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  1. #1
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    Exclusive: Probe reveals Thai troops' role in civilian deaths

    Exclusive: Probe reveals Thai troops' role in civilian deaths | Reuters

    Exclusive: Probe reveals Thai troops' role in civilian deaths

    12:00am GMT+0700

    By Jason Szep and Ambika Ahuja
    BANGKOK | Thu Dec 9, 2010 11:07pm EST

    BANGKOK (Reuters) - The Thai military played a larger role in the killing of civilians during political unrest in Bangkok this year than officials have acknowledged, leaked state documents seen by Reuters show.

    A preliminary state probe into political violence in April and May concluded Thai special forces positioned on an elevated railway track fired into the grounds of a Buddhist temple where several thousand protesters had taken refuge on May 19.

    Three of six people shot dead at the temple were likely killed by troops, the investigation found, directly contradicting statements by the Thai military, which has denied soldiers were responsible for the killings at the temple.

    The report said there was not enough evidence to come to a conclusion about who was responsible for the other three deaths in the temple, but it said all six victims were hit by high-velocity bullets.

    "There is a reasonable amount of facts, evidence and witness accounts to believe that (three) deaths resulted from security officials' actions on duty,"" the investigators said, recommending that police look into the deaths further.

    The report quoted soldiers involved as saying they fired warning shots and cover fire, and had been shot at from the temple.

    The findings by Thailand's Department of Special Investigation (DSI) are likely to embolden the "red shirt" anti-government protest movement challenging the legitimacy of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who in June blamed armed elements among the protesters for the temple deaths.

    Wat Prathum Wanaram, a Buddhist temple, had been designated a "safe zone" for women, children, the elderly and the infirm. Thousands fled there when the military used force on May 19 to disperse protesters occupying a nearby commercial district.

    According to the DSI's investigation, witnesses reported scenes of chaos outside the temple as gunshots rang out and civilians fled a shopping area.

    One witness said he saw soldiers firing from the elevated train track into a medical tent inside the compound, where two nurses treating wounded civilians were killed.

    Ninety-one people were killed and at least 1,800 were wounded during the unrest in April and May. More than 30 buildings were set on fire. It was the worst political violence in modern Thai history.

    REUTERS CAMERAMAN LIKELY KILLED BY TROOPS, REPORT SHOWS

    The DSI is investigating a total of 89 deaths linked to the unrest but the government has yet to publicly release any findings despite pressure from human rights groups.

    The findings seen by Reuters were contained in two DSI reports -- one on the temple shootings and another on the April 10 death of Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto.

    Muramoto, a 43-year-old Japanese national based in Tokyo, was killed by a high-velocity bullet wound to the chest while covering protests in Bangkok's old quarter.

    The report quoted a witness who said Muramoto collapsed as gunfire flashed from the direction of soldiers. Thailand's government has not yet publicly released the report into his death despite intense diplomatic pressure from Japan.

    Reuters Editor in Chief David Schlesinger called for the immediate public release of the full report.

    "The Thai authorities owe it to Hiro's family to reveal exactly how this tragedy happened and who was responsible," Schlesinger said in a statement.

    The detailed accounts of soldiers opening fire on civilians could inflame public anger and galvanize supporters of twice-elected and now-fugitive former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, who has called for an international probe into the April-May violence, including the contentious deaths at the temple.

    One witness hiding under a car at the temple said he was shot at four or five times by men in camouflage uniforms positioned on the elevated mass transit Skytrain track.

    He was hit once and helped to safety by a monk. Autopsies showed bullets found in four of the six bodies inside the temple were the same type that soldiers on the elevated tracks said they were equipped with. An unknown number of people were wounded at the temple.

    "OFFICIAL SECRET"

    Soldiers quoted in the DSI report said they fired warning shots toward the temple and came under fire from black-clad gunmen from below and by another gunman in the temple. They said they were providing cover fire for troops on the ground, who had requested backup.

    Tharit Pengdith, director general of the Department of Special Investigation, said the DSI had concluded its preliminary investigation and passed the results to the police but had not publicly disclosed the contents.

    "The investigation report is a sensitive issue to talk about or to confirm its authenticity," he said. "It's an official secret. To confirm the authenticity of the report sent to police would affect the rights of the people whose names were in it."

    He would neither confirm nor deny the authenticity of the two reports seen by Reuters but said police will now investigate the case of the three people believed to have been killed by troops at the temple, along with three others possibly killed by troops, including Muramoto.

    The results of the police investigation will be sent to the DSI and government prosecutors.

    If troops are found responsible for civilian deaths, families could sue for compensation. But authorities could also claim shootings were committed in the line of official duty.

    (Additional reporting by Andrew Marshall in Singapore; editing by Andrew Marshall and John Chalmers)
    "Slavery is the daughter of darkness; an ignorant people is the blind instrument of its own destruction; ambition and intrigue take advantage of the credulity and inexperience of men who have no political, economic or civil knowledge. They mistake pure illusion for reality, license for freedom, treason for patriotism, vengeance for justice."-Simón Bolívar

  2. #2
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    the cover up over the reuters reporter's death is unlikely to make reuters happy

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by StrontiumDog
    A preliminary state probe into political violence in April and May concluded Thai special forces positioned on an elevated railway track fired into the grounds of a Buddhist temple where several thousand protesters had taken refuge on May 19.
    Quote Originally Posted by StrontiumDog
    One witness said he saw soldiers firing from the elevated train track into a medical tent inside the compound, where two nurses treating wounded civilians were killed.
    Quote Originally Posted by StrontiumDog
    He was hit once and helped to safety by a monk. Autopsies showed bullets found in four of the six bodies inside the temple were the same type that soldiers on the elevated tracks said they were equipped with.
    Where is TH?

  4. #4
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    Firing into a Temple from an elevated position at unarmed protesters and paramedics. With snipers bullets. Very nice.

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    Where's the big pile of shite smilie?

    This will do.....
    Last edited by StrontiumDog; 10-12-2010 at 02:49 PM.

  6. #6
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    watch this go nowhere , after all TIT

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    Quote Originally Posted by StrontiumDog View Post
    Soldiers quoted in the DSI report said they fired warning shots toward the temple and came under fire from black-clad gunmen from below and by another gunman in the temple. They said they were providing cover fire for troops on the ground, who had requested backup.
    From below? If they saw them then why didn't they fire at the black-clad gunmen rather then the medical tent. I can't believe that they made it through their special forces training without being able to shot at the correct targets.

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    ^ don't forget that by this stage they had been targeting (killing) civilians all week, so it was second nature to them by this time...

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    Abhisit should resign.

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    Quote Originally Posted by sabang View Post
    Firing into a Temple from an elevated position at unarmed protesters and paramedics. With snipers bullets. Very nice.
    followed by lies, cover ups and denials by the government just rubs salt into it all.

    its an absolute disgrace.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by mc2 View Post
    Abhisit should resign.
    He should've resigned after the debacle in May. I doubt there's much hope of it now.

  12. #12
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    Leak implicates Thai military in civilian deaths
    Zoe Daniel

    Leaked documents show the Thai military was probably responsible for the deaths of several civilians and one journalist during political unrest earlier this year.

    The documents leaked to Reuters are said to show the findings of a Thai department of special investigation report into civilian deaths in political unrest in April and May.

    Contrary to government statements, the report says soldiers firing into a temple complex where civilians were sheltering probably killed at least three people, including two nurses.

    Three others killed are also said to have been hit by high-velocity bullets.
    The report also says a Reuters cameraman, Japanese national Hiro Muramoto, was probably killed by gunfire from the army.

    xxx.xxx.xx

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    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010...s-military-may

    Leaked report reveals Thai military responsible for protesters' deaths

    Separate report concludes Thai army also responsible for death of Reuters cameraman

    • Mark Tran
    • guardian.co.uk, Friday 10 December 2010 14.29 GMT
    • Demonstrators take to the streets of Bangkok during a protest rally. Photograph: David Longstreath/AP

    Thai soldiers were responsible for the deaths of three people at a Bangkok Buddhist temple during demonstrations in May, leaked government documents revealed today.

    The preliminary investigation, seen by Reuters, concluded that Thai special forces on an elevated railway track fired into the grounds of a temple where several thousand protesters had taken refuge on 19 May. A separate leaked report concluded that the bullet that killed a Reuters cameraman in protests the following month was also probably fired by a Thai soldier.

    The findings of the investigation flatly contradict statements by the Thai military, which has denied soldiers were responsible for the temple deaths.

    The report from Thailand's department of special investigation (DSI) said there was not enough evidence to determine who was responsible for three further deaths in the temple, but said all six victims were hit by high velocity bullets.

    "There is a reasonable amount of facts, evidence and witness accounts to believe that [three] deaths resulted from security officials' actions on duty," Reuters quoted investigators as saying. The report recommended that police investigate the deaths further.

    At the time of the protests, Amnesty International condemned the use of live ammunition against demonstrators. Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty's Thailand researcher, spoke of eyewitness accounts and video recordings showing the military firing live rounds at unarmed people.

    Wat Pathum Wanaram, a Buddhist temple, had been designated a safe zone for women, children, the elderly and the infirm. Thousands fled there when the military used force to disperse protesters occupying a nearby commercial district.

    According to the DSI's investigation, witnesses reported scenes of chaos outside the temple as gunshots rang out and civilians fled a shopping area. One witness said he saw soldiers firing from the raised train track into a medical tent inside the compound, where two nurses treating wounded civilians were killed. In total, 91 people were killed and at least 1,800 were wounded during the unrest in April and May. More than 30 buildings were set on fire in the worst political violence in modern Thai history. The Thai prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, blamed armed elements among the protesters for the temple deaths.

    Another DSI report, into the death of Reuters cameraman Hiro Muramoto, quoted a witness as saying that Muramoto collapsed as gunfire flashed from the direction of soldiers. Muramoto, a 43-year-old Japanese citizen based in Tokyo, was killed by a high velocity bullet wound to the chest while covering protests in Bangkok's old quarter.

    "There is a reasonable amount of facts and evidence to believe that the death of Hiro was due to an act of the security forces who said they were acting according to official duty," the DSI report said, recommending police investigate the case further. Thailand's government has not yet publicly released the report into his death despite intense diplomatic pressure from Japan.

    The leaks came amid reports that the centre for the resolution of emergency situations (CRES), an ad hoc civilian-military body, will recommend a lifting of the state of emergency that came into force in April, as it believes that the political situation has returned to normal.

    The US group Human Rights Watch said last month that the Thai authorities were using emergency powers to violate fundamental rights and obstruct efforts to bring abusers to justice after the clashes. It said under the state of emergency, the authorities had detained suspects without charge for extended periods, using unofficial detention facilities with inadequate safeguards against possible abuse, and had imposed widespread censorship. In addition, officials in effect have immunity from prosecution for most acts committed under the decree.

    The protests began in March when the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, known as the redshirts, took to the streets calling for the dissolution of parliament and new elections. Many of them back the former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was deposed in a 2006 coup and is currently in voluntary exile. Shinawatra has called for an international investigation into the violence, including the deaths at the temple.

  14. #14
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    http://asiancorrespondent.com/bangko...the-dsi-report

    Reuters obtains DSI report on Bangkok protests UPDATE With comments from Thai PM


    Dec. 10 2010 - 06:08 pm
    UPDATE: Reuters has a comment from Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva:
    Asked by Reuters to comment on the leaked documents, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva did not deny their authenticity, but said investigations were still not complete and efforts were being made to expedite the process.

    "The next step will involve the judicial process so we can't react to any incomplete information", he said.
    BP: Also, Andrew Marshall of Reuters confirms that the documents that Reuters were obtained were more comprehensive that those passed out by red shirt leader Jatuporn. His exact words are "Jatuporn handed out partial scraps of information taken from the reports. We saw the full documents".
    --
    First, some background to the Reuters story. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is the investigative agency who have been investigating crimes committed during the red shirt protests from March-May. Last month, DSI publicly and directly blamed the red shirts in eight instances whereas in other cases they were less definite saying "maybe" the security forces killed the red shirts.

    At the time, The Nation had a story entitled "Reds, 'men in black' involved in eight cases of deaths, four unknown: DSI"
    There are eight cases of deaths during the anti-government protests from March to May involving the red shirts and the “men in black”, while the cause of deaths in four other cases is unknown but they could have resulted from a crackdown by security forces, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said yesterday.

    The deaths caused by red shirts include the killing of five soldiers at Khok Wua Intersection on April 10, an M79 attack on Silom Skytrain station, which killed one woman, two drive-by shootings in which two policemen were killed, an ambush on a military vehicle that saw one soldier killed, and an M79 attack near Lumpini Park in which one soldier died.

    Included in the eight cases is an arson attack on CentralWorld, in which one person was killed, and a post-protest bomb attack in front of Big C Rajdamri that killed a man, said DSI Director-General Tharit Phengdit.

    The deaths in four cases possibly involving security forces are: three deaths in Wat Pathum Wanaram, out of a total of six in the temple compound; the death of Private Narongrit Sala, who was shot dead on Vibhavadi Rangsit highway; the death of Japanese photographer Hiroyuki Muramoto; and the death of a Suan Dusit zoo guard.
    The Bangkok Post article is entitled "DSI concludes probe into 18 deaths" and the key excerpts are:
    DSI chief Tharit Pengsit said out of the 18 deaths, 12 were found to have been caused by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and its supporting armed elements.

    It could not yet be determined if the six other deaths were caused by the UDD or government authorities.
    ...
    Altogether 12 people - soldiers, police and civilians - were killed in attacks by the UDD and supporting elements, Mr Tharit said.

    The DSI could not definitely determine whether the deaths of six people were caused by the UDD, its supporting groups, or government authorities.
    BP: Have checked the wording in Thai from this Matichon report and it matches. DSI is definitive in that the red shirts caused deaths in eight cases whereas DSI is vague about the other cases. BP should note that this is the DSI declaring the result. The basis for the conclusions drawn were not provided except to state that in regards to the deaths at the temple as per The Nation:
    The three deaths in the temple implicating security forces come from a trajectory study indicating that the bullets that killed them were fired from “declined angles” which is consistent with Army snipers and soldiers who were positioned on the elevated BTS track overlooking the temple.
    BP: Alternatively, it could have been mysterious gunmen standing next to the army snipers which the army didn't notice.....

    In fairness to DSI for the rest of the deaths, we don't know what evidence they have.* They may have convincing evidence, but there is no way to know or evaluate based on a simple conclusion as it is not as if the DSI Chief has the best reputation for neutrality.

    Nevertheless, it is unsurprising with the DSI being some definite about what the the red shirts did, but then seemingly non-committal about what the military did that more details of the report would not leak. Reuters who have obtained an exclusive with details from the DSI report. Some excerpts are reproduced below although you should read the article for all the details:
    The Thai military played a larger role in the killing of civilians during political unrest in Bangkok this year than officials have acknowledged, leaked state documents seen by Reuters show.

    A preliminary state probe into political violence in April and May concluded Thai special forces positioned on an elevated railway track fired into the grounds of a Buddhist temple where several thousand protesters had taken refuge on May 19.

    Three of six people shot dead at the temple were likely killed by troops, the investigation found, directly contradicting statements by the Thai military, which has denied soldiers were responsible for the killings at the temple.

    The report said there was not enough evidence to come to a conclusion about who was responsible for the other three deaths in the temple, but it said all six victims were hit by high-velocity bullets.

    "There is a reasonable amount of facts, evidence and witness accounts to believe that (three) deaths resulted from security officials' actions on duty,"" the investigators said, recommending that police look into the deaths further.

    The report quoted soldiers involved as saying they fired warning shots and cover fire, and had been shot at from the temple.
    BP: Have a read of one of BP's earlier blog postings with photos of the soldiers on the tracks which the military were denying were theirs (they said they were standing 100 metres away). The Reuters report continues:
    One witness said he saw soldiers firing from the elevated train track into a medical tent inside the compound, where two nurses treating wounded civilians were killed.
    ...
    One witness hiding under a car at the temple said he was shot at four or five times by men in camouflage uniforms positioned on the elevated mass transit Skytrain track.

    He was hit once and helped to safety by a monk. Autopsies showed bullets found in four of the six bodies inside the temple were the same type that soldiers on the elevated tracks said they were equipped with. An unknown number of people were wounded at the temple.

    Soldiers quoted in the DSI report said they fired warning shots toward the temple and came under fire from black-clad gunmen from below and by another gunman in the temple. They said they were providing cover fire for troops on the ground, who had requested backup.

    Tharit Pengdith, director general of the Department of Special Investigation, said the DSI had concluded its preliminary investigation and passed the results to the police but had not publicly disclosed the contents.

    "The investigation report is a sensitive issue to talk about or to confirm its authenticity," he said. "It's an official secret. To confirm the authenticity of the report sent to police would affect the rights of the people whose names were in it."
    BP: Sensitive because it implicates people? Why then do we have these DSI press conferences which implicate people. Aren't their rights also affected? There were plenty of people inside the temple, including foreign journalists, so we will have to see if the military can find a corroborating witness about the gunman in the temple...

    There is also a second Reuters article specifically on the part of the report into the death of the Reuters cameraman.

    Coincidentally, this is being leaked not long before Thaksin is scheduled to speak in person/by video conference in the US about the crackdown....

    *Just wanted to say one additional thing. There are some who believe that the red shirts/men in black never killed anyone or never burnt down any buildings. There are others who believe that it was unidentified people (the mysterious third hand) or the red shirts themselves who killed the red shirts and others and the army was not responsible. BP would just ask that you broaden your horizons and open your eyes because there are enough videos and photos and eyewitness testimony around that contradicts these polar extremes...

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    Quote Originally Posted by StrontiumDog
    One witness said he saw soldiers firing from the elevated train track into a medical tent inside the compound, where two nurses treating wounded civilians were killed.
    This should absolutely be acted on as a crime. The soldiers and unit concerned will certainly be known.

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    Just a note...The Nation hasn't mentioned this story at all on its website as of this time of writing...

    Bizarre!

  17. #17
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    The noose is closing on the criminals murderers of the 90 innocent protestors.
    This is all coming out on the back of the tremendous work by Amsterdam in chronicaling the murderous events of the military proxy government and recording first hand the eyewitness testimony of the crimes commited.
    In the past the amart have done the crime and run, this time the incriminating evidence is in their faces.
    Bring on the world court appearances

  18. #18
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    Most articles in this thread are from international sources, local media is not reporting it i guess.

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    ^

    also obvious is the silence from the usual suspects ,

    you know who you are

  20. #20
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    Hopes for justice fading fast
    11/12/2010

    Holding state to task for cracking down on the red shirts will not be easy

    Holding security officers to account for their role in the crackdowns on red shirt protesters this year will be difficult, even if a critical report by the Department of Special Investigation suggests they are more culpable than they have let on.


    Thousands of red shirts gather at Democracy Monument to mark Constitution Day yesterday and attack the government for continuing to keep their compatriots from the April-May protests in detention.
    CHANAT KATANYU

    The report, still under wraps, has gone to police for further investigation, but for people affected by the violence, the task of taking legal action against the state already looks enormous.

    They face several hurdles, including the possibility that troops will enjoy legal immunity under the emergency decree from prosecution; the reluctance of state agencies to cooperate with official inquiries under way into what happened; and the hesitancy of some victims to come forward to claim compensation and file complaints.

    They fear they may be persecuted further by the state.

    The poor prospects for seeking justice from the state are starting to emerge amid indications that the military played a larger role in the killing of civilians during the recent political unrest than officials have been willing to admit.

    The Reuters news agency revealed yesterday it had seen state documents into the clashes between red shirts and the state which raised new questions about the fate of six civilians found dead at a city temple.

    It said a preliminary probe by the Department of Special Investigation into the May 19 crackdown concluded that special forces on an elevated railway track fired into the grounds of Wat Pathum Wanaram, near Ratchaprasong intersection where several thousand protesters from the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) took refuge.

    Three of six people shot dead at the temple were probably killed by troops, the investigation found, contradicting statements by the military, which has denied soldiers were responsible for the killings at the temple.

    A senior DSI official told the Bangkok Post late last month that an investigation had found that security forces were involved in the deaths of 13 of the 90 people killed in Bangkok during the red shirt rallies.

    Among the 13 were Reuters' Japanese cameraman Hiroyuki Muramoto; Pvt Narongrit Sala, who was shot during clashes on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road; Mana Atran, who was shot at Dusit Zoo; and three people found dead inside Wat Pathum Wanaram - Rop Suksathit, Mongkol Kemtong and Suwan Sriraksa.

    The DSI claimed it had evidence to back its assumption, but asked police to investigate further.

    The DSI has sent the 13 cases back to the police for further investigation.

    According to Reuters, the report said there was not enough evidence to come to a conclusion about who was responsible for the other three deaths in the temple, but it said all six victims were hit by high-velocity bullets.

    "There is a reasonable amount of facts, evidence and witness accounts to believe that [three] deaths resulted from security officials' actions while on duty," investigators said.

    The report quoted soldiers involved as saying they fired warning shots and cover fire, and were shot at from the temple.

    One witness said he saw soldiers firing from the elevated train track into a medical tent inside the compound, where two nurses treating wounded civilians were killed.

    Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva declined to comment yesterday.

    Legal experts have raised concerns that security officers involved in the crackdowns on the red shirt protesters are likely to enjoy legal immunity under the emergency decree that was imposed at the time.

    Panat Tasneyanond, former dean of Thammasat University law faculty, said victims may find it hard to file cases against authorities in the Criminal Court.

    The judiciary may lend weight to the use of authorities' discretion permitted by emergency rule, he said.

    Meanwhile, the government-appointed Truth for Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which is looking into the crackdown, has faced bureaucratic obstacles as some state agencies have proved slow to cooperate.

    Somchai Hom-laor, a TRC member, said the army had given the panel few insights about its operation. The DSI has provided a summary of its investigations, not the full reports, he said.

    Ronnachai Khongsakont, who heads a committee in charge of compensation and rehabilitation for people affected by the violence, said the panel has received about 400 complaints.

    Many victims and their relatives feared they might be arrested for taking part in the protests. "Some people are reluctant to come to us, so we have to visit them. We have visited five communities in Bangkok and some in Khon Kaen," Mr Ronnachai said.

    Chaiwat Pumpuang, a photographer for The Nation who was injured during the clashes, said state agencies have shown no sincerity in providing assistance to people affected by the riots.

    "I may sue for damages if there are no measures to compensate. I can no longer work as an able-bodied person. I have been offered 5,000 baht a month for the rest of my life," he said.

    He was shot in the leg during the clashes on May 15. He undergoes daily physical therapy and now uses a cane.

    bangkokpost.com
    Last edited by Mid; 11-12-2010 at 06:19 AM.

  21. #21
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    Welcome to BURMA

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    Bangkok Post : Diplomats demand answers

    Diplomats demand answers
    • Published: 11/12/2010 at 12:00 AM
    • Newspaper section: News

    International governments have expressed their disappointment with a lack of progress in investigations into deaths and injuries during the military's crackdown on red shirt protesters.

    They warned that Thailand's failure to establish the truth would hurt its long-term credibility and international relations.

    About 30 diplomatic representatives including six ambassadors expressed their frustrations at a meeting on Thursday with key members of the government-appointed Truth for Reconciliation Commission (TRC), sources from the meeting told the Bangkok Post.

    Their key concern was that culprits may be let off the hook.

    In April and May, the military's operation to disperse protests by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship in Bangkok resulted in clashes involving security forces, civilians and those claimed by the government to be unidentified armed men. There were 90 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries.

    An Italian photographer and a Japanese reporter were among those killed.

    The strongest message at the meeting was from Italy's ambassador to Thailand, Michelangelo Pipan, who said the government's failure to disclose the truth would hurt Thailand's relationships.

    "He said he was not impressed with the investigations of the TRC and other state agencies such as the Department of Special Investigation," said a source.

    The Italian ambassador told the TRC to urge the DSI to make better progress in its probe. Most diplomats questioned the accountability of those behind violent and fatal actions. They doubted whether investigations would lead to anyone being punished for wrongdoing.

    TRC head Kanit na Nakorn said Italy particularly wanted to know about the circumstances of the Italian photographer's death. Switzerland has assigned experts to examine protest sites.

    Seeking the truth has been a difficult task for the TRC, which has no authority to subpoena witnesses.

    Somchai Hom-laor, a TRC member, said the army had made it clear it would not reveal details about its operations - even though it had previously promised the panel it would provide its detailed plan. "But the army recently told us they had no such plan. They said they just handled situations on a daily basis," Mr Somchai said.

    The TRC investigation has found that several pieces of forensic evidence, such as bullet shells, have disappeared, he said. Some bullet shells indicate they were from weapons possessed by state agencies, he said.

    A source quoted Mr Somchai as saying many witnesses had refused to give information to the TRC because they feared repercussions.

  23. #23
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    StrontiumDog's Avatar
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    Well, The Bangkok Post has covered it, even made its main story on the front page and added this additional item. Their report seems pretty good.

    Once again The Bangkok Post is shown to be the better paper....

    But nothing on The Nation's page. Nothing. Shocking.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mid
    Three of six people shot dead at the temple were probably killed by troops, the investigation found,
    All of the six people killed at the temple were 'probably' (ie almost definitely) killed by troops- the same specialised, pointed tip bullets were used. Three of those six were definitely killed by troops though. This would appear to include two paramedics, killed while in a tent attending to the injured. The type of bullet used, and the fact they were firing into a tent with knowledge of where they were likely to hit people indicates to me they were snipers, or had snipers training. The fact they were operating from the elevated skytrain tracks also backs this up.

    So some questions that will not be asked in the media. Snipers just don't spontaneously pop up- they are a specialised unit, and are deployed under orders.
    1- Who was commanding them & what rank?
    2- Were they under orders to fire into the Wat, or did they act on their own discretion? Who's orders?
    3- Who was the most senior officer present?
    4- Why did they fire into a tent?
    5- Was there any sign (such as a Red Cross) on the tent, or on the paramedics, indicating that they were so?
    6- Did they shoot to kill? if so, on who's orders?

    Firing at unarmed protesters seeking sanctuary in a place of worship is bad enough.
    Lethally shooting uninvolved paramedics carrying out their duty in a place of sanctuary is about as low as it gets.
    Last edited by sabang; 11-12-2010 at 10:09 AM.

  25. #25
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    Thai military. Killing Thais seems to be its only purpose.

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