Shooting of protest guard stemmed from previous dispute: Thai police

[webfact]

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT
Shooting of protest guard stemmed from previous dispute: police
The Nation



Many thousands expected to attend big rally in Surat today

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: -- Police will issue an arrest warrant soon for a Nakhon Si Thammarat man for the fatal shooting on Sunday of a guard at a rubber growers' protest. The shooter had a grudge from a previous conflict with the deceased man, the national police chief alleged yesterday.

Gen Adul Saengsingkaew said the other seriously injured guard was an innocent bystander.

Meanwhile, the protest to be held in neighboring Surat Thani today (Sept 3) by rubber growers in the South could draw at least 10,000 people. So, police yesterday prepared about 1,000 officers from Surat Thani, Phuket and Phang Nga to handle the crowd.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday, before flying to China to attend the 10th China-Asean Expo in Nanning, that the Internal Security Act would not be implemented for the rally in Surat Thani. Related agencies would cooperate to control the demonstration and talk to protesters, she said.

In regard to the shooting at the protest at Ban Toon railway crossing, police spokesman Maj-General Piya Uthayo said police interviewed four hospital staff and six youngsters and guards who witnessed the "close range" shooting. He said the protesters had only let five unarmed officers gather evidence so far.

Piya said two protest leaders tried to stir up the protesters and escalate the protest, and that they had appeared at the anti-Thaksin regime protest at Lumpini Park in Bangkok. So, police would probe to see if there were links to that movement.

Earlier, Deputy PM Pol Gen Pracha Promnog said police found that witnesses said they saw the deceased in an argument prior to the shooting. Pracha said that, as a gunpowder test on the injured guard showed the shots were fired at close range, police presumed it was not done by officials, most of who were camped 10 kilometres away.

He said the shootings took place at a protest site that was tightly guarded, so outsiders or officials could not get in to shoot the guards.

Pracha urged the Rights and Liberties Protection Department chief Police Colonel Narat Sawettanant to visit the province and provide some Bt100,000 in assistance money to the deceased man's family. Pracha said he would call a National Security Council meeting late yesterday to assess the situation at Nakhon Si Thammarat because people were adversely affected.

Meanwhile, the body of protest guard Sirichai Boonnuwong, 29, was sent for an autopsy at Surat Thani Hospital. The injured guard Sitthisak Chaingam, 25, remained in an intensive care ward with hourly surveillance at Maharat Hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

In related news, Weerachai Sritharachiyanont, a village head in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Pak Panung district, was gunned down yesterday morning. Police was investigating if the murder was related to the ongoing rubber planters' protest.

In Surat Thani, Manoon Oopla, chairman of the Wiang Sa Agricultural Co-op board and a leading demonstrator, estimated yesterday that at least 10,000 people would join the "peaceful" protest today at Surat Thani Co-op, to demand that the government back a rubber price of Bt101/kilogram for ribbed smoked sheets (RSS) and a raw sheet price of Bt92/kg.

He said Surat Thani Airport would not be closed but couldn't promise whether roads would be blocked - as that depended on whether the government gives them a positive response, or if they have to escalate the protest.

Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, in his capacity as National Rubber Policy Committee head, said he would meet 12 to 15 leading rubber growers from the protest in Cha-uat at Government House tomorrow (Sept 4). He planned to discuss measures to help rubber farmers, before presenting their requests to the committee on Thursday. The government was ready to listen and negotiate provided their demands were rational, he said.


-- The Nation 2013-09-03

[Tatsujin]

That'll be yet another fugitive then as they've basically announced who it is in advance.

[Halion]

What a total load of crap as expected fro the nations police force.

[johnnie20110]

What a total load of crap as expected fro the nations police force.

Agreed.

No mention of the witnesses to the shooting who said there were 5 men who shot at the crowd of rubber farmers.

[SOTIRIOS]

....the message is the same.....

....get in their way.......!@#$%^&*(......

....don't expect witnesses or justice.....

(......look at the driver who wanted to change his plea....duh-h.....like 'no way'.....)

[webfact]

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT
Second rubber protester shot dead
Krissana Tiwatsirikul
The Nation

NAKHON SI THAMMARAT: -- Another rubber grower was shot dead early Wednesday morning while returning home from the protest site in Nakhon Si Thammarat's Chuuat district.

The victim, 34-year-old Wanna Wongprayoon, had reportedly argued with a man at the protest site, say police, who allege that the motive for the killing was a personal conflict. Wanna is the second protester to have been killed, following a case on Sunday which police have also blamed on a personal quarrel.

Chauat superintendent Pol Colonel Prasit Chuphao said Wanna was found dead with a shotgun wound to his chest and back in Tambon Wang Anga at 2am, following his return from the protest at Kuan Nong Hong Intersection. It was reported that Wanna had earlier been given a lift in a pickup truck to where he had parked his motorbike, so that he could continue his journey home.

Police say they have a witness who saw a drunk looking for Wanna at his home and then heard gunshots.

In related news, the Justice Ministry's Rights and Liberties Protection Department chief, Police Colonel Narat Sawettanant, yesterday visited Wanna's family as well as the family of fellow protester Sirichai Boonnuwong, 29, who was shot dead on Sunday, and said the two families were entitled to Bt100,000 in assistance money.


-- The Nation 2013-09-03

[khunken]

I'm afraid this is what you get from a police force controlled by & riddled with PTP appointees (supporters) at the top level.

They are so corrupt that they are prepared to let killers of policemen pay their way out of justice.

[Dap]

Bullsh*t

[Spare]

If the protesters are armed with guns, they have to be re-classified as armed terrorists.

Where are the tanks when you need them.

[johnnie20110]

In related news, the Justice Ministry's Rights and Liberties Protection Department chief, Police Colonel Narat Sawettanant, yesterday visited Wanna's family as well as the family of fellow protester Sirichai Boonnuwong, 29, who was shot dead on Sunday, and said the two families were entitled to Bt100,000 in assistance money.

Other families of other protesters received Bt7,750,000 in assistance money.

[asatonyc]

Seems like a lot of personal conflicts or previous disputes resulting in fatal shooting of people involved in the protest. Funny how if the government was not involve why they feel it necessary to compensate the deaths with 100,000 when there is no connection with the deaths to the protest. I could speculate on the reasons but don't want to be investigated on ruining this governments image, not that their image has anything to do with the image of Thailand.

[asatonyc]

Seems like a lot of personal conflicts or previous disputes resulting in fatal shooting of people involved in the protest. Funny how if the government was not involve why they feel it necessary to compensate the deaths with 100,000 when there is no connection with the deaths to the protest. I could speculate on the reasons but don't want to be investigated on ruining this governments image, not that their image has anything to do with the image of Thailand.

[tingtongteesood]

If reds get in trouble then it's those 'evil dems' faults, if non reds get hurt then yes, it must surely be a 'personal conflict', no red involvement ever !! The amount of bs in the press here grows by the day !

[Pimay1]

Pracha urged the Rights and Liberties Protection Department chief Police Colonel Narat Sawettanant to visit the province and provide some Bt100,000 in assistance money to the deceased man's family.

Quite intersting, a red shirt gets B7.5M. Wonder why that is?

[CelticBhoy]

Couldn't they have used rubber bullets?