Yingluck, Suthep or Abhiset, regardless, this whole impeachment business is a colossal waste of time.

Not really. It seems to me to be a means of eliminating any threat regardless of whether it's red, yellow or skybluepink which could threaten the PM either now or at sometime in the future.

Like it or not, this guy is not going to go pack his bags come 2016. The Thai ship is gradually sailing into the muddy waters of authoritarianism with your favorite PM at the helm.

[kkerry]

Yingluck, Suthep or Abhiset, regardless, this whole impeachment business is a colossal waste of time.

Not really. It seems to me to be a means of eliminating any threat regardless of whether it's red, yellow or skybluepink which could threaten the PM either now or at sometime in the future.

Like it or not, this guy is not going to go pack his bags come 2016. The Thai ship is gradually sailing into the muddy waters of authoritarianism with your favorite PM at the helm.

If they're all found guilty and impeached, then they can't contest an election for five years... and the odds of a national election within five years... not looking good at the moment...

but if there is one then watch and see how anyone impeached will find a way to have their impeachment backdated, so Suthep and Abhisit could run again in... hmmm...let me see... 2010 +5 years...2015...

like I said, all a big waste of time, surely there are better things they could be investigating.

[heybruce]

"Impeachment" is the term used to for the legal process to remove someone from office. Impeaching anyone out of office, be they Yingluck, Abhisit, or Suthep, is BS.

If these people committed criminal offenses then try them in court. If the courts can't dispense justice in a timely and even-handed manner then reform the courts.

At least that's how it's supposed to work. I don't think anyone expects things to work that way here.