<p>A decade after Thailand&rsquo;s deadly crackdown against anti-government protesters, accountability for the political massacre remains elusive, said rights organisations on its tenth anniversary.</p>

<p>As the military crackdown on the &lsquo;Red Shirt&rsquo; protests, which killed at least 94 persons and injured at least 2,000 people, sees its 10th&nbsp;year anniversary on 19 May 2020, Phayao Akhad, a Woman Human Rights Defender, the mother of a nurse&nbsp;who&nbsp;was&nbsp;brutally killed&nbsp;by the military in 2020, is still tirelessly seeking for justice despite facing threats, intimidation and legal reprisals by reason of her struggle for justice.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Amnesty International issued a statement on the 10th anniversary of the 19 May 2010 military crackdown on the Red Shirt protests, calling for the Thai authorities to immediate prosecute those responsible and provide full reparation for relatives of the victims and survivors.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Progressive Movement, a group formed by former members of the now-dissolved Future Forward Party (FFP), claimed that they are behind the <a href="https://prachatai.com/english/node/8509">mysterious messages</a> which appeared on Sunday night (10 May) at key locations of the May 2010 crackdown on the Red Shirt protests. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence is seeking legal action against those responsible.</p>

<p>Indigenous woman human rights defender Katima Leeja was visited by a plainclothe military officer around a week after she led a protest against alleged violence from forest authorities in a land dispute confrontation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The war against the communists ended long ago over but the facts about the violence of the time are still not clear. We do not know the exact number of lives lost, particularly of villagers living in remote areas. Even the losses that happened in the middle of the city such as the events of Oct 14, Oct 6, May 1992, and May 2010, still remain obscure and the facts have not been proven.</p><p>There has been no punishment for those responsible for these events, so it is hard for Thai society to learn lessons in order to prevent violence in the future.</p>

<p>The Philippines-based online news agency Rappler was announced as one of the two winners in the large outlet category of the 2019 Global Shining Light Awards on Saturday night (28 September) for their story &ldquo;<a href="https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/investigative/tondo-vigilante-gang-war-on-drugs-series-part-one">Murder in Manila</a>&rdquo;.</p>

<p>Since the announcement that bones&nbsp;bones found in Kaeng Krachan Dam have been confirmed to be those of Karen environmental activist and community rights defender Porlajee &ldquo;Billy&rdquo; Rakchongcharoen, who went missing in 2014. Several human rights organizations have since called for the Thai authorities to conduct an investigation into his abduction and murder.</p>

<p>When the bones now confirmed to be that of disappeared Karen activist were discovered in Kaeng Krachan Dam, an oil drum were also found. Prachatai looks back at the history of the &quot;Red Drum,&quot; state violence, and the culture of impunity in Thailand.&nbsp;</p>