BANGKOK — Former PM Abhisit Vejjajeeva visited the Attorney General office to acknowledge the criminal charges brought against him for authorizing the 2010 military operation on Redshirt protesters that caused more more than 90 fatalities.
The Division of Special Investigation (DSI) charged Mr. Abhisit and his deputy at the time, Mr. Suthep Thaugsuban, on the ground of conspiring to cause other individuals to commit murders.
Mr. Abhisit and Mr. Suthep chaired the Center for Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES) in April-May 2010 which oversaw the crackdown of the Redshirts protesters who occupied parts of Bangkok to call for fresh election. CRES authorized use of live ammunition in many of these operations, which concluded on 19 May 2010.
The duo were also charged specifically on the cases of 2 individuals – one of them is a 13 year old boy – whom the court said were shot to death by the soldiers at Ratchapralop Road in May 2010. The DSI argued Mr. Abhisit and Mr. Suthep should be held responsible for their deaths as the soldiers were operating under orders of CRES.
Speaking to reporters at the Attorney General office, which situated in the compound of Ratchapisek Criminal Court compound, Mr. Suthep said he and Mr. Abhisit are ready to fight the legal procedure. He claimed that DSI has no legitimacy to pursue their charges, and added that he already filed challenge legal against the DSI.
Mr. Suthep complained that the charges are unfair, voicing his fear that any death or injury in the April-May 2010 violence would be attributed to the doing of him and Mr. Abhisit. Nonetheless, he said he has faith in Thai justice system and he is willing to face the legal procedure in order to prove his innocence.
"We won?t flee the country and instigate any chaotic protest to help us," Mr. Suthep said. He defended his role in CRES, insisting that he was merely following the laws to save the people from "terrorism" and arson attacks on the capital city – the terms he and his Democrat Party often adopt to describe the 2010 Redshirts protests.
Mr. Abhisit said he is not worried by the charges against him as he is confident in "truth" and the laws. He disputed both the accusation that he deliberately caused the deaths in the crackdown and the DSI′s evidences.
He repeated Mr. Suthep′s assertion that the DSI has no business in the cases against him, stating that the investigation should instead be conducted by the Office of National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC).
