By Max Constant

BANGKOK

An international rights group slammed Thailand’s anti-corruption commission Thursday for dismissing malfeasance charges against former political and military leaders over the killings of numerous anti-government demonstrators during a 2010 crackdown.

Between April 7 and May 19, 2010, 98 people were killed and 2,000 others injured during the demonstrations calling for early elections. While the dead included some soldiers, the majority were “Red Shirt” protesters -- supporters of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and opponents of the country’s then leader Abhisit Vejjajiva.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Watch denounced Thursday the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s decision late last month to drop the case against Vejjajiva and other leading figures over “their failure to review the use of military force”, calling the move “a serious setback for accountability in the country”.

“Despite killings by soldiers of protesters, medics and even reporters in broad daylight in downtown Bangkok for all the world to see, Thailand’s institutions have closed ranks to protect the army and politicians from justice,” the group’s Asia director said in a statement.

“This adds insult to injury to victims and their families as they watch yet another stage in nearly six-years of attempts to airbrush the crimes of officials and soldiers from Thai history,” Brad Adams added.

In Dec. 2012, the Department of Special Investigations under the Thai Ministry of Justice charged Vejjajiva, his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban and former army chief General Anupong Paojinda with murder and attempted murder for ordering the military crackdown in 2010.

The charges were filed after judicial inquests found that some protesters and an Italian journalist were killed by gunshots fired by soldiers.

In Feb. 2014, the anti-corruption commission took up the case, only to dismiss all charges on Dec. 29, saying that some protesters had been armed, making it “necessary” for the accused to order soldiers to carry weapons and use force to reclaim protest sites.

While recognizing that some armed “militants” had mingled with protesters, Human Rights Watch said that it documented that “excessive and unnecessary force by the military caused many deaths and injuries” during the tension.

“It is outrageous that not a single official, military commander or soldier has been held to account for the bloody 2010 crackdown,” said Adams, underlining that numerous Red Shirt leaders and supporters were charged with serious criminal offenses.

On Wednesday, three relatives of victims of the 2010 crackdown and a fourth person who survived the repression organized a religious ceremony at a Bangkok temple to pay respect to the victims.

Wearing black T-shirts with the words “Fight for Justice”, they marched from the temple to an intersection where some protesters were killed.

Phayao Akkahad -- the mother of Kade Akkahad, a volunteer nurse killed by the military in May 2010 -- expressed her disappointment with the anti-corruption commission’s decision.

“Those collaborators and perpetrators shall certainly be brought to justice one day, sooner or later,” she told local reporters. “They cannot get away with what they did to those spirits.”

Her words were echoed by Pansak Srithep, a father who lost his 17-year-old son in the crackdown, who described the dismissal of charges as “cruel and disgusting”.

“The agency hasn’t explained to the public how it collected the information and why they haven’t sought any evidence or witnesses from the damaged parties,” he added.

The dismissal of charges last month exhausted all judicial procedures to call Thai authorities to account for the 2010 crackdown.