Editorial – The 2553 Protest Dispersal Cases
Charges against former leaders in Thailand's 2010 protest dispersal—which killed nearly 100 people—have been dismissed after courts ruled the case involved abuse of authority rather than intentional killing, leaving victims' families withou
During a Senate meeting on May 11, 2025, Justice Minister General Rudthpol Naowarat responded to questions about the progress of cases related to the 2553 political protest dispersal, specifically 13 cases involving harm to civilians and state officials.
Among these 13 cases, the Justice Minister highlighted that the DSI had recommended prosecuting the former Prime Minister and former Deputy Prime Minister. However, the Supreme Court determined this constituted abuse of authority, a matter under the NACC's jurisdiction, and therefore dismissed the charges. The DSI subsequently transferred the case to the NACC, which ultimately dismissed the allegations against the former and deputy prime ministers.
The Justice Minister stated that all 13 cases involving the perpetrators have been concluded, with special case officers strictly following the law and rule of law principles.
Regarding the 2553 protest dispersal, the government at that time authorized officials to use live ammunition, resulting in casualties among both civilians and officials. From April 10 to May 19, 2553, nearly 100 people died and over 2,000 were injured.
Following the incident and a change in government, the DSI and police investigated the cases and conducted autopsies to determine causes of death.
Court proceedings determined that 17 deaths resulted from officers' actions, not from "black-clad men" as the government claimed at the time, leading to charges against the former Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for intentional killing with knowledge of the consequences.
However, after the 2557 coup, conservative political networks and state power holders attempted to terminate the protest dispersal case using legal mechanisms and improper lawsuits, resulting in the outcomes the Justice Minister explained to the Senate. Many victims' autopsies were also terminated.
Consequently, to this day, neither the former Prime Minister, former Deputy Prime Minister as commanders, nor officials involved in the incident have faced court proceedings to determine their guilt or innocence.
Sixteen years have passed with only four years remaining before the statute of limitations expires. Questions linger for both political figures and justice officials at all levels: will they allow this to continue, and are they honoring the principle of rule of law?
