The family members of victims of the 2010 crackdown on red-shirt protesters have denounced the Supreme Court’s verdict to dismissed murder charges against former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and Suthep Thaugsuban, his former deputy.
At 7 pm on 31 August 2017, family members of the victims of the 2010 crackdown on red-shirt protesters which took at least 99 lives gathered at Ratchaprasong Intersection in central Bangkok to call for justice after the Supreme Court freed Abhisit and Suthep of murder charges for authorising the crackdown.
The gathering were led by Phansak Srithep, the father of one of the victims, Samaphan ‘Cher’ Srithep, and Payao Akhad, mother of Kamolkate Akhad, a medic who was killed on 19 May 2010 at Wat Pathum Wanaram Temple close to the intersection.
At the event, Payao lit up incense sticks for the victims of the crackdown before saying “Today, the struggle is not over yet. This mother will struggle until the end…..I believe that the perpetrators will not get away.”
Several police officers were deployed at the intersection to monitor the gathering.
Nutta Mahattana, one of the participants, who prepared a banner reads ‘we are the witnesses’ told media that the police confiscated the banner.
Payao said she and others will submit a petition to the the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to reinvestigate the case as the court concluded that only the NACC has the authority to process it.
Payao Akhad calling for justice for her late daughter at Ratchaprasong Intersection on 31 August 2017 after the Supreme Court read the dismissal verdict
Officers deployed at the gathering of the families of the crackdown victims