The hurried vote to endorse the blanket amnesty bill before dawn yesterday has caused a wide rift within the red-shirt movement, political activists and academics say.
Instead of showing his gratitude to some 15 million voters who elected Pheu Thai in 2011, de facto leader Thaksin Shinawatra has betrayed his supporters by pushing the "cleansing deal" to facilitate his own homecoming, said Payao Akkahad, mother of volunteer medic Kamolkate Akkahad who was killed inside Wat Pathum Wanaram during the 2010 crackdown on red shirts.
She said she was flabbergasted by Pheu Thai's stubborn push for the bill despite opposition from the red shirts, the Democrat Party and the military.
"From now on, red-shirt members will walk a different path from that of Pheu Thai," Ms Payao declared. "They duped people into dying on their behalf. They have trampled over the dead bodies for the return of the de facto leader."
She insisted relatives of the protest victims will fight on for justice. However, she said she will not join the rally held by the Democrats against the amnesty.
Sutachai Yimprasert, assistant history professor at Chulalongkorn University, said the red shirts may be disappointed but they are unlikely to break ties with Pheu Thai or Thaksin.
"The cracks are wide open but the red shirts still love Thaksin even though they may not agree with the blanket amnesty deal," said Mr Sutachai, a red-shirt sympathiser.
He said the red shirts and Thaksin have fought side by side for so many years that they could not just walk away from each other. The red shirts will not overthrow the government of their own choice, he said.
Besides, there is no better choice for either of them, the historian said.
"It's impossible that the red shirts will turn to the Democrats or the yellow shirts, even if they are disappointed," Mr Sutachai said. "Their only choice is to wait for the right moment to usher in change."
Sombat Boongam-anong, a core leader of the Red Sunday Group, said he was caught by surprise and felt disheartened by the quick passage of the amnesty bill.
"He sees what we see [the risks associated with the controversial bill]," Mr Sombat said, referring to former premier Thaksin. "But he still pushes it, so he will have to assume sole responsibility for whatever happens."
Mr Sombat, whose red-shirt faction is an independent movement, said his group has lost faith in the parliamentary process. The amnesty bill, which passed its third and final House reading at 4.25am yesterday, still needs approval from the Senate.
He said his group will continue to oppose granting an amnesty to the authorities who ordered the 2010 crackdown on red-shirt protesters.
He also said the amnesty bill has for the first time given the opposition Democrat Party a legitimate reason to protest.
He predicts the political temperature will heat up, which could lead to the government calling for a House dissolution.
There is also speculation that the amnesty bill, which seeks to absolve any politically related legal cases between 2004 and Aug 8 this year, will benefit those who were convicted in association with the southern unrest.
Aathif Shukuor, from the Academy of Patani Raya for Peace and Development, said he did not think many southern prisoners will benefit from the amnesty.
He is concerned that the blanket amnesty will reinstate a culture of impunity and a tendency to resort to violence among security officials stationed in the southernmost provinces.
"There will be no reconciliation as Buddhist Thais will feel the move benefits ethnic Malay Muslims, who in turn will feel that the law is in favour of the military and police officers," Mr Aathif said.