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Unknown soldier shoots & kills taxi driver during military operations, so Prime Minister at the time charged with the murder.

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Ex-Thai PM 'to face murder charge'

(AFP) – 28 minutes ago

BANGKOK — Former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is to face a charge of murder over the death of a taxi driver who was shot by soldiers during 2010 "Red Shirt" rallies, authorities said Thursday.

The Department of Special Investigation, police and Thai prosecutors announced the decision, which marks the first charges for deaths during the mass rallies in Bangkok against Abhisit's government.

"The tripartite meeting has decided to charge former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban under article 288," said DSI chief Tarit Pengdith, referring to the murder provision under Thailand's criminal code.

He said the group based their decision on further witness testimony as well as a court ruling that taxi driver Phan Kamkong was shot and killed by Thai soldiers during the country's worst political violence in decades.

Abhisit and Suthep will be summoned by letter to hear the charges and to be questioned on December 12, Tarit said, adding that authorities would not seek court permission to detain the men, who are both now opposition lawmakers.

About 90 people were killed and nearly 1,900 were wounded in a series of street clashes between demonstrators and security forces, which culminated in a bloody military crackdown. Two foreign journalists were among those killed.

Until now no government or military officials had faced charges over the deaths.

Abhisit, who oversaw the crackdown, has insisted the protest leaders should accept responsibility and said his government had no choice but to take tough action.

"It was the job of the government of that day to also restore order," he told AFP last month.

Red Shirts, mostly supporters of ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, have raised accusations of double standards over the prosecutions of 24 of their leaders on terrorism charges for their part in the rallies.

Rights campaigners have said both the protesters and the authorities of the time should be held accountable.

Thailand has been riven by bitter political divisions since Thaksin was toppled by royalist generals in a 2006 coup that unleashed years of street protests by the Reds and the rival royalist Yellow Shirts.

Elections in 2011 brought Thaksin's Red Shirt-backed Puea Thai party to power, sweeping Abhisit into opposition.

The accused Red Shirts, who include five current lawmakers, could in theory face the death penalty in a case that is set to begin on December 13. They pleaded not guilty in August 2010 to terrorism charges.

AFP was not immediately able to contact Abhisit on Thursday.

Suthep said he would attend the hearing next week, adding that he would consult his lawyers before making any further comment.

The inquest into Phan's shooting in September was the first ever ruling on deaths during the 2010 rallies..

The court found that the 43-year-old was caught in a volley of gunfire when he ran out of a central Bangkok apartment block to see what was happening after hearing soldiers open fire at a minibus that had strayed into an area under army control.

Tarit said soldiers acting under orders would not face prosecution.

Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved

(Source: Bangkok Post, Ex-Thai PM 'to face murder charge', (AFP), link)  


Thai Politics Vocabulary

murder - the crime of intentionally killing a person ฆาตกรรม
charge - bring a criminal case against a person; accuse someone officially of committing a crime ตั้งข้อกล่าวหา
murder charge

face murder charge
ex-Thai PM to face murder charge

authorities - government officials; the police or people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
ex-Thai PM to face murder charge, authorities said

shot - when a gun shoots a bullet at a person or people
shot by soldiers
a taxi driver who was shot by soldiers

Former Thai prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is to face a charge of murder over the death of a taxi driver who was shot by soldiers during 2010 "Red Shirt" rallies, authorities said Thursday.

prosecution - the person or organisation that tries to prove in court that someone has committed a crime อัยการ
prosecutors - the government lawyers who do the prosecution
Tarit said soldiers acting under orders would not face prosecution

announce - to let the public know about something important ประกาศ
announce decision
police and Thai prosecutors announced the decision

mass - large numbers จำนวนมหาศาล
mass rallies - a big protest meeting

marks - when some event is important for some reason
marks the first charges for deaths during the mass rallies in Bangkok against Abhisit's government

tripartite - involving three organisations or countries ไตรภาคี
meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
tripartite meeting - a meeting between three groups

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

former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban under article 288

provision - one detail or item in a law, agreement, or plan
murder provision - the details in the law about murder

criminal code - the book with all the criminal laws of a country (or local area)
referring to the murder provision under Thailand's criminal code

"The tripartite meeting has decided to charge former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and former deputy Suthep Thaugsuban under article 288," said DSI chief Tarit Pengdith, referring to the murder provision under Thailand's criminal code.

witness - someone who tells a court what they know about a crime พยาน ผู้ที่เห็นเหตุการณ์
testimony - a formal statement about something that you say, know or experienced, usually given to a court of law คำให้การ
witness testimony - the information that a witness gives to a court during a trial

ruling - a decision by a court of law คำตัดสิน คำชี้ขาด
court ruling -
a court ruling that taxi driver Phan Kamkong was shot and killed by Thai soldiers during

violence - physical force with the deliberate intention of causing damage to property or injury or death to people ความรุนแรง
political violence

decades - periods of ten years เป็นสิบๆปี
the country's worst political violence in decades.

summoned - officially ordered someone to come to a place, especially a court of law  หมายเรียก เรียกตัว
summoned to hear the charges
summoned to be questioned

Abhisit and Suthep will be summoned by letter to hear the charges and to be questioned on December 12

detain - to keep someone in a police station or prison and not allow them to leave กักตัว ควบคุมตัวหรือฝากขัง
detain the men

permission - allowing someone to do something การอนุญาต,การอนุมัติ,การยินยอม
court permission

seek court permission
seek court permission to detain the men

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

authorities would not seek court permission to detain the men, who are both now opposition lawmakers

wounded - injured, especially where your skin or flesh is damaged, usually seriously บาดเจ็บ
demonstrators - people who march with other people in public to show that they support or oppose something ผู้ชุมนุมประท้วง

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

crackdown - strong action that someone in authority takes to stop a particular activity การปราบจลาจล การใช้กำลังสลายผู้ประท้วง การใช้กำลังเข้าปราบปรามของเจ้าหน้าที่
bloody crackdown

About 90 people were killed and nearly 1,900 were wounded in a series of street clashes between demonstrators and security forces, which culminated in a bloody military crackdown. Two foreign journalists were among those killed.

Until now no government or military officials had faced charges over the deaths.

oversaw - to supervise, watch over, manage and see that everything is done correctly
oversaw the crackdown

protest - a strong complaint or disagreement ประท้วง
protest leaders

insisted - say firmly that something must happen or is true, and will not change mind
insisted the protest leaders should accept responsibility

responsibility - 1. being blamed for something that goes wrong, 2. having to take care of some task as part of your job
accept responsibility

choice - of very good quality หัวกะทิ, ชั้นหนึ่ง, ดีที่สุด
no choice but to

tough - difficult to do or to deal with ยาก difficult ยากลำบาก
take tough action
his government had no choice but to take tough action

Abhisit, who oversaw the crackdown, has insisted the protest leaders should accept responsibility and said his government had no choice but to take tough action.

restore - to cause a particular situation to exist again, especially a good one ฟื้นฟูสภาพ
restore order

It was the job of the government of that day to also restore order.

premier - prime minister
ex-premier  - was Prime Minister in the past, but not now

ousted - forced out of or removed from a position of power ขับออกจากอำนาจ ที่ถูกขับออกจากตำแหน่ง  ที่ถูกปลดจากตำแหน่ง
ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra

accusations - bad things that others say that you have done (but not yet proven)
accusations of double standards

double - to have two things  
standards - a rule for behaving which should be obeyed มาตรฐาน, บรรทัดฐาน, กฎเกณฑ์, กรอบ an acceptable level of quality or achievement มาตรฐาน
double standards - to deal with two groups of people in different ways

terrorism - the use of violence to achieve political aims การใช้ความรุนแรงเพื่อข้อเรียกร้องทางการเมือง
terrorism charges

prosecution - the process of accusing a person of a crime and asking a court to find out whether they did the crime (guilty)
prosecution on terrorism charges
prosecutions of 24 of their leaders on terrorism charges for their part in the rallies.

Red Shirts, mostly supporters of ousted ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, have raised accusations of double standards over the prosecutions of 24 of their leaders on terrorism charges for their part in the rallies.

accountable - responsible for something that has happened; having to explain what you did to others, cannot just act independently the way you want all the time
held accountable

rights -
campaigners
rights campaigners

rights campaigners have said both the protesters and the authorities of the time should be held accountable.

riven - divided แบ่งแยก แบ่งออก
riven by bitter political divisions

bitter - involving very angry feelings ความขมขื่น
bitter political divisions

unleashed - let something happen or leave (that was under control and being held back)
unleashed protests

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

a 2006 coup that unleashed years of street protests

rival - a person you are competing against or opposing คู่แข่ง
the rival ... Yellow Shirts

Thailand has been riven by bitter political divisions since Thaksin was toppled by .... generals in a 2006 coup that unleashed years of street protests by the Reds and the rival ... Yellow Shirts

backed - supported ให้การสนับสนุน
Red Shirt-backed

party - political party
Puea Thai party

Thaksin's Red Shirt-backed Puea Thai party

sweeping - winning all of something, in the case กวาดรางวัล

Elections in 2011 brought Thaksin's Red Shirt-backed Puea Thai party to power, sweeping Abhisit into opposition

theory - one or more ideas that explain how or why something happens สมมติฐาน

guilty - proven to have committed a crime; having been decided by a court of law that you committed the crime your were accused of มีความผิด

current - of the present time ปัจจุบัน
current lawmakers
the accused Red Shirts  include five current lawmakers

penalty - a punishment, or the usual punishment, for doing something that is against a law โทษ
death penalty - the punishment of death for a crime
face the death penalty

in theory - is possible according to the rules (but would never actually happen)
the accused Red Shirts could in theory face the death penalty

pleaded not guilty
they pleaded not guilty in August 2010 to terrorism charges

immediately - happening with no delay; right away ทันที
contact - having communication with someone ติดต่อ สัมผัส
not immediately able to contact - could not talk to him now (to get information for news article)

AFP was not immediately able to contact Abhisit on Thursday

comment - remark, telling what you think or what your opinion is about an issue หมายเหตุ แสดงความคิดเห็น
he would consult his lawyers before making any further comment

inquest - an attempt to find out the cause of a person's death (by a court or other official body)
The inquest into Phan's shooting in September was the first ever ruling on deaths during the 2010 rallies..

a volley of gunfire - a lot of guns being fired at something together at same time
apartment block - a large apartment building or group of apartment buildings

open fire at - when guns start shooting at something
hearing soldiers open fire at a minibus that had strayed into an area under army control.

stray into - accidentally go into an area that you didn't want to go into (because it is dangerous or against the law, for example)
a minibus that had strayed into an area under army control

he ran out of a central Bangkok apartment block to see what was happening after hearing soldiers open fire at a minibus that had strayed into an area under army control.

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