Aryanews- An autopsy carried out by an independent panel found that nine "Red Shirt" protesters who died in the weekend´s bloddy clashes with Thai security forces had been killed by gunshots.
The anti-goverment rallies in Bangkok, turned violent when troops tried to clear protesters from one of two sites on Saturday, killing 17 civilians, including a Japanese journalist.
The confrontation also led to the death of four soldiers.
"The autopsy result found that nine out of ten bodies (all protesters) were shot to death," Lieutenant General Jongjet Aaojenpob, director of the police hospital said.
The results have been published while the other civilians killed in the incidents are still awaited.
Both sides accuse each other of using live ammunition.
Weapons were used only in self-defence and to fire into the air. We don't find any evidence that soldiers used weapons against people," government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn told a press conference on Sunday.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who has refused to bow to protesters' demands he resign, accused "terrorists" of inciting the deadly weekend violence, in which more than 800 people were also wounded.
The government said an investigation had been launched into the violence.