No 'Men-In-Black' Link Found In Bangkok's CentralWorld Fire: DSI

[webfact]

No 'men-in-black' in CentralWorld fire: DSI

THE NATION

File photo. Source: wikimedia

BANGKOK: -- The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said yesterday there were no "men in black" linked to the fire at CentralWorld in the aftermath of the 2010 red-shirt protests.

DSI director-general Tarit Pengdith said the case involved charges of theft and arson - not terrorism - and that the DSI has identified nine suspects.

The Bangkok South Criminal Court sentenced six suspects to six months jail each last December for violating the Emergency Act. A seventh suspect was sentenced to three years and six months after the court found he committed larceny.

Two other suspects, both juveniles, are awaiting a decision by the Central Juvenile and Family Court.

Tarit said seven arrest warrants had been issued in the arson case. One of the suspects was among the six convicted of violating the Emergency Act and two others were the juveniles. A fourth suspect has been identified as Saichon Paebua, who is already under arrest. Three others were unidentified men whose pictures had been posted.

The arson suspects had also been identified by the mall's security guards.

The DSI's witness hearings for the arson case have been scheduled for next month, he said.

Tarit said the CentralWorld arson case was separate from a terrorism case involving a group of armed men wearing black military gear during the protest aftermath.

If the damage at CentralWorld was ruled by a court to have been an act of terrorism, mall owner Central Pattana could stand to lose out as its insurance policy did not cover acts of terrorism.

-- The Nation 2012-07-11

[Maejo Man]

If the damage at CentralWorld was ruled by a court to have been an act of terrorism, mall owner Central Pattana could stand to lose out as its insurance policy did not cover acts of terrorism.

Most convenient for the owners

[Payboy]

Guess they used the Neuralyzer.

[Curt1591]

I guess the "Men in Black" took the day off!

[MunterHunter]

I guess the "Men in Black" took the day off!

Or changed their clothes before putting a match to the petrol... after all, they don't want their shiny Black Uniformed (Supplied by Dear Leader) to get damaged, do they?

[OzMick]

As rank and unit were not given (and 2 were juveniles), can we discard the theory that the RTA did it?

OTOH no red affiliation was given or proven, so I guess "fake red shirts" is still worth a run by the desperate.

If it is of any interest, I've heard a rumour that the Bangkok Arsonist's Association (motto BAA Firebug!) was having their annual meeting close by on that day.

[bigbamboo]

So that's six months for burning down a shopping mall but three years for pinching something from it?

[Arkady]

The DSI has no credibility whatsoever. Part of the Ministry of Justice and independent from the police It was created as a result of fine ideals to provide an alternative to police investigation in cases where the police where expected to have conflicts of interests. Now it is just a political tool of whomever is power. There haven't been any reports of the DSI coming in as a knight in shining armour to provide justice that was denied by the police for years. Clearly they just reject all those cases out of hand nowadays in favour of politics.

[PingManDan]

Maybe they were the infamous mentioned, disguised in pink

[Nisa]

Not sure about specific laws here but don't believe an insurance company needs to go by what a criminal court, police or prosecutors charges defendants with in order to determine if it was terrorism. They are pretty much free to rule through their own investigators and if you don't like their conclusions then you file a civil suit ... but who knows how things work here and maybe if these people are found innocent by a criminal court then the insurance company won't have to pay because it will be like arson never happened or better yet, the fire never happened.

Bottom line is if one of these defendants talks to the insurance company and says they started the fire in order to create chaos and fear for political purposes then they certainly could say it was terrorism. Given this, I have a feeling we will see light sentences handed out in this case .. or possibly even amnesty in order to promote "reconciliation".

[ramrod711]

DSI director-general Tarit Pengdith said the case involved charges of theft and arson - not terrorism - and that the DSI has identified nine suspects.

Good point, you have to like this guy. If he held this position in the U.S. they wouldn't have had to invade Afghanistan. Twin towers?, merely arson and straying from the posted flight plan.

[sprq]

Are we supposed to believe this?

[Reasonableman]

DSI director-general Tarit Pengdith said the case involved charges of theft and arson - not terrorism - and that the DSI has identified nine suspects.

Good point, you have to like this guy. If he held this position in the U.S. they wouldn't have had to invade Afghanistan. Twin towers?, merely arson and straying from the posted flight plan.

It was a political statement, check is in the mail.

[h90]

I guess the "Men in Black" took the day off!

No they were busy shooting so they had no time for arson.

[tomross46]

It goes to say they were not involved. Deputy PM Chalerm has already told us that the Men in Black were police. He also said that the Men in Black killed Army General Sa Dang. These are the people that stormed the hospital looking for soldiers. Burning Central is below there standards,

[Sayonarax]

lol, why would the men in black want to burn down a shopping mall? Was there some secret UFO base in the basement?

[nurofiend]

of course calling it burnin' and lootin' (as bob would say) rather than terrorism is fair.

just like the london riots... acts of arson and theft after a protest turned ugly, but not 'terrorism'.

it amazes me how cheaply some will use that word.

[nurofiend]

of course calling it burnin' and lootin' (as bob would say) rather than terrorism is fair.

just like the london riots... acts of arson and theft after a protest turned ugly, but not 'terrorism'.

it amazes me how cheaply some will use that word.

So what term would you use to describe an RPG attack on a temple, or dropping a few M-79 grenades on a railway station? Boyish pranks?

Some people's terrorists are other people's boyish pranks.

and some people's civilians are sweepingly generalised as other people's terrorists.

[waza]

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed.

[Buchholz]

If the damage at CentralWorld was ruled by a court to have been an act of terrorism, mall owner Central Pattana could stand to lose out as its insurance policy did not cover acts of terrorism.

Most convenient for the owners

.

Today, the Bangkok Court ordered Deves Insurance company to pay Central Pattana the amount of 3.7 Billion Baht for damages incurred at CentralWorld during the Red Shirt Riots of 2010.

.

Edited March 1, 2013 by Buchholz

[Thai at Heart]

If the damage at CentralWorld was ruled by a court to have been an act of terrorism, mall owner Central Pattana could stand to lose out as its insurance policy did not cover acts of terrorism.

Most convenient for the owners

.

Today, the Bangkok Court ordered Deves Insurance company to pay Central Pattana the amount of 3.7 Billion Baht for damages incurred at CentralWorld during the Red Shirt Riots of 2010.

.

So, do the terrorism charges stick anywhere?

[bigbamboo]

If the damage at CentralWorld was ruled by a court to have been an act of terrorism, mall owner Central Pattana could stand to lose out as its insurance policy did not cover acts of terrorism.

Most convenient for the owners

.

Today, the Bangkok Court ordered Deves Insurance company to pay Central Pattana the amount of 3.7 Billion Baht for damages incurred at CentralWorld during the Red Shirt Riots of 2010.

.

I guess we all know where Tarit will be doing his shopping from now on.

[rubl]

<p>Goh, I'm somewhat confused by this. For almost three years some members have been trying to explain to me that the army was involved, somehow, clearly, or even obviously.

<br /><br />Could they have been mistaken, those posters that is?</p>

[AleG]

<p>Goh, I'm somewhat confused by this. For almost three years some members have been trying to explain to me that the army was involved, somehow, clearly, or even obviously.

<br /><br />Could they have been mistaken, those posters that is?</p>

When you are "righteous" you don't need facts, or logic for that matter, to support and validate your world view.

"You" as in those other guys, of course.

[OzMick]

You might note that the arson cases due to proceed "next month" (OP) seem to have disappeared along with the MIB investigation. If you wonder why, check the starting date of this thread.

Edited March 1, 2013 by OzMick

[DiNiro]

lol, why would the men in black want to burn down a shopping mall? Was there some secret UFO base in the basement?

Back home, a politician would throw a brick thru his own living room window and then claim it was the opposition, to gain sympathy.

What are the chances the Yellow group were up to their old tricks attempting to make the Reds look bad, setting fires etc?

[longway]

And what are the chances the reds did it?

[Pimay1]

And what are the chances the reds did it?

I would say the chances are excellent.

On January 29, Arisman Pongruengrong, another hardcore red leader, told a red rally: "We'll have an appointment next time. If they are going to crack down on us, we don't need to prepare anything much. Just bring along your cups or bottles, which you can fill up with at least one litre of gasoline. If one million of us come to Bangkok, we'll have one million litres of gasoline. I can assure you that Bangkok will turn into a sea of fire."

[Pimay1]

And what are the chances the reds did it?

I would say the chances are excellent.

On January 29, Arisman Pongruengrong, another hardcore red leader, told a red rally: "We'll have an appointment next time. If they are going to crack down on us, we don't need to prepare anything much. Just bring along your cups or bottles, which you can fill up with at least one litre of gasoline. If one million of us come to Bangkok, we'll have one million litres of gasoline. I can assure you that Bangkok will turn into a sea of fire."

Also interesting reading on topic.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/05/26/opinion/A-premeditated-plan-to-burn-Bangkok-30130187.html