A Thai court yesterday dismissed murder charges against former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ex-deputy over a bloody 2010 protest crackdown, months after a military coup tipped the balance of power in the politically divided nation.
Relatives of the victims criticized the surprise decision to drop the case as politically motivated. The charges were brought to court under a previous government led by Abhisit’s rivals, who have since been ousted from office in a military coup.
Scores of protesters died under Abhisit’s establishment-backed leadership in street clashes between mostly unarmed Red Shirt supporters of fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and security forces firing live rounds in Bangkok.
A criminal court in the capital, which previously agreed to hear the charges, ruled that it did not have jurisdiction in the case against Abhisit and his then-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban because they were holders of public office at the time and acting under an emergency decree.
It said the only court with the authority to consider the allegations was the Thai Supreme Court’s Criminal Division for Holders of Political Positions.
The ruling comes three months after the military seized power from Abhisit’s political opponents in a bloodless coup.
Royal Thai Army Commander-in-Chief General General Prayuth Chan-ocha, the leader of the coup, who was last week picked as prime minister by a junta-appointed legislature, is often described as the architect of the 2010 crackdown.
“It’s 100 percent about politics — soldiers are among those accused,” said Phayaw Akkahad, the mother of a nurse who was shot dead in the grounds of a Buddhist temple while treating injured during the crackdown.
“My daughter was murdered. A woman like me will not give up,” she added.
In August last year, a court inquest found that soldiers had used “high-velocity machine gun” fire to target victims including Phayaw’s daughter.
No member of the armed forces has been prosecuted in connection with the deaths.
Critics accuse Thailand’s courts of being politically influenced, particularly in favor of the Bangkok-based elite.
Prosecutors had accused Abhisit and Suthep of issuing orders that resulted in murder and attempted murder by the security forces.
Both suspects denied the charges.
Chokchai Angkaew, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, who include relatives of the victims, said they planned to appeal against the dismissal, adding: “It’s not over.”
The country’s National Anti-Corruption Commission is now expected to consider whether the pair abused their power with the crackdown.
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