Justice: Thailand’s establishment court going after its own “Murdering Sons” (R. Amsterdam Up-Dated)

/ December 8, 2012

dark_sadness_by_LonelyPierot

By Ranger, Thai Intel’s political journalist

Thailand‘s establishment control court is going after its own “Murdering Sons.”

Of all of Thailand’s local press, the only two that have been following the legal cases evolving around the death of the Red Shirts protesters in the Abhisit crackdown cases closely, is the for progressive intellect, Matichon and for the grassroots, Khao Sod.

Now Matichon reported that some journalists with Thai press have called up the head of the Thai DSI or FBI, Tarit, who has been putting together the crack-down cases for the courts to consider, and “Screamed” at Tarit, in anger. That screaming, follows widely reported globally, of the murder charge on Abhisit. Aditionally, the picture of Abhisit having his finger being printed for the case has leaked, with Abhisit saying it is Tarit’s doing.

  • Bad to Worse for Abhisit:

A few months back, at about the same time, both Matichon and Khao Sod newspapers said the situation went from bad to worse for Abhisit.

Both pointed out when the Thai courts, again well known here in Thailand as serving the establishment, for example, to the extent of not granting bail request to arrested Red Shirts relating to their protest and harsh treatment of lese majeste cases-found that the state was guilty, in the death of a Red Shirts protesters.

But the court did not stop there-but told the prosecutor to bring to justice, those state officials responsible for the Red Shirts death.

  • Court says Find Culprit:

From there, there was no doubt, that the Abhisit cabinet created, emergency unit under the invocation of the emergency decree, CRES, was in hot water, as the court, clearly have pointed to the Thai DSI or the so-called Thai FBI, to go to the source of the murder of the Red Shirts protesters.

From this point forward, the head of the Thai FBI, who also set at CRES, paused for a few months, and finally, the latest is that the Thai FBI said it was going to charge Abhisit and his security chief, Suthep, with murder.

The difference between Abhisit and Suthep, is that Suthep is the head of CRES and Abhisit only signed for the creation of a few CRES units.

The Abhisit cabinet establishing CRES, Abhisit own activities in establishing of those few CRES units, Suthep as head of CRES, Abhisit not stopping the crack-down as the number of death rose, and the Thai FBI head own experience at CRES, are basically, the facts, that the Thai FBI head is using to levy murder charge on Abhisit and Suthep.

  • Protecting Abhisit:

Therefore, one of the first statement Suthep made, when heard of the Thai FBI murder charge on Abhisit and himself, was to say that he is the head of CRES and that Abhisit was not involved-clearly, attempting to shield Abhisit from all responsibilities.

  • Abhisit’s Defense:

Concerning all the rest, that the newspapers are reporting on, about the case being part of a pressure tactic to get Abhisit to play ball, on a reconciliation deal to bring Thaksin back to Thailand, all of that is off course, for public relations consumption and to weaken the prosecutor case-and carries little “Correlation” to the progress of the case, which the fundamental is: “The case progressed according to establishment’s own court ruling and order to the Thai FBI.”

  • Why After Abhisit?

As to why have the well-known Thai court being part of the establishment, have ruled in such a manner, putting its own sons, Abhisit and Suthep at risk?

Perhaps, the countless testimony, by credible witnesses, that says the Red Shirts who were killed, as related to the cases so far, were not armed, threatening the security of Thailand and were just simply protesting-when they were killed. With such a long list of witnesses along that line, including respected foreign journalist, there is little choice but to find the state guilty of murder.

The only other choice for the court, is to say all activity taken by CRES are legal according to the emergency decree invocation-which would have meant a “Blanket Shield” for the state. That Blanket Shield, would have caused an outraged, not only in Thailand, but globally.

Therefore, once the state have been found guilty by the court, arguably, there is little choice but for the court to instruct the Thai FBI, to find the culprit behind the state action.

The following is a letter from Robert Amsterdam;

to the Wall Street Journal:

Your newspaper’s recent article gives ample space to the allegation that the charges of premeditated murder filed against Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsubhan are somehow “politically motivated” (“Former Thai Prime Minister May Face Murder Charges,” World News, December 7). The article, however, fails to point out that the charges are supported by a large body of evidence already in the public record.

In 2010, Messrs. Abhisit and Suthep presided over a military crackdown that resulted in the deadliest in a long series of massacres of pro-democracy demonstrators. The operation turned parts of Bangkok into “live fire zones” where scores of unarmed demonstrators were gunned down by the authorities.

There exists substantial evidence that such acts of murder resulted from a government policy approved by Messrs. Abhisit and Suthep. Leaked government documents, for instance, show that the rules of engagement issued in advance of the crackdown authorized soldiers to fire live ammunition at protesters to “protect property.” On that basis, anyone (armed or unarmed) seen burning tires, hurling stones or engaging in any kind of property destruction was a target for live ammunition. These regulations amounted to a license to kill, as Reporters Without Borders put it.

As such, these regulations also stood in clear violation of international standards. The United Nations’ “Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials” authorizes the use of live ammunition against protesters only “when strictly unavoidable to protect life.” In November, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) discussed with the Thai government the possibility that the ICC would be granted jurisdiction to open a preliminary examination of whether crimes against humanity were committed in 2010—as alleged in numerous filings submitted by my firm to the ICC.

The filing of murder charges against Messrs. Abhisit and Suthep is a milestone in Thailand’s long fight to end official impunity surrounding the killing of civilians. Messrs. Abhisit and Suthep deserve a fair trial. That, however, should not prevent media organizations from examining the merits of the case, something your recent article failed to do.

 

Related articles

Related posts