Bodies found in Mekong those of Surachai’s aides

[webfact]

Bodies found in Mekong those of Surachai’s aides

By THE NATION

 

Photo credit Prachatai.com

 

DNA tests confirm identities; both found strangled and drowned in river; activist not heard from since December 12

 

A FORENSIC report confirmed yesterday that DNA samples collected from two dead bodies found on the banks of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom a few days ago matched the DNA of two missing dissidents who were close aides of former anti-monarchist activist Surachai “Saedan” Danwattananusorn.

 

An official report from the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Bangkok’s Police Hospital indicated that one of the bodies might be that of leftist activist “Comrade Kasalong” as its DNA matches that of his son, Nakhon Phanom police chief Pol Major Thanachart Rodklongtan said.

 

Meanwhile, the DNA of the son of another political activist “Comrade Poochana” matched that of the second body. 

 

Both Kasalong and Poochana, along with Surachai, had not been heard from since December 12, according to their relatives, who believed they might have been living in exile in neighbouring Laos.

 

The relatives of Surachai’s two aides called on police to test the DNA of the two bodies, aged between 30 and 50, after hearing that they might be those of their missing relatives. 

 

 

The two men, whose bodies were found on the banks of the Mekong on December 27 and 29, appeared to have been killed in the same manner – handcuffed and strangled by rope. Their bodies were then weighted down with concrete blocks, wrapped in a net and sack and dumped into the Mekong River, which borders Thailand and Laos. 

 

The 75-year-old former communist insurgent, Surachai, who actively joined the red-shirt movement, had sought refuge in Laos after the May 2014 military coup.

 

The last time his associates had heard from him was on December 12, when he called them from Laos on a cellphone, a Facebook post by Phouphaaseree Saren said. The post said his house in Laos’ Bolikamxay province was left unlocked, the van he regularly used was still parked and his belongings were untouched. The two fugitives living with him – Poochana and Kasalong – have also gone missing, the post read. 

 

National Human Rights Commissioner (NHRC) Angkhana Neelapaijit said the relatives of Surachai’s two aides had contacted her earlier to express their concern. “I told them to lodge a complaint with police for further investigation, and if they fear injustice, they can seek assistance from the NHRC,” she told The Nation. 

 

Several red-shirt dissidents fled Thailand after the Yingluck Shinawatra government was ousted in a military coup in 2014. 

 

Many of the dissidents in exile are considered to be hardcore red-shirts. Five of these dissidents, including Ittipon “DJ Sunho” Sukpaen and Wuttipong “Ko-Tee” Kotthammakhun, have reportedly gone missing. 

 

Their associates say they were murdered in Laos, but there has been no official confirmation and the Laos authorities have refused to acknowledge they had ever lived in the country.

 

 

Meanwhile, Surachai’s wife Pranee Danwattananusorn told Prachatai news website that she had lost contact with her husband a long time ago and had only heard about his disappearance via media, adding that all she could do at this point is pray for his safety. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30362748

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-01-23

[Somtamnication]

Live by the sword.......

[Lungstib]

You would have to be a strong believer in coincidence to believe this was not an act carried out as political vengeance. Thai officials have a poor track record regarding 'disappearance' of its opposition and the military is regularly accused of torture. Being in opposition of a Thai military govt is not a position for the feint hearted, hence they hang around a long time unchallenged.

[sammieuk1]

Lucky suicide can be ruled out early to focus the investigation????

[Denim]

Murder most foul. 

 

What heading does this fall under :

 

Amazing Thailand

Unseen Thailand

Thainess

Land of Smiles ?

 

[owl sees all]

I felt really downhearted when I woke up to this at 5-45. 

 

Could the Junta not see that these "dissidents" were better off alive than dead? Up here in 'Red-Shirt-land' this sad news is going around the villages like a wildfire.

 

Why do the people not love us/me? So ungrateful after all I/we have done for them. We/I/little toad have watched over them. Protected them.

 

Another delay in an election. Until after the crowning; which will surely unite the people.

 

RIP Comrades.

[JAG]

3 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Live by the sword.......

I suppose that rather depends upon your definition of living by the sword...

 

Personally I hardly think that political opposition to the current regime justifies this sort of grisly murder. But as the preceding post suggests, there will be more of this until...

[robblok]

People here are quick to say its the junta just like they were quick to say that the grenade throwing guy was army (during the anti government protests )and false flag They even came with pictures of soldiers saying it was him. Later it turned out it was not (he was recently caught and proven to be a red shirt) and people on this site stayed awfully quiet. 

 

Not saying this is not junta, but there are far more options then just junta. These guys were in Laos not Thailand, quite possible they ruffled some feathers there too.

 

I would not bet my life on either scenario because its all possible. Personally i would think it would be a real stupid move of the junta. Though the junta is known for doing stupid things. So far I haven't seen any proof of them ever murdering people like this during their reign. 

 

 

[thaiguzzi]

RIP Freedom Fighters and true patriots.

By the way, nice t shirt....

[hotchilli]

It's all about to kick-off again... the reins of power, wealth and status are soon to be up for grabs

expect a free-for-all !

[BobbyL]

Definitely the Burmese that did it. 

[bannork]

49 minutes ago, robblok said:

People here are quick to say its the junta just like they were quick to say that the grenade throwing guy was army (during the anti government protests )and false flag They even came with pictures of soldiers saying it was him. Later it turned out it was not (he was recently caught and proven to be a red shirt) and people on this site stayed awfully quiet. 

 

Not saying this is not junta, but there are far more options then just junta. These guys were in Laos not Thailand, quite possible they ruffled some feathers there too.

 

I would not bet my life on either scenario because its all possible. Personally i would think it would be a real stupid move of the junta. Though the junta is known for doing stupid things. So far I haven't seen any proof of them ever murdering people like this during their reign. 

 

 

The murderers did a sloppy job. The concrete blocks showed they obviously thought the bodies would be devoured by fish, leaving simply bones on the river bed to never be discovered. 

They're probably being punished right now.

 

 

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, sammieuk1 said:

Lucky suicide can be ruled out early to focus the investigation????

Has suicide been ruled out, going on previous suicide cases -it's amazing what a Thai can do to make their suicide appear to be other than what it is ---   like two bullets to the head, hands tied behind their backs and found hanging by the neck, suicide weapon located well away from their body - like shot in the left hand side of the head but the weapon located a couple of metres away on their right --  absolute  genius some of them.

[robblok]

21 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

It's all about to kick-off again... the reins of power, wealth and status are soon to be up for grabs

expect a free-for-all !

Lets hope it won't happen, all the violence just to get new crooks in power or keep the old crooks there. Not worth it. (it is worth it of course for the people on top not those who pay for it with their lives)

[JAG]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

People here are quick to say its the junta just like they were quick to say that the grenade throwing guy was army (during the anti government protests )and false flag They even came with pictures of soldiers saying it was him. Later it turned out it was not (he was recently caught and proven to be a red shirt) and people on this site stayed awfully quiet. 

 

Not saying this is not junta, but there are far more options then just junta. These guys were in Laos not Thailand, quite possible they ruffled some feathers there too.

 

I would not bet my life on either scenario because its all possible. Personally i would think it would be a real stupid move of the junta. Though the junta is known for doing stupid things. So far I haven't seen any proof of them ever murdering people like this during their reign. 

 

 

Well, let's not consider deaths from "sudden blood disorders" and wasn't it 'liver disease' whilst in "special custody"? 

Then there was that fellow who managed to hang himself from a doorknob in his cell using his socks! The chap who used to dress up as a malnourished rambo and utter blood curdling yet utterly ridiculous threats, he disappeared rather suddenly and (for a publicity monger) very completely. Now the bodies of two long standing dissidents, (opponents of much which marks out the current regime) bob to the surface and n the Mekong River, strangled and weighed down with nets...

 

No evidence maybe, but no explanations either...

[JimmyJ]

Is the lead up to the election going to cause THB to lose some of it's value relative to other currencies, at least for awhile?

[robblok]

1 minute ago, JAG said:

Well, let's not consider deaths from "sudden blood disorders" and wasn't it 'liver disease' whilst in "special custody"? 

Then there was that fellow who managed to hang himself from a doorknob in his cell using his socks! The chap who used to dress up as a malnourished rambo and utter blood curdling yet utterly ridiculous threats, he disappeared rather suddenly and (for a publicly monger) very completely. Now the bodies of two long standing dissidents, (opponents of much which marks out the current regime) bob to the surface and n the Mekong River, strangled and weighed down with nets...

 

No evidence maybe, but no explanations either...

No evidence at all, a pattern maybe. But these were not all political. I believe the doorknob guy was about corruption and such (i could be wrong please correct me as I am not sure about this one tried a search but came up empty). 

 

Who knows but last time you guys were so certain about grenades being thrown by the army countless on the forum were wrong too. Maybe you remember the case. 

 

I agree there is a strong chance it has been the junta. But I would not exclude other options given there is no real proof at all. 

 

 

[hansnl]

1 hour ago, owl sees all said:

I felt really downhearted when I woke up to this at 5-45. 

 

Could the Junta not see that these "dissidents" were better off alive than dead? Up here in 'Red-Shirt-land' this sad news is going around the villages like a wildfire.

 

Why do the people not love us/me? So ungrateful after all I/we have done for them. We/I/little toad have watched over them. Protected them.

 

Another delay in an election. Until after the crowning; which will surely unite the people.

 

RIP Comrades.

Maybe, just maybe, they overstayed their welcome?

Automatically assuming where the guilt might lay, is rather stupid.

 

[hansnl]

23 minutes ago, robblok said:

Lets hope it won't happen, all the violence just to get new crooks in power or keep the old crooks there. Not worth it. (it is worth it of course for the people on top not those who pay for it with their lives)

 

23 minutes ago, robblok said:

Lets hope it won't happen, all the violence just to get new crooks in power or keep the old crooks there. Not worth it. (it is worth it of course for the people on top not those who pay for it with their lives)

As in nearly all countries of the world.

[owl sees all]

19 minutes ago, hansnl said:

Maybe, just maybe, they overstayed their welcome?

Automatically assuming where the guilt might lay, is rather stupid.

 

Well, I don't think for one minute that anyone is going to say, "fair cop guv', it was me." 

 

If the bodies had been found in Laos* I might have assumed differently. 

 

Don't want to point the finger, but accident and suicide are not appropriate here.

 

* The wife has just informed me that the bodies were found on the Thai side of the river. Latest village gossip I reckon.

[PhilippBKK]

The Heat is on.

Build up to the 2019 showdown...hopefully not, but most likely it will be a most interesting year

[Eric Loh]

Any rational and honest person who knows about the deep state will have no problem identifying the handy work of the institution behind these killings. 

[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, bannork said:

The murderers did a sloppy job

Really ? Maybe not.  Maybe the wanted them found to show what might happen to others.

[robblok]

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

Any rational and honest person who knows about the deep state will have no problem identifying the handy work of the institution behind these killings. 

Yes Eric no proof required unless it goes against your opinion and then it needs to be proven in a court of law before you accept anything. 

[Ulic]

With the historical worldwide record of Communists, I will shed no tears. 

[Eric Loh]

3 minutes ago, robblok said:

Yes Eric no proof required unless it goes against your opinion and then it needs to be proven in a court of law before you accept anything. 

Not an opinion but wealth of knowledge of similar extra judiciary killings related to the institution which you strongly defend shamelessly. You got to be sniffing something to ask for prove in a Thai court of law. 

[robblok]

3 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Not an opinion but wealth of knowledge of similar extra judiciary killings related to the institution which you strongly defend shamelessly. You got to be sniffing something to ask for prove in a Thai court of law. 

No just exposing your bias, when i come with facts far stronger then this you say its speculation while at the same time without any proof (but with a suspicion) you accept this. 

 

This could be the junta not going to say its not likely, but other scenarios are possible too given that people like this in Thailand are involved in all kind of murky things. (people like this I don't mean just red shirts but influential people / politicians are often mixed up into shady deals)

 

Not defending anyone here just saying there are other options too nothing wrong with that its logic.. something lost on you. 

[AGareth2]

23 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Not an opinion but wealth of knowledge of similar extra judiciary killings related to the institution which you strongly defend shamelessly. You got to be sniffing something to ask for prove in a Thai court of law. 

this won't be going to a court of law

[Grossman]

No mention of the third body that that mysteriously went missing soon after being discovered? Wonder who might have that been, considering the body was pretty much disposed in an identical manner...

 

Now, I cannot say whether this was the junta's handiwork (Though I strongly believe this to be the case) or committed by some other shady people for whatever reason. What I can say with almost 100% certainty is that the real perpetrators behind this will never face justice and if this blows up enough, scapegoats a-coming (after a long dragging sham investigation of course). 

 

Rest In Peace. 

[tifino]

 those in power will be crying 'self defence'