Hunt for guards in attack
Jessada Chuntraruk,
Noppadol Srithaweekard
The Sunday Nation

Police Sub-Lieut Chira Chaemsrichan

BANGKOK: -- Security camera footage near anti-govt rally site being scoured to identify attackers

Police are looking at security camera footage of anti-government rally guards, who reportedly attacked a police officer in a Bangkok alley near Democracy Monument on Friday night.

Meanwhile, spokesman of the Democrat Party-led rally, Ekkanat Prompan, claimed the guards found two suspicious-looking men carrying guns, who later identified themselves as police officers. He said the duo failed to identify themselves initially and resisted the guards' attempts to bring them to the backstage, leading to the assault.

Pol Maj-General Chayut Thanathaweerat, deputy chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau, said Samranrat police had interviewed the injured Pol Sub-Lieutenant Chira Chaemsrichan and another policeman, Police Sgt-Major Samreung Reukngam, and were now looking at security camera footage to identify the attackers.

Police are also working on another case where rally guards allegedly attacked Pol Senior Sgt-Major Chamnian Hongthai on Rajadamnoen Avenue on November 7, although the court did not approve the police's previous two arrest warrants for the suspect.

Meanwhile, Police Maj-Gen Rasadakorn Yingyong, chief of the Metropolitan Police Bureau's Division 8, yesterday presented a flower basket and some assistance money to the injured policeman at Police General Hospital. Chira was recovering and would be released from hospital in 4-5 days.

Chira told Rasadakorn that he and Samreung were stationed near the Khok Wua intersection when Samreuk went to buy a meal on his own. Chira later received a "Line" message that Samreung was captured and his weapon seized at the intersection so Chira went to look for him. Being unarmed, Chira walked into the protest site to look for Samreung on Tanao Road and had a meal near the Chaopor Seu Shrine while taking photos with his i-Phone, he said. A guard, identified only as "Kaew", and 10 others tried to seize his phone, but he resisted so they dragged him to an alley and assaulted him, he said. They then brought Chira, who had sustained bruises on the face, head and body as well as a broken tooth, to the rally's backstage to "record his story".

Deputy Bangkok Governor Pol General Asawin Kwanmuang ran into them, criticised and told the guards to send Chira to their fellow policemen at the Khok Wua intersection. Chira said he had later learned that his supervisors had negotiated Samreung's safe release.

Saying he had instructed Metropolitan Police Bureau's Division 8 officers not to carry a gun, so as to prevent escalation with protesters, Rasadakorn said police would proceed with legal action and punish the culprits who had "over-reacted" and assaulted the cop. He urged protesters to express their political power within the legal frame and the rally leaders to find the police-assaulting guards for punishment.

Meanwhile, Pol Maj-General Piya Uthayo, Peacekeeping Operations Centre spokesman, yesterday reported that national police chief Pol General Adul Saengsingkaew, on a recent video-conference, had instructed the Metropolitan Police, Provincial Police Region 1-9 and the Southern Border Provinces Police Operation Centre to follow the nation-wide protest movement closely.

Urging police to watch out for some ill-intentioned people trying to incite and escalate the protest as per police intelligence, Adul also urged police to probe the November 15 attack in which an ill-intentioned person in a car shot pepper spray at traffic police at Phitsanulok Road's Wang Daeng intersection. He urged people joining the rally, who spotted violation of law or were invited by ill-intentioned people to break the law, to alert police hotline 191 and 1599 around the clock.

-- The Nation 2013-11-17

So, the cops want sympathy here?

Judging by his injuries that look like they require 15 minutes involving a first aid box, rather than a lengthy spell in hospital. Just underlines that this is being well over-dramatized by the police, who we all know are anti-democrat. Not for political reasons, but because they probably don't get paid backhanders from the dems, but get plenty from Mr T.

Also looks more like he got a graze in a scuffle probably because he was being belligerent when confronted by the guards who rightfully intervene when he was seen mooching around in a very sensitive place with a gun on him. He probably over-reacted with his refusal to comply and ended in a scuffle to control and disarm him. I have had worse than that scuffling with a single policeman when I was stupidly young and drunk 30 years ago without a single punch being thrown.

This guy is claiming he was beaten by 20 men? what a load of horseshit. I have seen people beaten by 3 men and they look a total mess.

Strange how in over 2 weeks there isn't a single incident at the rallies, and here we now have a couple of incidents, both including coppers, the very people who are there to prevent it.

Only in Thailand.

So, the cops want sympathy here?

Their parents have my deepest sympathy.

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

Someone trying to turn up the heat?????

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

Yes I definitely would, anyone who attacks police is scum no matter what country they are in.

The article didn't make it clear if these suspiciously acting men carrying hidden firearms that later claimed to be policemen were wearing a familiar black militia uniform or casual clothes? Either way they were very lucky just to receive a "boisterous welcome" from the rally guards, it could have been much worse for them.

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

Un-uniformed police carrying weapons and carrying no ID near a protest site and resisting to follow instructions. The outcome isn't surprising in the least.

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

I do condone the action of the rally guards, who were doing their duty as a guard. I don't condone roughing people up unless it is called for by their actions. But, since this is Thailand, I do suspect the undercover cops were acting very highhanded as most of them do.

Ofcourse the cops are upset, the demonstrators are threatening to take over the most important part of being a police in Thailand: Blowing whistles!!

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

We're not condoning violence at all. We're simply considering the source and the accuracy of the accusations, and that consideration is based on many years of experience with the way politics are played out here.

Edited November 17, 201312 yr by Local Drunk

I see we are getting typical Yellow Skirts responds here. It's ok because it's in Thailand. What should have happen is they be turned over to the police if they suspected they were not police, not take the law into their own hands.

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

Meanwhile, spokesman of the Democrat Party-led rally, Ekkanat Prompan, claimed the guards found two suspicious-looking men carrying guns, who later identified themselves as police officers. He said the duo failed to identify themselves initially and resisted the guards' attempts to bring them to the backstage, leading to the assault.

This had been a peaceful rally and has every sign of continuing so until these clowns, were caught by rally security carrying guns with no I.D.

Three and a half years ago, had the rally guards been red Shirts, these guys,obviously not police as they were nowhere to be seen at that time, would probably have been in the ICU.

The majority of Thai cops garner no sympathy from most people including me.

One story, three meanwhiles, but nothing really being done!

I see we are getting typical Yellow Skirts responds here. It's ok because it's in Thailand. What should have happen is they be turned over to the police if they suspected they were not police, not take the law into their own hands.

I agree with you in that I am against people taking the law into their own hands. Where we disagree I think is that you seem to believe that the legal system here would punish anyone who acts violently or criminally against the current demonstrators. I don't like large elements of the yellow shirt movement, but they are probably correct in assuming that this govt will only apply the justice system against their movement.

So, the cops want sympathy here?

Little wonder so many BIB are pro-government, pro-PTP etc. as this sort of thing would never happen at a red shirt rally.

Chira later received a "Line" message that Samreung was captured and his weapon seized at the intersection so Chira went to look for him. Being unarmed, Chira walked into the protest site to look for Samreung on Tanao Road and had a meal near the Chaopor Seu Shrine while taking photos with his i-Phone, he said.

He gets told that his police mate had been captured and his weapon was seized and he goes in to the protest area AND HAS A MEAL?

So, the cops want sympathy here?

Little wonder so many BIB are pro-government, pro-PTP etc. as this sort of thing would never happen at a red shirt rally.

Yeah those red shirt boys are just a bowl of laffs especially when they run riot in a hospital.

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

Yeah I would say it the cops where I am from have become overbearing and dangerous to the people they are supposed to protect.

Get the popcorn ready the show's about to start!

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

The question is, where they identifiable as police?

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

Yes I would. Not going to happen in my country we do not have a wannabe dictator stirring up the people and paying some of them to be violent.

what was the policeman doing in a peaceful rally carring a gun. The rally has been going on long enough that he knows there is no violence there.

I just had to laugh at 20 men beating him up. He looks like his wife slapped him around when he was asleep. How would 29 men get to him. 8 would be to big of a crowd to do any real damage. It takes a little bit of room to wind up and punch hard or kick hard. He certainly looks OK to me considering he lost a fight. I have seen worse when it was only one man doing the beating.

Urging police to watch out for some ill-intentioned people trying to incite and escalate the protest as per police intelligence, Adul also urged police to probe the November 15 attack in which an ill-intentioned person in a car shot pepper spray at traffic police at Phitsanulok Road's Wang Daeng intersection. He urged people joining the rally, who spotted violation of law or were invited by ill-intentioned people to break the law, to alert police hotline 191 and 1599 around the clock

Pepper spray is nasty stuff. Lots of police officers deserve to have it used on them. They might then try to do their job properly. Not use their position to break the law.

The attack was not funny, but the original photo at the top of the story looks like an ever so 'camp' version of the UK TV series Casualty.

Black shirts, white jackets, pink scarves and blusher ... all so very beautiful!

I need to hear the Demonstrators' side of things. Hard to trust anything the cops say.

Can't blame the protestors if those guys were sneaking around spying and waving their guns around without any id or uniforms.

Ahh the fruits of getting made whilst conducting covert surveillence. Lots of people lose their lives this way.

Time for these guys to do some refresher training me thinks !

So, the cops want sympathy here?

Little wonder so many BIB are pro-government, pro-PTP etc. as this sort of thing would never happen at a red shirt rally.

Back to front! It would never happen BECAUSE BiB are pro-PTO.

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

Yes I would. Not going to happen in my country we do not have a wannabe dictator stirring up the people and paying some of them to be violent.

I'm not a Suthep fan either, but there's no evidence he paid these guards to be violent. They're paid to protect the protest site and there are guards present at all major rallies. Of course, the police are playing it for sympathy. Like most posters here I'd agree it's a storm in a tea kettle. And if the red shirts had done the same thing, I think we'd be saying exactly the same: it's expected that guards will give suspicious types roaming the protest boundaries a bit of a slap. All part of the game.

So I guess everyone here condones this action against the police. Would you say the same thing if it was in your country. You all should join the mob, you fit in with them

Yes I would. Not going to happen in my country we do not have a wannabe dictator stirring up the people and paying some of them to be violent.

what was the policeman doing in a peaceful rally carring a gun. The rally has been going on long enough that he knows there is no violence there.

Traffic cops wear guns.

I don't have an issue with him having a gun, IF he was in uniform. The fact that they didn't know he was a police officer suggests that he wasn't in uniform.

You people are so blinded by your hate for Thaksin that you can not tell right from wrong. Even if they police had guns were not id as police and refused to tell them they were police, mob action is not acceptable. Like I said they should have turn them over to the police. Mob rule makes them no better than the Reds.