Fugitive former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's legal team said Monday it had hired an international war crimes expert to help investigate a recent army crackdown on protesters in Bangkok.
Dutch professor GJ Alexander Knoops, previously involved in cases on the former Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone, will help attempt to bring the Thai government to court for alleged human rights violations, a statement said.
The statement by Thaksin's legal team accused the Thai government of "flagrantly breaching its obligations as a member of the international community and the United Nations Human Rights Council".
The "Red Shirt" protests, which were broken up May 19 by the army, paralysed central Bangkok and descended into several outbreaks of violence that left 88 people dead since mid-March, mostly civilians, and nearly 1,900 injured.
The statement by Thaksin's lawyers said at least 140 Reds had been arrested, and that most were being held illegally without charge or access to a lawyer.
The government has accused Thaksin of "masterminding" the bloodshed surrounding the anti-government rallies. A Thai court last week approved a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in connection with the protests.
The multimillionaire tycoon, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 and lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a jail term for corruption, says the charges against him are "politically motivated."
If found guilty, Thaksin could in theory face the death penalty, but the warrant appears aimed at boosting attempts to extradite the ousted premier, who has found sanctuary in several countries.
(Source: AFP)
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Mr Thaksin founded the leaders of the Red Shirts. They were committing acts of terrorism, thus . . . .
Have a look at the article about the black commando's that moved freely around in the camp of the Red Shirts. URL : http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Unmasked-Thailand-s-Men-Black-t370124.html look some further in the article and they will show the face of one the black commando's, really shocking. And then the interview. wow
just some of the comments in the fora of thaivisa.com
"The red apologists emerge from their bunkers and brush off their new arguments.
Same as the old ones mainly.
As for the reference to the police force here we have a coy reference to 'its legistimacy or whatever'.
Some points, firstly the police force showed itself to be unreliable in carrying out its duties.
(We know that Thaksin had his claws into the police force, something he wasn't quite able to do with the army except small pockets)
Secondly, the level of violence instigated by the reds went beyond the capabilities of the police force to respond.
Thirdly, what really irks the Thaksin cheerleaders is that against the police force they think they might have prevailed,
but against the army they lost.
As soon as you read references to 'civilians' you know where the propaganda is coming from.
The whole campaign from Thaksin was about capturing the leadership of the army, (something he failed at in 2006 which has bugged him ever since)
Now that Thaksin's troops on the ground have been kicked out of Bangkok,
he spends his money on lawyers.
The red cheerleaders come for free. "
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