Thailand rules out sending bodies abroad for DNA tests

BANGKOK: -- Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan today ruled out the possibility of sending the bodies of tsunami victims abroad to conduct DNA tests, saying that Thailand would conduct the tests itself.

Mrs. Sudarat’s announcement came after speculations that the bodies might be sent to China for examination.

The public health minister said that in the country's southern province of Phang-nga, where over 4,000 people were killed, three forensic teams were now working to identify the corpses.

The first, headed by Dr. Khun Ying Porntip Rojanasunun, Thailand’s leading forensic expert and the Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, is examining around 2,000 bodies being housed at the Yan Yao Temple in Takua Pa district.

In the same district, a second team from medical colleges is based at the Bang Muang Temple to examine around 1,400 bodies, while a police forensic team is looking at around 300 corpses held at the La Kaem Temple in Thai Muang district, as well as around 1,000 bodies from the nearby Phuket, Krabi and Ranong Provinces.

The three teams, which will collect DNA evidence both from the victims themselves and from relatives, are being coordinated by Dr. Suphachai Khunarattanapruek, deputy permanent secretary for public health.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is, meanwhile, asking foreign embassies to send in the DNA of the relatives of those dead and missing in order that the DNA samples can be matched up.

Once the DNA has been matched, the bodies will be returned to their relatives.

--TNA 2005-01-05

Missing persons centre to hold data for five years

PHANG-NGA: -- The Ministry of Justice has set up a missing persons centre which will keep data on last week's tsunami victims for five years, Thailand’s leading forensic expert announced today.

Dr. Khun Ying Porntip Rojanasunun, Deputy Director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, said that forensic experts were continuing to collect information from corpses, but that most bodies had already been retrieved, and that the number of confirmed dead had probably begun to stabilize.

Once DNA evidence was collected from all the bodies, she said, it would be brought together in a Ministry of Justice centre for missing persons to enable the Royal Thai Police's Special Investigation Branch to begin the hunt for relatives.

Both Thais and foreigners will be able to search the centre for information, both on the centre’s website and by going there in person.

All evidence, including background information, DNA evidence and photographs, will be kept at the centre for five years.

Dr. Khun Ying Porntip said that forensic experts were still working to collect information from bodies in the southern Phang-nga Province, where more than 4,000 people were killed by the tsunamis on 26 December.

--TNA 2005-01-05