Ex-Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva to face murder charge
Abhisit Vejjajiva becomes the first government minister to face court over bloodshed during 2010 red shirt rallies that left about 90 dead
Former Thai premier Abhisit Vejjajiva is to be charged with murder over the death of a civilian during the 2010 "red shirt" rallies, officials said yesterday, the first government figure to face court over the bloodshed.
Abhisit, who was prime minister during the mass anti-government rallies and oversaw a military crackdown on the protests, will be questioned next week and charged over the fatal shooting of a taxi driver by soldiers during the unrest.
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI), police and Thai prosecutors jointly decided to charge the former leader and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban under article 288, the section of the Thai criminal code that deals with murder, said DSI chief Tarit Pengdith.
"Their actions - repeatedly sending the armed forces against civilians - show an intention to endanger life," he said.
He said the group based their decision on further witness testimony as well as a court's decision in September that taxi driver Phan Kamkong was shot by troops - the first completed inquest into about 90 deaths during the country's worst political violence in decades. Abhisit and Suthep will be summoned by letter to hear the charges and to be questioned next Wednesday, Tarit said, adding that authorities would not seek court permission to detain the men, both now opposition lawmakers.
They will be given an opportunity to defend themselves before a decision is made whether to refer the case to the prosecutor, who would then be responsible for deciding if the case should go to court. Two months of rallies by the red shirts - mostly supporters of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra - brought parts of central Bangkok to a standstill, with 100,000 joining the protests at their height.
Street clashes between red shirt demonstrators and security forces left nearly 1,900 wounded and culminated in a bloody military crackdown in May 2010.
Until now, no government or military officials have faced charges over the deaths.
Abhisit has insisted the protest leaders should accept responsibility and said his government had no choice but to take tough action. "It was the job of the government of that day to restore order," he has said.
Red shirts have raised accusations of double standards over terrorism prosecutions against 24 of their leaders, including five current lawmakers, who could in theory face the death penalty in a case that is set to begin next Thursday. They pleaded not guilty in August 2010.
"The DSI is working at the behest of the government and the investigation is one-sided," said Chavanond Intarakomalyasut, a spokesman for Abhisit's Democrat party. "The DSI wants to put pressure on Suthep to admit responsibility for the 2010 deaths and we will fight back."
Elections last year brought Thaksin's red shirt-backed Puea Thai party to power with his sister Yingluck as prime minister.
