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Acceptance of amnesty & reconciliation law said to be goal of hitting Abhisit with murder case.

Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and other members of his political party during this year's censure debate in parliament.

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Breakingnews

Abhisit opts to stand trial in court

7/12/2012
Online Reporters

Democrat Party leader and former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Friday that he will report to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to acknowledge the charges on Dec 13 and was ready to prove his innocence in court.

He said this after accepting the department’s letter calling him to acknowledge the charges of authorising the killing of anti-government protesters by soldiers during the April-May 2010 violence in Bangkok...

...The court ruled on Sept 17 that the taxi driver, 44-year-old Phan Khamkong from Yasothon province, was shot dead by security forces near the Ratchaprarop Airport Link station on the night of May 14, 2010.

Mr Abhisit insisted that he was performing his duty as prime minister in maintaining peace and order during the anti-government protests in 2010 and had acted in line with the law.

Moreover, the court had ruled that the anti-government rallies by the red-shirts were in violation of the constitution, he added.

After the operations to get back occupied areas from protesters, his government had opened itself to all forms of monitoring, an independent inquiry was set up to find out the facts, Mr Abhisit said. He was ready to enter the justice system to prove his innocence, he said.

The opposition leader in the House said the pressing of charges against him and Mr Suthep was a political action intended to force him and his party to support the government's proposed reconciliation law to whitewash a corrupt person.

He insisted that there would be no negotiations for his own benefit, even though under the charges he could be sentenced to death. He had confidence in the country’s justice system, adding that no one is above the law.

Mr Suthep, former deputy prime minister for security affairs, said he would also go to meet DSI investigators to acknowledge the charges, as requested.

Democrat list MP and former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij said on his Facebook page that the charges being pressed against Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep had a hidden political agenda, aiming to force the Democrats to support a plan to issue an amnesty law.

... He accused fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of trying to use state power to pressure Mr Abhisit, Mr Suthep and the Democrat Party to back a plan to issue an amnesty law for himself and his political alliances.

Thaksin had previously tried to negotiate with both Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep on the issue, but failed, Mr Korn added.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Breakingnews, Abhisit opts to stand trial in court, 7/12/2012, Online Reporters, link) 


Thai Politics and the Law Vocabulary

court - a place where trials take place and legal decisions are made by judges ศาล, ศาลยุติธรรม
the court ruled  that ... - the court made a decision in a legal case ...

trial - the process of examining a case in a court of law and deciding whether someone has or has not committed a crime; whether someone is guilty (having committed a crime) or innocent (not having committed a crime) การไต่สวนคดี การพิจารณาคดี

trial - the process of examining a legal case in a court of law to determine whether someone did a crime (guilty of crime) การพิจารณาคดีในศาล
stand trial - have your legal case evaluated by a judge or judges who will make a legal decision in your case
stand trial in court

opts to - chooses to do
Abhisit opts to stand trial in court

former - the person who was in this position before the current person ก่อน, ก่อนหน้านี้
former prime minister

acknowledge - accept something; to let someone know you have received something or the you understand what it is รับทราบ รับรู็
charges - bring a criminal case against a person
acknowledge the charges

prove - to show evidence that shows that something is true พิสูจน์
innocence - the condition of not having done anything wrong or illegal (when you did not do a crime, not guilty of the crime) ความบริสุทธิ์

prove innocence
prove his innocence in court

Democrat Party leader and former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Friday that he will report to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to acknowledge the charges on Dec 13 and was ready to prove his innocence in court.

authorising - letting someone do something; giving permission to do something; saying that someone can do something
authorising the killing of anti-government protesters by soldiers

violence - physical force with the deliberate intention of causing damage to property or injury or death to people ความรุนแรง
the April-May 2010 violence in Bangkok

He said this after accepting the department’s letter calling him to acknowledge the charges of authorising the killing of anti-government protesters by soldiers during the April-May 2010 violence in Bangkok...

security - the activity of making safe or protecting from harm ความปลอดภัย
security forces - the army

shot - fire a gun; shoot a gun ยิงปืน
shot dead - fire a gun and kill someone ยิงปืนตาย
shot dead by security forces

duty - something that you have to do because it is part of your job, or something that you feel is the right thing to do หน้าที่, ความรับผิดชอบ
performing his duty - doing what he must do as part of his job 
performing his duty as prime minister

maintaining peace and order

protests - meetings, sometimes forceful or violent, or public statements by people who strongly disagree with something ชุมนุมประท้วง
anti-government protests

insisted - say firmly that something must happen or is true, and will not change mind
Mr Abhisit insisted that he was performing his duty as prime minister in maintaining peace and order during the anti-government protests

acted in line with the law - followed the law (did not break the law)

constitution - a set of basic laws and principles for a country that describe the rights and duties of its citizens and the way in which the country is governed รัฐธรรมนูญ (See Wikipedia)

violation - the breaking of a rule or a law; an action that is against a law, agreement, principle, etc. การฝ่าฝืนกฎหมาย การฝ่าฝืน
in violation of the constitution

monitoring - watching something closely and checking for problems จับตาดู
his government had opened itself to all forms of monitoring

independent - free from outside influence เป็นอิสระ not taking help or money from other people พึ่งตนเอง
inquiry - an official examination of a problem, crime, accident, etc. in order to get information or the truth การไต่สวนหาข้อเท็จจริง the process of asking questions and investigating to get information การสอบถาม

independent inquiry - when a group tries to find out the truth (a group that will not benefit from the decision)
an independent inquiry was set up to find out the facts

justice - when people are treated fairly and equally (See Wikipedia) ความยุติธรรม
justice system
he was ready to enter the justice system to prove his innocence

operations - military operations
military operations - when the army acts to achieve military goals (such as removing protesters from the center of Bangkok)
after the operations to get back occupied areas from protesters

opposition - of a political party that is not part of the government or a group which is against the government ฝ่ายค้าน ผู้ต่อต้าน
opposition leader

reconciliation - the process of two friends who have fought becoming friends again การทำให้ปรองดองกันอีก, การคืนดี, ประสานสัมพันธ์
reconciliation law

proposed - suggested (but not yet chosen or decided upon)
proposed reconciliation law

support - help สนับสนุน
support the government's proposed reconciliation law

intended - planned; wanted to happen ที่ได้วางแผนไว้ ที่ตั้งใจให้เกิดขึ้น
force - make someone do what they do not want to do (by using or threatening to use violence)
party - political party

intended to force him and his party to support the government's proposed reconciliation law

whitewash - to prevent people from discovering the true facts about something
whitewash a corrupt person

intended to ... - have as a goal ...
a political action intended to force him and his party to support the government's proposed reconciliation law

the opposition leader in the House said the pressing of charges against him and Mr Suthep was a political action intended to force him and his party to support the government's proposed reconciliation law to whitewash a corrupt person.

benefit - to get help or an advantage from something ผลประโยชน์

negotiations (noun) - formal discussion in which people or groups try to reach an agreement การเจรจาต่อรอง (See Wikipedia)
negotiate (verb)

Thaksin had previously tried to negotiate with both Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep on the issue, but failed, Mr Korn added.
Abhisit insisted that there would be no negotiations for his own benefit, even though under the charges he could be sentenced to death.

confidence - trusting and believing in something; being certain and feeling sure about something ความมั่นใจ ความเชื่อมั่น
He had confidence in the country’s justice system, adding that no one is above the law.

deputy - a person who is given the power to do something instead of another person, or the person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง, ตัวแทน,ผู้รักษาการแทน
deputy prime minister

affairs - events and activities relating to the government, politics, economy etc of a country, region, or the world ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างประเทศ
security affairs - military affairs (things related to the army, navy and air force)

Mr Suthep, former deputy prime minister for security affairs, said he would also go to meet DSI investigators to acknowledge the charges, as requested.

agenda - 1. list of goals to achieve in the future; 2. a list of goals or issues to be discussed at a meeting ระเบียบวาระ กำหนดการ, วาระ
political agenda - political goals (things you want to do and achieve as part of your plan to gain political power)
hidden political agenda - political goals that you cannot see (not made public)

amnesty - a situation in which a government agrees not to punish, or to no longer punish, people who have committed a particular crime กฎอัยการศึก
amnesty law

issue - create some new law or official action
issue an amnesty law

Democrat list MP and former finance minister Korn Chatikavanij said on his Facebook page that the charges being pressed against Mr Abhisit and Mr Suthep had a hidden political agenda, aiming to force the Democrats to support a plan to issue an amnesty law.

fugitive - someone who has done something illegal and is trying to avoid being caught by the police ผู้หลบหนี
fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra

pressure - when people are being pushed or forced to so something
trying to use state power to pressure Mr Abhisit

... He accused fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra of trying to use state power to pressure Mr Abhisit, Mr Suthep and the Democrat Party to back a plan to issue an amnesty law for himself and his political alliances.