On Tuesday, a Thai court sentenced 11 former leaders of the “Red Shirts” protests to prison for their involvement in the 2010 anti-government demonstrations that ended with a military crackdown, resulting in numerous deaths.
The “Red Shirts,” supporters of ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra, were convicted of breaking emergency laws enacted during protests aimed at toppling then-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.
In 2010, tens of thousands of “Red Shirts,” identifiable by their clothing, occupied major intersections in Bangkok, establishing fortified protest camps and clashing with authorities.
The protests followed Thaksin’s corruption conviction, after he was ousted by a military coup in 2006 and fled Thailand.
The demonstrations, which shut down government complexes for over two months, concluded when soldiers used live ammunition to clear protesters from central Bangkok.
According to Human Rights Watch, at least 90 people died and more than 2,000 were injured during the unrest, marking one of Thailand’s deadliest political crises.
On Tuesday, Bangkok’s criminal court sentenced five protest leaders, including notable activist Jatuporn Prompan, to four years and four months in prison. Six others received four-month terms, while two were acquitted, Jatuporn told AFP.
“We respect the court’s decision,” he stated, noting that his legal team plans to apply for bail.
In 2012, authorities filed murder charges against Abhisit and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban for the crackdown, but they were later acquitted.
Tarit Pengdit, a former head of the Department of Special Investigations who had pursued charges against the pair, was prosecuted instead and received a two-year sentence for malfeasance in 2023.
The “Red Shirts” leader, billionaire Thaksin, and his political dynasty have contested Thailand’s pro-monarchy, pro-military establishment for two decades.
Thaksin is currently serving a one-year sentence in a Bangkok prison after the Supreme Court ruled last month that he improperly served a 2023 sentence in a hospital suite instead of a prison cell.
