No Death Inflicted By Crowd Control During Songkran Mayhem

[webfact]

BIPARTISAN REPORT

No death inflicted by crowd control during Songkran mayhem

By The Nation

The House-appointed committee in charge of investigating the Songkran mayhem has completed its report saying the anti-riot operation did not inflict any death casaulties as feared, its chairman Somsak Boonthong said on Friday.

The report will be submitted to House Speaker Chai Chidchob on Monday.

"The finding is clear - no one died because of the crowd control measures," Somsak said.

The committee report was compiled from the findings of seven subcommittees investigating different aspects of the incident.

The members of the committee and its seven subcommittees were appointed on a bipartisan basis comprising opposition and coalition lawmakers as well as independent experts.

Somsak said his committee looked into the riots and related incidents.

In one of the incidents, a conscripted soldier Apinop Kruasuk died from his head concussion while on guarding duty at the offiicial residence of the First Army Region commanding general.

This led to much speculation linking Apinop's death to his leaking of secrets related to the mayhem. But there was no evidence to substantiate such speculation, Somsak said.

He said his committee did not draw any conclusion nor apportion the blame for what had triggered the riots.

The report made a recommendation, however, to legislate a law dealing with public protests, he said. In future protests, there should be anti-riot forces specifically trained and tasked to handle the situation, he added.

Committee secretary Achaporn Charuchinda said the report ruled out the alleged linkage between the anti-riot operation and two bodies dragged up from the Chao Phya.

Based on evidence, the two killed were not red-shirt guards as previously believed, he said.

During yesterday's final committee session to finalise its report, Pheu Thai MP Worawaj Ua-apinyakul tried to add the audio clip allegedly showing Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's ordering the crowd dispersal to the list of evidence.

Following a heated exchange on the issue, the committee decided to mention the existence of the audio clip in the annex of the report but did not factor it in the report.

-- The Nation 2009/09/11

[givenall]

I hope they will follow the recommendation during upcoming “RED Shirt” demonstration to stop ay ridicules action like the April one. I also hope they can limit the number of gathering in each location to a manageable number

Edited September 11, 2009 by webfact
no need for full quote in 1st reply

[mulliganstew]

BIPARTISAN REPORT

No death inflicted by crowd control during Songkran mayhem

The House-appointed committee in charge of investigating the Songkran mayhem has completed its report saying the anti-riot operation did not inflict any death casaulties

"The finding is clear - no one died because of the crowd control measures," Somsak said.

Anyone remember the Al Jazeera Interview...on "Black Songkran Day"?

Thaksin's Interview on Monday, April 13, 2009,

Thaksin: The military came out with M-16s and they shot at the heart of the people. Many people died and they just take the dead bodies away.

and once again, Thaksin has shown his pathological liar trait.

Edited September 11, 2009 by mulliganstew

[frodo]

BIPARTISAN REPORT

No death inflicted by crowd control during Songkran mayhem

The House-appointed committee in charge of investigating the Songkran mayhem has completed its report saying the anti-riot operation did not inflict any death casaulties

"The finding is clear - no one died because of the crowd control measures," Somsak said.

Anyone remember the Al Jazeera Interview...on "Black Songkran Day"?

Thaksin's Interview on Monday, April 13, 2009,

Thaksin: The military came out with M-16s and they shot at the heart of the people. Many people died and they just take the dead bodies away.

and once again, Thaksin has shown his pathological liar trait.

So true. Everything he said and continues to say is nothing but an utter lie. This is my feeling, but I think he had written his scripts well before the riots...in his mind there would be the bloodshed which he desired for his "Godlike" comeback. Thank goodness his sickness didn't infect the common sense of those protecting the city.

[animatic]

The report made a recommendation, however, to legislate a law dealing with public protests, he said.

In future protests, there should be anti-riot forces specifically trained and tasked to handle the situation, he added.

This is likely the most important part of this.

But it also officially states that the Red / Thaksin / PTP charges are false.

What this means about Chalerm and others wailing about this in parliament might mean.

Certqainly this will cause much nashing of teeth in red circles.

Tll they remember toi say the Bi-Partisan commision is biased and lying etc.

[webfact]

'No red shirts killed' in protest crackdown

By The Nation

Published on September 12, 2009

The fact-finding committee probing the Songkran mayhem yesterday concluded that no red-shirted protesters were killed during the crackdown.

Somsak Boonthong, chairman of the committee, said after its meeting that the panel had finalised its findings after gathering facts from all places where the incidents took place.

"We did not conclude who is right or wrong. We just figured out where the protests took place and how it happened," Somsak said.

The death of Private Apinop Kruasuk, who was found dead at the home of First Army Region commander Lt-General Kanit Sapithak on April 15, and two bodies found near Chao Phya River had no relation to the protests. Kanit's autopsy showed that he was hit on the head with a blunt object, Somsak said.

The committee also added suggestions that in future there should be a law to specifically handle any protest and a special task force should be set up to do that task. The military should not be involved in any protest crackdown.

They will also produce a transcript of the testimony of forensic police and Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan, director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science, about Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's audio clip in the annex of the report.

The committee will send the conclusions to House Speaker Chai Chidchob next Monday.

-- The Nation 2009/09/12

[animatic]

A rather loud silence from the Red Side on this one.

Since several so loudly trumpeted the deaths inflicted by the military.

And considering Thaksin got caught red handed, or red-mouthed

on international television, spouting lies from a script,

that are AGAIN proved false by a BIPARTISAN investigation.

[Cayenne]

Remember, the Red Shirts have still yet to show the "hundreds of corpses" that they promise to reveal in the aftermath of the riots. I guess with this report they are all "red-faced" after all.

[hammered]

Interesting to see if PTP members of the committee wer erin agreement or issued a minority statement. The implication in the media reports is that all the committee were in agreement althoguh that is not explicitly stated.

[webfact]

Something surprises me. Only 9 postings in this thread so far......

[hammered]

Something surprises me. Only 9 postings in this thread so far......

I would think one side in the usual er debates are waiting to see what the party line on this will be

[Briggsy]

This report has very little credibility.

They are still denying any deaths from massacres in 73, 76 & 92. Not saying there was any massacre here, mind, just saying the whitewash report from the government committee is absolutely bog standard procedure here.

[ThNiner]

This report has very little credibility.

They are still denying any deaths from massacres in 73, 76 & 92. Not saying there was any massacre here, mind, just saying the whitewash report from the government committee is absolutely bog standard procedure here.

Who are "they"? And how do "they" have anything to do with this committee? As for the reds, if you can't find the bodies and still wanna insist about the Songkran "massacre", why don't you just bring out the relatives and the familes of those missing people? Why haven't any of the relatives of the "dead" come out to the public?

[Sel]

I wonder if this woman is convinced

[ThNiner]

I wonder if this woman is convinced

And I wonder where she's been all these months after Songkran? Plenty of time for her to publically and formally charge the current gov't of wrongdoings if she had any evidence of them. I'm sure the red leaders would not hesitate to help make her case. So what happened?

PS. I know she was crying. But where the tears?

[ThNiner]

And there's really no context that anyone can really draw from the clip. When did it happen? Where did it take place? Why no red shirts in sight? And what's with the guy who's pushing the cart at the end of clip? Looks like he's collecting glass, old newspapers, and cardboards or something.

[animatic]

One hysterical old lady does not make 100 dead bodies credible.

Bipartisan implies both sides came to similar conclusions.

[Sel]

Happend very close to soi sri Ayuthya Bangkok near tewet market about 1pm on the last day of the violence. No 1 was wearing a red shirt but the group of about 200 were red shirt supporters with a mobile loudspeaker platform and speakers. About 30 minutes after recording a guy was showing the picture of a guy being drag away after apparently being shot dead (the picture that started the killing people accusation that was on cnn ireport).

[ThNiner]

Happend very close to soi sri Ayuthya Bangkok near tewet market about 1pm on the last day of the violence. No 1 was wearing a red shirt but the group of about 200 were red shirt supporters with a mobile loudspeaker platform and speakers. About 30 minutes after recording a guy was showing the picture of a guy being drag away after apparently being shot dead (the picture that started the killing people accusation that was on cnn ireport).

I hope that "dead" body was not of the same dude who was later proven to still be alive at Rajvithee hospital. This thing was on tv for quite a while I remember. Anyway, I like the empty recollection with no evidence though. It's fun.

[fabianfred]

Knowing the propensity of governments to lie to their people.... I have no confidence in any official declaration.

Those in power can easily manipulate the media..... look at how many still believe the Government line on 9/11....