Van driver injured by 2010 crackdown wants to confront Abhisit

[webfact]

Van Driver Injured By 2010 Crackdown Wants To Confront Abhisit


Mr. Samorn Maithong showing the wound he said was caused by soldiers' gunfire.
Image: KHAOSOD English

BANGKOK: -- The van driver shot and injured during military operation against the Redshirt protesters in May 2010 says he wants to meet Former PM Abhisit Vejjajeeva at the court and ask him what the former leader has to say about the operation that led to his injury.

Mr. Samorn Maithong was driving his van in central Bangkok on the night of 15 May 2010 when he encountered a roadblock manned by the soldiers who were tightening their grip around the Redshirts′ main encampment. The van was subsequently shot upon, and Mr. Samorn was injured by the gunfire. He had insisted the soldiers shot him.

While Mr. Samorn escaped with gunshot wound, others were not as lucky. A taxi driver and a 14 year old boy were shot and killed as they observed the gunfire from a distance. The court′s inquest has said last December that the taxi driver, Pan Kamkong, was killed by the soldiers who manned the checkpoint.

Recently, the Division of Special Investigation (DSI) forwarded the files about his injury to the Attorney General in order to process the criminal case against Mr. Abhisit, whom the DSI named as the person responsible for authorizing the military operation. Mr. Abhisit is scheduled to appear at the court this 26 June, but it is not certain whether he would show up in person.

Speaking to our correspondent, Mr. Samorn expressed his pleasure to know that his case is being processed by the DSI and said he would attend the court hearing tomorrow (26 June) as well. He said he hoped to meet Mr. Abhisit there so he could ask the former Prime Minister about his feeling for what he had done. [more...]

Full story: http://www.khaosod.co.th/en/view_newsonline.php?newsid=TVRNM01qRTFNek0zTVE9PQ==

-- KHAOSOD English 2013-06-25

[rubl]

I suspect this will escalate into anyone injured or having relatives killed wanting to 'confront' k. Abhisit and possibly a few of the UDD leaders as well.

As for the special case in this topic with "He said he hoped to meet Mr. Abhisit there so he could ask the former Prime Minister about his feeling for what he had done." no further comment. I leave that to all other posters and the DSI of course

[soi41]

He should have a talk with the owner of his tattoo-parlor first!

A lousy job, and it didn't protect him..

[Tatsujin]

8th April - State of Emergency declared.

15th May - Several areas of the city near the protesters were designated as "live fire zones" by the military, and protesters entering these zones were to be shot on sight.

19th May - A curfew was declared and troops were authorized to shoot on sight anybody inciting unrest.

You were warned.

[ianf]

I think he should be confronting Thaksin who organised this attempted revolutionary uprising in the first place and also people like Jatuporn who's stage speeches were clear incitements to riot.

[MacWalen]

Abhisit had nothing to do with this driver. If protesters were protesting and not throwing rocks and burning and blocking half of the city there would be no need to move them. I was there, I saw it. I took pictures. It was nothing like a peaceful protest. Now they portrait themselves as victims. Hm...., they were paid protestors. 500 baht per day if I can remember correctly.

[Thai at Heart]

8th April - State of Emergency declared.

15th May - Several areas of the city near the protesters were designated as "live fire zones" by the military, and protesters entering these zones were to be shot on sight.

19th May - A curfew was declared and troops were authorized to shoot on sight anybody inciting unrest.

You were warned.

Shot on sight?

Where did you get those rules of engagement from?

[TomTao]

Did he receive a verbal or visual warning from the soldiers before they opened fire? Was the area signed as a no entry area? Were there warnings on tv and/or the radio about not entering the area? If the answer was yes to any of the above, did he ignore the warnings? Was he unaware of the warnings? If he chose to ignore any warnings, then he has no recourse, if the area was not signed, or otherwise advertised, then he can claim ignorance.

[swifty5x5]

What a bunch of trash. Who would even print this bs.

[lemoncake]

I hope he also wants to meet with business owners who lost their business due to being blocked out and also confront them

[metisdead]

Off topic posts have been removed.

[Baerboxer]

Another put up job by the Red propaganda machine. What about confronting the terrorist leaders whose criminal actions caused the issue? Oh, of course they are the democratically elected government now. It gets more like a banana republic every day!

All part of the pressure build up to try and force anesty and whitwash the criminal pulling the strings in Dubai. Sod the problems created by the rice scam, and the huge increases in corruption, let's concentrate on the important issue to get master back.

[whybother]

Did he receive a verbal or visual warning from the soldiers before they opened fire? Was the area signed as a no entry area? Were there warnings on tv and/or the radio about not entering the area? If the answer was yes to any of the above, did he ignore the warnings? Was he unaware of the warnings? If he chose to ignore any warnings, then he has no recourse, if the area was not signed, or otherwise advertised, then he can claim ignorance.

From what I understand, he didn't stop when he was told to.

[anon467848]

Geez... must be a slow day for news if they are desperate to show this story. Meet Abhisit, as if... perhaps they could meet at his club and have a few beers and reminisce about the good old days...

Edited June 25, 2013 by merlin2002

[TomTao]

That means he probably received both verbal and visual warnings before being fired upon, if thats the case, he has no recourse.

Sent from my GT-N7100 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[MikeOboe57]

Any lousy story that can take the focus off the rotting rice mountain for a few minutes is welcome at this moment.

[BrianCR]

8th April - State of Emergency declared.

15th May - Several areas of the city near the protesters were designated as "live fire zones" by the military, and protesters entering these zones were to be shot on sight.

19th May - A curfew was declared and troops were authorized to shoot on sight anybody inciting unrest.

You were warned.

Is that what is supposed to happen in a free Country and a free World?

[Tatsujin]

8th April - State of Emergency declared.

15th May - Several areas of the city near the protesters were designated as "live fire zones" by the military, and protesters entering these zones were to be shot on sight.

19th May - A curfew was declared and troops were authorized to shoot on sight anybody inciting unrest.

You were warned.

Shot on sight?

Where did you get those rules of engagement from?

Copy and paste and Google it.

[oldsailor35]

8th April - State of Emergency declared.

15th May - Several areas of the city near the protesters were designated as "live fire zones" by the military, and protesters entering these zones were to be shot on sight.

19th May - A curfew was declared and troops were authorized to shoot on sight anybody inciting unrest.

You were warned.

OK ! so just who authorised the "Shoot on sight" order. Against your own unarmed people , that is murder. This van driver was unarmed, the taxi driver was unarmed, the 14 yr old boy was unarmed and the nurse who was killed was unarmed, the Journo was unarmed but killed, the RTA had a "turkey shoot "that day, and Abisit and Suthep just could not care less.

Edited June 25, 2013 by oldsailor35

[oldsailor35]

Abhisit had nothing to do with this driver. If protesters were protesting and not throwing rocks and burning and blocking half of the city there would be no need to move them. I was there, I saw it. I took pictures. It was nothing like a peaceful protest. Now they portrait themselves as victims. Hm...., they were paid protestors. 500 baht per day if I can remember correctly.

Go back to teaching, you just might be more successful. I was in a different area where there were no Army, only police and the crowd were not fired on and murdered there.

[oldsailor35]

8th April - State of Emergency declared.

15th May - Several areas of the city near the protesters were designated as "live fire zones" by the military, and protesters entering these zones were to be shot on sight.

19th May - A curfew was declared and troops were authorized to shoot on sight anybody inciting unrest.

You were warned.

Shot on sight?

Where did you get those rules of engagement from?

Suthep said that he believes this to be in line with international best practice, you see he has never heard of Water Cannon, Tear Gas or Rubber bullets. The RTA found it much easier to shoot innocent protesters sheltering in a temple than to control the Southern Terrorists.

[oldsailor35]

I hope he also wants to meet with business owners who lost their business due to being blocked out and also confront them

What ! you mean like the thousands of travellers world wide who were effected by the act of terrorism perpetrated when the Yellows held the International Airport to ransom.

[Thaddeus]

Will this situation of blaming others for your own stupidity ever end.

Not in this democracy it won't.

[Unkomoncents]

These stories just makes you want to bang your head against a wall repeatedly or volunteer for a frontal lobe lobotomy. As usual, there are no witnesses. At least no credible witnesses. Wait, scratch that. There is no credibility...in...Thailand. The look on this guy's face says it all: he looks genuinely confused as to why/how he could have been shot. There were protests, fires, guns, death, mass chaos on the streets, emergency decrees and still this guy is shocked. Like, "How could ANYONE have shot poor, innocent, harmless, van-driving me???" Then again, given the Thai military's history with everything from flying helicopters to protecting arms caches, it's hard to believe that there was any concept of the 'rules of engagement'. You can imagine the instructions given to soldiers: "Thai language removed".

Edited June 25, 2013 by metisdead
English is the only acceptable language, except within the Thai language forum, where of course using Thai is allowed.

[xen]

The likelyhood of a financial settlemen would never ever be a motivation .

[Robby nz]

. The RTA found it much easier to shoot innocent protesters sheltering in a temple than to control the Southern Terrorists.

Only problem with that oldsailor35 is that it was the men in black who shot into the temple as a last kill after they had been beaten.

Hope he does get to have a good sit down face to face talk with Abhisit then he would hear some truth.

Whether he would recognize it or have already been so brainwashed that he could not recognize it is another thing.

As for compensation ; has not the reds who were injured and the families of those who were killed already received a big payout from this Govt?

[Payboy]

I want to confront the soldier that shot him. What a lousy shot!

[Pi Sek]

Did he receive a verbal or visual warning from the soldiers before they opened fire? Was the area signed as a no entry area? Were there warnings on tv and/or the radio about not entering the area? If the answer was yes to any of the above, did he ignore the warnings? Was he unaware of the warnings? If he chose to ignore any warnings, then he has no recourse, if the area was not signed, or otherwise advertised, then he can claim ignorance.

From what I understand, he didn't stop when he was told to.

That's what I gathered from the Pan Khamkhong case as well.

These stories just makes you want to bang your head against a wall repeatedly or volunteer for a frontal lobe lobotomy. As usual, there are no witnesses. At least no credible witnesses. Wait, scratch that. There is no credibility...in...Thailand. The look on this guy's face says it all: he looks genuinely confused as to why/how he could have been shot. There were protests, fires, guns, death, mass chaos on the streets, emergency decrees and still this guy is shocked. Like, "How could ANYONE have shot poor, innocent, harmless, van-driving me???" Then again, given the Thai military's history with everything from flying helicopters to protecting arms caches, it's hard to believe that there was any concept of the 'rules of engagement'. You can imagine the instructions given to soldiers: "ยิงอะไรที่สีแดง".

Yes, he clearly didn't understand, and continues to not understand, that driving towards military checkpoints in live fire zones after warnings to stop might encourage those manning that checkpoint to open fire. Personally I think he was a moron for doing so.

However, I don't think his van was red, so your imagined instructions don't make any sense here!

----

It would be interesting to see Abhisit and this guy have a chat. This Samorn chap is clearly no fan of Abhisit, but given the circumstances (i.e. armed insurrection attempt) Abhisit would be able to explain with consummate ease (as he has before) why such action was necessary whilst no doubt expressing regret that K. Samorn was shot. This guy just wants to have a shout at Abhisit - understandable, I suppose - but I fear that doing so would lose him a lot of face.

Interesting to see that he's happy the DSI is conducting the investigation, when the DSI was one of the principle bodies within the CRES justifying an armed response and was involved in its implementation!

[Thai at Heart]

8th April - State of Emergency declared.

15th May - Several areas of the city near the protesters were designated as "live fire zones" by the military, and protesters entering these zones were to be shot on sight.

19th May - A curfew was declared and troops were authorized to shoot on sight anybody inciting unrest.

You were warned.

Shot on sight?

Where did you get those rules of engagement from?

Copy and paste and Google it.

Well that puts abhisit a little under the cosh doesn't it? Who ordered that?

[monkey4u]

On the evening it ended, I was on my way to Laos by road.

So many tires burning in the roads too bad the idiot red shirts did not care for others safety.

As for this bus driver how many people has he tried to kill with his driving skills

Edited June 26, 2013 by metisdead
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