UDD anger at slow probe of 2010 deaths

Army shot red shirts but still no charges

The United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) yesterday called on the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) to speed up its investigation into the deaths of red-shirt protesters during the 2010 crackdown on political demonstrations.

Chokchai Angkaew, a UDD lawyer, said the group wanted to know how the investigation was developing after the Supreme Court rejected the OAG’s lawsuit against former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ex-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban.

The OAG decided to indict the pair, who oversaw the 2010 crackdown against red-shirt protesters which left at least 91 dead and scores of injured, based on an investigation by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI).

However, the Supreme Court rejected the case in August last year and noted the matter must go to the Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions via an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) instead of the Criminal Court.

Mr Chokchai said there were other people involved in the crackdown including government officials who supervised and carried out operations to disperse the demonstrators.

The lawyer cited the Criminal Court, which launched an inquest into the deaths of civilians who were killed during the April-May 2010 political violence, to demand legal action against those responsible.

Based on the court’s findings, which include post-mortems, some protesters were shot dead by soldiers acting on the orders of the now-defunct Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situations (CRES) which was set up to handle the UDD protests.

In August 2013, the Bangkok South Criminal Court ruled that soldiers killed six civilians in Wat Pathum Wanaram during the crackdown.

Later, in October 2013, the court ruled that two UDD protesters killed during the military crackdown in April 2010 were shot by bullets from where the soldiers were positioned.

But the court did not rule on who shot the protesters.

The red shirts were Charoon Chaimaen, 46, and Sayam Watanukul, 52.

Mr Chokchai said he heard that the DSI, which was responsible for the investigation, had wrapped up some cases and forwarded them for prosecution, but he was not aware of the details.

He said the families of the dead wanted answers and were worried by the slow progress.

According to Mr Chokchai, the UDD has yet to be informed of the NACC’s action following the Supreme Court’s rejection of the case.

The NACC conducted a probe into Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep for alleged malfeasance regarding the deadly crackdown but voted unanimously in December 2015 to clear them of the charge.

Kosolwat Inthuchanyong, the OAG’s deputy spokesman, said yesterday he would refer the matter to the Attorney-General and see if any cases had been forwarded to the prosecution.

He said if the DSI forwarded the cases to the OAG, they would be handled by the Special Litigation Department.

Meanwhile, political activists with affiliations to the now-defunct yellowshirt People’s Alliance for Democracy yesterday lodged a petition with the Constitutional Court asking it to rule if their protests were constitutional and if its ruling would apply to other state agencies.

The move came after the police continued pursuing charges against protest leaders despite the court previously ruling that the demonstrations, carried out by Pitak Siam Group and the former People’s Democratic Reform Committee, were in line with the charter.