Ex-Thai PM will face murder charges over crackdown

The protests and crackdown left more than 90 people dead and about 1,800 injured in Thailand's worst political violence in decades. Former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat Party, now in the opposition after being ousted in elections last year, and "red shirt" supporters of the ruling Pheu Thai Party have blamed each other for the bloodshed since.

Department of Special Investigation chief Tharit Phengdit said Thursday that investigators found Abhisit possibly culpable in the death of a taxi driver because he allowed troops to use war weapons and live ammunition against protesters.

Abhisit and former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who was in charge of the ad hoc security agency set up to contain the protests, will be summoned Wednesday to be formally charged. The courts must accept the case before it can go to trial.

Democrat Party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut called the decision "an abuse of government's power to threaten its opponents." He noted that it was done while parliament is in recess so the two men's immunity from arrest is lifted.

Tharit denied that the decision is politically motivated and said the case is significant "for society because the deaths were inflicted by an act of government officers."

The deaths occurred during the red shirts' nine-week anti-government protest in the heart of the capital that had sought to force Abhisit to call early elections. Central Bangkok was garrisoned by soldiers until they moved in to crush the protest on May 19, 2010.