The fifth anniversary of the April 10, 2010, protest crackdown has turned bitter after the army forced relatives of red-shirt victims killed in the skirmishes to abandon all gatherings planned to mark the event.
Meanwhile, families of both red-shirt protesters and soldiers killed in the crackdown are still waiting for justice.
Banjerd Flungklinchan, father of Terdsak, a young man killed during the bloody military operation to disperse red-shirt protesters who were protesting against the Abhisit Vejjajiva administration five years ago, said nearly 100 soldiers, police and Interior Ministry officials came to his house on Thursday asking him not to organise religious rites for his son.
Terdsak was among 24 people who were killed during the clashes at Kok Wua intersection on Ratchadamnoen Klang Avenue. One Japanese journalist and five soldiers were also killed, and more than 800 injured.
After the army protested, the red-shirt group, the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), was forced to move the commemorations from Wat Phlap Phla Chai in Bangkok.
The UDD decided to downscale the event to a small religious ceremony and move it to Wat Kerdkarn Udom in Pathum Thani, but the army once again protested, and posted guards around the temple.
Mr Banjerd said he was upset that even though the religious rites would be low key and held without the presence of any UDD core leaders, the authorities were still opposed to them going ahead. The authorities also asked the temple not to allow the gathering.
"My wife and I have been making merit for our son every day anyway. This year we will do the same as we are unable to join others in remembering our loved ones in a public place," said Mr Banjerd, who lives in the Klong 3 area of Pathum Thani.
Sunanta Prechawet, sister of Tossachai Mek-ngamfah who died in front of Satriwittaya School not far from where Hiroyuki Muramoto, the ill-fated Reuters journalist, was killed in the clash, asked why the military is still bothering the red-shirt families.
"It's absurd that even merit-making and meeting friends who lost their loved ones are banned now," said the 63-year-old Sunanta.
The Criminal Court will hand down rulings on April 30 on inquests into the deaths of her brother together with that of Muramoto and Wasant Poothong, another victim of the clashes, after a prolonged trial.
"Right after Tossachai's death some people said the red-shirt protesters were terrorists. Society will know that Tossachai will not die free (meaning his death was not without value) after his calls for democracy," said Ms Sunanta.
Though she feels bitter about the way the military government is treating the red shirts, she still holds out hope of a general election for a new civilian government.
The court has previously concluded inquests into the deaths of 30 people related to military operations against red-shirt protesters.
Of them, the court ruled in 19 cases that their deaths caused by bullets fired from the military though the shooters could not be identified.
The rulings would be included in criminal suits to be lodged against those who are responsible for the deaths. Police are working on four more inquest suits including the death of Maj Gen Khattiya Sawatdiphol, the former UDD guard chief.
Meanwhile, religious rites for Gen Romklao Thuwatham, who was killed in a grenade attack by unidentified "men in black" during the violence on April 10, 2010, are taking place at Wat Bowon Niwet Vihara.
"It's just annual merit-making and the authorities should understand our intentions," said Nicha Hiranburana Thuwatham, widow of the former colonel, promoted to general after his death.
She said she could see some progress in the investigation into her husband's death. The past five years were mired by turbulent and volatile politics hindering progress in Gen Romklao's case.
"Of course, the recent arrest of a group of 'men in black' might not be linked directly to his death but further investigations should unveil more clues as to who was involved," said Ms Nicha, referring to the arrest by police of five men in September last year, allegedly the "men in black" who attacked security forces in the April 10 violence.
The Department of Special Investigation's (DSI) recent decision to assign more investigators to the cases might also help.
"It's perplexing that former DSI head Tarit Pengdith said months after the clashes that the DSI had found some evidence — but years later he said there was no evidence," she said.
Ms Nicha said that most of the progress had been made in cases of red-shirt casualties but in Gen Romklao's case, the pace had slowed.