BANGKOK, THAILAND — A tense exchange at Chulalongkorn University on 5 June 2024 has pushed former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva back into the spotlight, reviving debate over the 2010 military crackdown that left almost 100 people dead.
Student Confrontation at Chulalongkorn
During a lecture at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Political Science, a student stood up and held a sign reading “The one who ordered the killing is here!” — addressing Abhisit Vejjajiva, prime minister during the April–May 2010 protests that ended with the army storming Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection, killing around 90 demonstrators and injuring hundreds. Witnesses in the Bangkok lecture hall reported a sudden silence as Abhisit paused before replying.
Abhisit Vejjajiva, now leader of the Democrat Party, answered that “THREE COURTS HAVE CLEARED ME OF ALL CHARGES.” He said the Criminal Court, Appeals Court, and Supreme Court in Bangkok had rejected allegations of murder. He also cited his successful defamation lawsuit against Tharit Pengdit, the former Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief, who was later imprisoned for making false accusations.
Questions Over Past Violence
When the student asked if the 2010 deaths still demanded accountability, Abhisit Vejjajiva countered: “DOES YOUR CONCERN ALSO COVER PEOPLE KILLED DURING THE PDRC OR PAD PROTESTS?” He argued that every victim’s life should carry equal value, whether linked to the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) or to the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC). Online, however, at least 12 photos quickly circulated showing Abhisit attending PDRC rallies in 2013, identifiable by his trademark whistle — prompting widespread mockery.
Red-Shirt Leaders Respond
Former Red-Shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar, who served as a UDD secretary-general in 2010, posted on Facebook on 6 June 2024 thanking the student for confronting Abhisit. “ALL CIVILIAN VICTIMS WERE UNARMED,” Nattawut wrote. He added that the so-called “men in black”, once accused of violence, had been acquitted by the Supreme Court in 2021 after spending up to ten years in detention.
Nattawut also reminded followers that Abhisit’s government created a fact-finding committee in 2010, but the body released no final report. Under Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in 2012, the state paid financial compensation and reopened 31 fatality cases, confirming in 17 incidents that government-issued rifles caused deaths.
Legal Debate Over Accountability
Rights campaigner Sombat Boonngam-anong, known for leading peaceful demonstrations in Bangkok’s Pathum Wan district, said Abhisit’s claim of acquittal misrepresented the court process. “THE CRIMINAL COURT NEVER HEARD EVIDENCE,” Sombat stated on 7 June 2024. He explained that judges dismissed the case on jurisdictional grounds after Abhisit Vejjajiva and then-deputy Suthep Thaugsuban argued that only the Supreme Court’s Division for Holders of Political Positions could try them.
Sombat recalled that Abhisit Vejjajiva once declared political responsibility to be “higher than legal responsibility,” urging the former leader to honor that statement. “LET HIM PROVE HE BELIEVES IT — OR ADMIT HE WAS PLAYING WITH WORDS,” the activist challenged.
Fourteen Years Without Resolution
By 2024, almost 14 years since the May 2010 crackdown, no Thai cabinet member or security commander has been convicted in relation to the nearly 100 civilian deaths. The episode inside Chulalongkorn University has reignited that history, showing how one student’s act of protest can reopen questions that official courts have left unanswered.
– April–May 2010: 90 killed, hundreds injured during Bangkok protests
– 2012: Government of Yingluck Shinawatra initiated compensation program
– 2021: Supreme Court acquitted detained “men in black” suspects
– 2024: Student protest renews scrutiny of Abhisit’s role
“JUSTICE CANNOT STAY BURIED FOREVER,” Nattawut wrote, as the debate over accountability once again dominates Thai political discussion online and in classrooms across Bangkok.