On the sixth anniversary of the political violence of 10 April 2010, families of people who died commemorated their loss.

On Sunday, 10 April 2016, a political activist group called ‘Chili Peppers’ organised an event at Khok Wua Intersection, Bangkok, to mourn the people who died at the beginning of the military crackdown on demonstrators of the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), the main red-shirt faction, on 10 April 2010.  

The military crackdown and the political violence which lasted from early April-May 2010 resulted in at least 90 dead and 2,000 injured.

At the event, many people lit candles and placed them on the pavement at the intersection.

Suwimon Fungklinchan, the mother of Terdsak Fungklinchan, 28, who died after being shot in the stomach and chest at the intersection six years ago, was among those who attended the event.  

Suwimon told Prachatai “We are ordinary people. If the person who shot my son was an ordinary person, he would have been sent to jail, but why is it like this? Why is Thailand like this?”

She added that recently she and other family members of those who died during the 2010 crackdown had submitted a petition to the prosecutors, urging the authorities to bring to justice those responsible for the deaths. However the group has not received any response, she added.

On 29 December 2015, the Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), announced that the NACC had reached a resolution to withdraw corruption and malfeasance allegations against Abhisit Vejjajiva, former Democrat Party Prime Minister, Suthep Thaugsuban, his former Deputy, and Gen Anupong Paochinda, the former Army Chief.

Those three and others were accused of malfeasance for authorizing military and police officers to reclaim several venues in Bangkok city centre from red shirt demonstrators between April-May 2010.

The NACC concluded that the 2010 red-shirt protests were not peaceful and that there were armed militants among the demonstrators. Therefore, the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES), an agency formed to handle the 2010 red-shirt protesters with Suthep as Director, had to authorise armed personnel to reclaim the demonstration venues in Bangkok.

Although the military and police officers had to carry arms to protect themselves during the crackdown in accordance with ‘international standards’, if it is proven later that the military used weapons ‘unnecessarily’ resulting in the deaths of demonstrators, the soldiers and their commanders shall be charged on an ‘individual basis’.

The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) will carry out investigations of military personnel who allegedly used weapons ‘unnecessarily’ resulting in loss of life, NACC added.