A leading Dutch lawyer has agreed to help defend former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra against terrorism charges related to the recent unrest in Bangkok. Geert-Jan Knoops will also look into whether the Thai government committed human rights abuses when it raided the “red-shirts” protest camp.
Listen to an interview with Dutch lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops:
Thai soldiers stormed a camp set up by the red-shirt protestors last month in central Bangkok. The raid followed days of violence in the capital and Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has accused Mr Thaksin of inciting the resulting clashes. War crimes expert Geert-Jan Knoops will advise the legal team defending the exiled former leader, who has denied any involvement:
“My understanding is that Mr Thaksin denies this charge, and it’s my understanding that the facts of the case contradict this allegation. I’ve not seen yet the official arrest warrant for the charges, but apart from all these procedural issues it’s far from clear, on the basis of what evidence, or what facts the Thai government or the Thai prosecution thinks Mr Thaksin was wilfully behind these demonstrations.”
Geert-Jan Knoops is well-known in the international legal community, and has worked on cases relating to rights violations in Rwanda, former Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone. As well as providing advice for Mr Thaksin’s defence, the team is also considering bringing charges against the Thai government:
“One of the issues we are currently legally investigating is the qualification of the acts of the Thai officials versus the red-shirts - what qualification can you attach to those actions. The reports which have been issued, also by Amnesty International and other international organisations, are quite alarming on what happened there. And I’ve been made aware that, also within other governments, there’s quite some concern about how the military dealt with these events. On its face it seems that human rights violations have occurred there.”
Mr Thaksin has been in hiding since being ousted from power in 2006 but could face the death penalty if extradited to Thailand to stand trial. Mr Knoops says it’s “obvious” he would fight any deportation order, because the Thai government may not even be able to mount a case against him.
“If the evidence is not clear, or if there’s no evidence at all, I think Mr Thaksin would fight any potential extradition request which may arise. Furthermore of course it’s really a question whether there’s sufficient ground for any prosecution.”
The Thai government has allegedly called in Interpol to help try and track Mr Thaksin down.
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Mr. Knoops has his reputation in Holland as lawyer, his cliënts are criminals! Also Thai internal affairs is
not his business. Its also very cheap to mention human rights violation, he wants to score on that.
En Geert-Jan Knoops even in het Nederlands, bemoei je niet met Thailand, dat zijn jou zaken niet.
calling for human rights are cheap, u have just earned yourself the "cheap human" title.
Mr Taxin is extremely rich billions of dollars from coruption and nown before from let going the drug traffic in thailand with a % in his pochet.So the dutch layer can bee happy to have some part of it. No problem.Even very big money is nothing for taxin.Otherways taxin is very clever and was the best leader for thailand.Olso build the new airport and finisht it before the normal time but with 2 thirts of the costprice in his pocket.If the same protest would have happen with hem as leader , it should never have come so far and so long.A fiew days and all should have been finisht as many years before the students held demonstrations in bangkok and the army or police receive onders to stop it immediatly in the way off shouting and killing lots of people. Thats the direct solution for thailand. This is thailand, but the new leather has hesitating to long and wait the solution to end with peace.That was impossibel as some red shirts where realy big armed and have lot of guns.Not the poor farmers who receive each person 2000 baht for go make demonstrations in BKK .Normal familie from isaan 6 persons = 12.000 baht.They gain only 3000 a month.You dont have to tell them twice.For that money all like to go, and 25 persons in a bigger pickup = 50.000 baht.They dont have to think twice. This story is what many thais tell there and nows the true. Im foreigner , but can hear what some thais told me for bee the true , even its very difficult way for the thais to speak about. They now but dont like to speak about.
Looking down on people is an insult. Like Thai Govt. did, looks down on their people of being stupid. I cant believe foreigner like you even think this kind of thought....I dont believe only that 2000 THB is worth dying for. How about 1000 usd to hire you to die? Think about it!! Is there any clever and wise poor in your country?
Anonymous 2 June 2010 - 11:52pm / belgium -
"Mr Taxin is extremely rich billions of dollars from corruption" - This statement alone indicated how little you know about the man, Thaksin used to own one of the biggest telecommunication conglomerate in Thailand, AIS, the market cap of the company is $5 billion, he's on top of 20 richest man in Thailand even before he entered politic.
Would you willing to die If anyone hire you? No matter how much the money is, would you really going to die for the money that you will never going to spend? Wake up yellow shit. They are people! They do all those things because they know what exactly is happening in Thailand. They have been strumble on for so long, even your ancestor was faced the same situation like them not to mention even you yourself today.
Ja, leg alles maar bloot. Kung Abhisit heeft daar persoonlijk geen probleem mee. Blijkbaar heeft Dhr Knoops een agenda meegekregen van Dhr Thaksin. Kunt U daaraan toevoegen een onderzoek naar de gruweldaden begaan tijdens het regime van Dhr Thaksin met zijn volle instemming. Weet U dat een groot deel van de politie in Thailand Dhr Thaksin vereert en hem graag zou willen zien terugkeren ? Om terug te keren naar de tijd dat zij (de politie) almachtig en untouchable was. Ik heb een video gezien van een achtervolging door de politie van veronderstelde drugdealers, een voorbijganger werd onder voet gelpen, hij belandde in het water. Een politie agent hield met pistool in aanslag de mensen op afstand, die de man wilden helpen. De man verdronk, hij bleek sieraden te verkopen. TREURIG. Ja , dir is een voorbeeld van hoe Dhr Thaksin Shinawatrade politie instrueerde korte metten te maken met misdadigers, < license to kill >, no questions asked ! Natuurlijk met volle instemming van de US, hun war on drugs was ermee gebaat.
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