Abhisit and Suthep gear up defence | Bangkok Post: news

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Abhisit and Suthep gear up defence

BANGKOK - The additional lawsuits filed with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) by victims of the crackdown on the red-shirt protesters in 2010 were not unexpected, Democrat Party legal adviser and Songkhla MP Wirat Kanyasiri said on Friday.

Mr Wirat said former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ex-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban were just doing their duty at the time of the protests, with no intention to kill anyone. 

He said legal expert Bandit Siriphan will join the opposition Democrat Party's legal defence team.

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Your comments

  • Discussion 16 : 29 Dec 2012 at 16.3016

    Khun Majority #14, did then the democratically elected PM TS call it quit when people took to the streets by hundreds of thousand demanding him to either answer the question regarding the massive corruption allegations against him, or resign? Can't have it both ways, can he?

  • Discussion 15 : 29 Dec 2012 at 16.2215

    Khun Lek #13, I thought the then PM AV was in charge of running the whole country, including the Police. So, can we blame bad leadership on the part of PM AV for failing to secure full cooperation of the Police, while commending PM YS for her good leadership in securing full cooperation of the Police? Pitak Siam protesters may have inadvertently made PM YS looks competent, in maintaining law & order, and preventing unnecessary loss of lives.

  • Discussion 14 : 29 Dec 2012 at 15.1114

    "Mr Wirat said former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his ex-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban were just doing their duty at the time of the protests, with no intention to kill anyone. " Most people will question what their duty and agenda were, for the country, for the people, or for they and their gang to cling on to power? The answer is obvious.

    When hundreds of thousand people hit the street and called for an immediate general election, any democratically elected leaders, would have called it a quit and call a general election, instead of calling in the army for deadly crackdowns that would definitely lead to deaths and injuries.

  • lek

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    Discussion 13 : 29 Dec 2012 at 14.3913

    Disxc. 10.

    All very well, but unfortunately the police did not co-operate and therefore those measures were not able to be implemented. If anyone deserves to be charged with failing to maintain law and order in 2010 it should be those in charge of the Police.

  • Discussion 12 : 29 Dec 2012 at 12.4312

    Khun Ringmaster #11, if only a few Tak Bai protestors died while in the Military's custody, I would agree with you. The same with that muslim attorney who disappeared while in the police's custody. We can argue about what is the true number of extrajudicial killings under PM TS, but 72 is still unacceptable, while 2,500 is beyond comprehension. Under Thai Law, each and everyone of them deserved his or her day in our court of law.

    So, do you think AV & Suthep should be charged instead for failing to take proper action, the same action PM YS has recently taken against Pitak Siam protesters, in order, to prevent unnecessary loss of lives?

  • Discussion 11 : 29 Dec 2012 at 11.4311

    Spiceman D10 Thaksin's actions concerning Tak Bai would warrant an "accessory after the fact" charge. No charge for Sonchai Neelaphaijit's disappearance due to lack of evidence. That 2500 number for extrajudicial drug killings is trumped up to make Thaksin look evil. Records show that the number of people killed by police during that period was only 72. Nonetheless, if any of those killings were shown to be extrajudicial then yes - charge Thaksin.

  • Discussion 10 : 29 Dec 2012 at 04.0910

    Khun Ringmaster #9, at the very least, do you think TS was "complicit" in the deaths of 85 unarmed Tak Bai protestors, a disappearance of a muslim attorney, Somchai Neelaphaijit, and an estimated 2,500 extrajudicial killings of drugs suspects?

    In my opinion, AV & Suthep should have been sued for failing to maintain law & order, resulting in a number of deaths of innocent bystanders when M-79 grenades rained down on them. They should have taken the same proactive approach that PM YS took against Pitak Siam protesters, instead of waiting until loss of lives was inevitable.

  • Discussion 9 : 29 Dec 2012 at 02.169

    At the very least they were complicit in the killings. Accomplices. They certainly didn't try to stop the killings. It would be interesting if they claimed they had absolutely no control over the situation. The army called upon itself to intervene - they don't report to any PM or government - they never really have.

  • Discussion 8 : 28 Dec 2012 at 20.238

    Disc3 englishbob,as always you know it all.Your probably wright in one sense that they will walk as the court is on the Dems side but i hope they do get convicted because they simply where in power and they gave orders to go in with live ammo.That is totally out of order.And the use of M16s and pump action shot guns,snipers on roofs and the use of armered personal.You would of thought they where fighting a conventional army.

  • Discussion 7 : 28 Dec 2012 at 19.487

    "Thailand has been laughed from the world." They are not laughing now. The world is shaking its head in disbelief.

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