The Criminal Court on Thursday ruled that a 14-year-old boy was killed by a bullet fired by a soldier on May 15, 2010 during the height of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) protests.
This was the fourth ruling in cases now being linked to former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his then deputy Suthep Thaugsuban, who was director of the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situations (CRES) handling the crackdown on the violent UDD protests in April-May 2010.
In this case, the prosecutors requested the Criminal Court to investigate and establish the cause of the death of 14-year-old Kunakorn "Nong Isa" Srisuwan, who was hit in the back by a military-calibre bullet under the airport rail link station on Ratchaprarop road in front of the OA theatre opposite the mouth of Soi Mor Leng on May 15, 2010.
From examination of of videotapes and statesments given by witnesses, and the result of an autopsy which indicated that the bullet that hit the boy was of the kind issued to soldiers using M16 rifles who were on duty in the area, the court ruled that Kunakorn was killed by one of the bullets fired by the security forces.
The Criminal Court had earlier ruled that three other people were killed by soldiers operating under the orders of the CRES -- Phan Khamkong, a taxi driver from Yasothon, Charnnarong Sripolcha, a UDD supporter, and Chartchai Chalao, a taxi driver from Surin.
Chokchai Angkaew, a lawyer for Kunakorn, said before the court's ruling that the boy died near the spot where Phan Khamkong was killed when soldiers opened fire at a van driven by Samorn Maithong, who was seriously wounded.