The Thai Appeals Court upheld a ruling by the Criminal...

The Thai Appeals Court upheld a ruling by the Criminal Court sentencing 10 police officers to death and one to life imprisonment for the killing of four defence volunteers in 1994.
One of the slain defence volunteers was Worawut Anantakoon, a nephew of Anan Anantakoon, who was at the time permanent secretary at the Interior Ministry and is currently secretary-general of the Democratic Party.
The Appeals Court upheld the lower court's ruling that the 11 officers had planned the murder of Worawut and two other defence volunteers after one of the police officers shot and killed a fourth defence volunteer inside a coffee shop in Phetchaburi's Cha-am district on March 31, 1994.
The court ruled that the 11 officers had planned the killings and abused their authority by controlling the crime scene to make it seem as though the four defence volunteers were shot and killed while resisting arrest.
Cha-am district police chief Lt Colonel Manas Pholsattha, Deputy Chief Captain Somkiat Phusachiwa, Private Amporn Khemmuang, Sgt Major Somporn Boonthae, Private Phuchong Iam-amnuay, Corporal Prasart Payuptree, Senior Sgt Major Sophon Thajaem, Corporal Samran Thapsri, Sgt Major Wasant Sukcharoen and Sgt Major Somsak Yudee all received death sentences.
Private Sunthorn Yodkaew received a life sentence.
Somporn died during the trial but the court refused to commute his sentence.Seventeen police officers were initially listed as defendants, but the Criminal Court and Appeals Court both agreed that six of them were not involved in the killings.
The other three victims were Suchart Waikham, Pairote Thanangsit and Lome Phothong.