Inquiry over PCAD guards' alleged attempted murder expanded

[webfact]

Inquiry Over PCAD Guards' Alleged Attempted Murder Expanded
By Khaosod English



BANGKOK: -- The police have expanded the investigation over attempted murder of a Redshirt protest after evidences suggested that the case might be related to two other dead bodies found earlier this year.

Previously, the police have alleged that a prominent anti-government activist might have instructed his "guards" to torture a man called Mr. Yuem Nilla, who held membership of the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), in the anti-government protest campsite at Lumpini Park in downtown Bangkok.

According to Mr. Yuem, a the suspects later dumped him into Bang Pakong River east of Bangkok with his feet and hands bound together, but a group of locals reportedly rescued the man and sent him to hospital. Mr. Yuem is reported to be under intensive care, as his lung and other organs have been damaged during the alleged torture.

The police have issued arrest warrants for Mr. Issara Somchai, a core leader of the People's Committee for Absolute Democracy With the King As Head of State (PCAD) and several of his guards in connection with the crime. Mr. Issara has refused to surrender himself to the police.

Today, the Bangkok Metropolitan Police stated that Mr. Yuem's case might not be an isolated incident.

Pol.Maj.Gen. Thitirart Nongharnpitak, deputy commander of the BMP, said in a press conference that the case features many similarities to recent discoveries of dead bodies in Bangkok.

On 28 January, the police found a dead body wearing anti-government protest outfit next to the railroad in Prachachuen district, and nearly a month later, on 26 February, another dead body with anti-government clothes and accessories was found in a submerged sack near the pier of Riverside Hotel on the western bank of Chao Praya River.

The first body was later identified as Mr. Boonthiang Kham-Im, a 41-years old resident of Chaiyabhum province, while the second body remains unidentified, Pol.Maj.Gen. Thitirat said.

Coupled with Mr. Yuem's case, all three incidents shared traces of torture, according to Pol.Maj.Gen. Thitirat. In these cases, he said, the bodies and the survivor were found with bound feet and hands, and wearing anti-government accessories, which might be planted on the persons without their willingness; Mr. Yuem has previously told police officers that the guards placed a whistle around his neck just before they dumped him into the river.

Furthermore, according to the deputy commander, investigation reveals that both Mr. Yuem and Mr. Boonthiang have ties to the Redshirts movements, raising speculation that the culprit in all three cases committed the crime out of political motive with intention to conceal the bodies afterward.

Nevertheless, Pol.Maj.Gen. Thitirart stressed that further investigation is needed before the police can officially establish the motive of the three incidents.

"We don't know for sure the intention of the culprits," Pol.Maj.Gen. Thitirart told reporters, "Please give the police some time to work things out".

He added that the police have acquired CCTV footage which purportedly captured the moments the suspects arrived on a car at Rama VIII Bridge and dumped the unidentified body into Chao Praya River before fleeing the area shortly afterward.

The area was said to be sealed off from traffic at the time, as officials were inspecting the area after PCAD guards dismantled their campsites on the bridge.

The police are still investigating the ownership of the car seen in the CCTV footage, Pol.Maj.Gen. Thitirart said.

Source: http://en.khaosod.co.th/detail.php?newsid=1394711938&section=11


-- Khaosod English 2014-03-14

[chooka]

Yellow shirts would never do this, these are all self inflicted injuries. Reds love to torture themselves tie themselves in a sack and then hurl themselves into the river.

[Dr Bruce]

Feb 24th. 2 Children Killed by grenade in central Bangkok.

Feb 26th. Unidentified body found wearing anti-goverment @Uniform@.

I still think that these 2 are conected. Idiot guard throws grenade in wrong place. Same idiot guard is beaten and murdered to cover up who he was working for.

[chooka]

Mr. Issara has refused to surrender himself to the police. The arrogance of this man who bares his naked butt at the law and thinks he is above the laws of others. He is a Yellow shirt and Thai laws don't apply to them.

[chainarong]

Nice little goins on here, the police need to ensure that the right people are charged and the courts throw the book at those concerned, regardless of what political faction you support that is your Democratic right and the sooner these so called supporters get that into their thick heads the better Thailand will be, there is no place in society for this type of behaviour , unfortunately this seems to be the signature tune that all sides seem to think will give them a better chance, in the eye's of the international community you are scum, I sincerely hope the victim recovers from this shocking attack.

[jayjayjayjay]

Democrats can do no wrong. Issara is a champion of democracy he would never do such a thing!!!!!!! ;-)

[northernjohn]

Nice little goins on here, the police need to ensure that the right people are charged and the courts throw the book at those concerned, regardless of what political faction you support that is your Democratic right and the sooner these so called supporters get that into their thick heads the better Thailand will be, there is no place in society for this type of behaviour , unfortunately this seems to be the signature tune that all sides seem to think will give them a better chance, in the eye's of the international community you are scum, I sincerely hope the victim recovers from this shocking attack.

Yes it is a slippery slope Thailand started on in 2010 allowing perpetrators to go free.

Now others are saying well it seems to work so we might as well try it.

[airconsult]

Nice little goins on here, the police need to ensure that the right people are charged and the courts throw the book at those concerned, regardless of what political faction you support that is your Democratic right and the sooner these so called supporters get that into their thick heads the better Thailand will be, there is no place in society for this type of behaviour , unfortunately this seems to be the signature tune that all sides seem to think will give them a better chance, in the eye's of the international community you are scum, I sincerely hope the victim recovers from this shocking attack.

Yes it is a slippery slope Thailand started on in 2010 allowing perpetrators to go free.

Now others are saying well it seems to work so we might as well try it.

or was it 2008? or further back? Nice reference to 2010, but remember Sondhi is still wandering loose as well.

[Prbkk]

throw the book at these miserable scumbag PDRC "guards" and whoever else is involved, without fear or favour..

[gabruce]

throw the book at these miserable scumbag PDRC "guards" and whoever else is involved, without fear or favour..

Whoever is responsible should be charged and tried, without fear or favour. If the PCAD guards did do this they were incredibly stupid and incompetent and deserve to be caught, tried and convicted of stupidity for sure. Dump a guy in the river with people watching and hope that he dies? How incompetent can they be? Torture, beatings, killings cannot be condoned and should not be part of any political movement regardless of color or affiliation.

[In Town]

It appears to be a pattern. There is a willingness to kill others (northern adversaries or southern allies) that suggests the level of dehumanisation required for genocide. The constant reference to red shirts as less than human (buffaloes, etc.) is reminiscent of dehumanisation propaganda prevalent before the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Armenia. I hope this is not a similar situation.

[Prbkk]

throw the book at these miserable scumbag PDRC "guards" and whoever else is involved, without fear or favour..

Whoever is responsible should be charged and tried, without fear or favour. If the PCAD guards did do this they were incredibly stupid and incompetent and deserve to be caught, tried and convicted of stupidity for sure. Dump a guy in the river with people watching and hope that he dies? How incompetent can they be? Torture, beatings, killings cannot be condoned and should not be part of any political movement regardless of color or affiliation.

Yes, I agree. If either side takes this path, it'll end up like Bosnia. Is this Issara related to the family who were so prominent early on in the protests when it was trendy to be seen? The owns who own Charn Issara tower ( that dumpy office block on Rama 4). One of the sons owns some upmarket resort in Phuket? ( and was stabbed in a nightclub brawl a couple of years ago)?

[inzman]

Another inquiry, wow this country has more inquiries than people!

Edited March 14, 2014 by inzman

[airconsult]

throw the book at these miserable scumbag PDRC "guards" and whoever else is involved, without fear or favour..

Whoever is responsible should be charged and tried, without fear or favour. If the PCAD guards did do this they were incredibly stupid and incompetent and deserve to be caught, tried and convicted of stupidity for sure. Dump a guy in the river with people watching and hope that he dies? How incompetent can they be? Torture, beatings, killings cannot be condoned and should not be part of any political movement regardless of color or affiliation.

Yes, I agree. If either side takes this path, it'll end up like Bosnia. Is this Issara related to the family who were so prominent early on in the protests when it was trendy to be seen? The owns who own Charn Issara tower ( that dumpy office block on Rama 4). One of the sons owns some upmarket resort in Phuket? ( and was stabbed in a nightclub brawl a couple of years ago)?

Also the former minister of human development and security, and... strangely enough still listed on the democrat party website as part of the executive? Wasn't he supposed to resign?

[animatic]

Now the pawns are being trucked out and used for accusations in both directions.

Why would the anti-government protesters want to stick a label on their victims,

if they were doing this, it would be monumentally stupid to connect themselves to this

but putting their own protest items on the bodies.

But certainly their opposites, including pro-Shin police elements, would want them to

take any possible blame for anything, and muddy the waters, and make the books

seem to balance for the deaths most likely laid at their own feet.

Or the Bangkok mafias have found the perfect scapegoats for their hits.

Blame it on protestors. Easy to set up the police will make it easy to get away with it,

because it fits the narrative they prefer.

If we believe the front stories in any of these assorted accusations,

we do so at risk of our own credulousness.

Edited March 14, 2014 by animatic

[Morch]

Mr. Issara has refused to surrender himself to the police. The arrogance of this man who bares his naked butt at the law and thinks he is above the laws of others. He is a Yellow shirt and Thai laws don't apply to them.

Ignoring arrest warrants, court summons or just doing a runner are the norm for anyone with a wee bit of connections and influence in this fine country. Given that almost all law enforcement agencies, independent agencies and the courts are deemed as leaning to this side or the other (not to mention non-political rampant corruption), sometimes hard to say when charges are real or trumped-up.

It would certainly be best if he would report for questioning.

[Nickymaster]

Nice to see that the police is active if their own side has a problem.

A dozen anti government protestors have been killed, a few dozen seriously wounded. Even though there are images available of the attackers in some cases the Thaksin Police force has no clue who might have done it. NOBODY has been captured since the protests started.

Yes Yingluck, just keep crying. Just keep on preaching how unfair everybody is towards YOUR family because that is all YOU care about.

[Nickymaster]

Yellow shirts would never do this, these are all self inflicted injuries. Reds love to torture themselves tie themselves in a sack and then hurl themselves into the river.

Maybe the police themselves did this. I don't trust the red police force. Would you trust them if you were a "yellow shirt"?

[Morch]

It appears to be a pattern. There is a willingness to kill others (northern adversaries or southern allies) that suggests the level of dehumanisation required for genocide. The constant reference to red shirts as less than human (buffaloes, etc.) is reminiscent of dehumanisation propaganda prevalent before the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Armenia. I hope this is not a similar situation.

A genocide, no less.

Reading TVF, the PDRC (and/or the Democrat Party) are usually portrayed as a minority with dwindling popular support - can't win an election, demonstrators are a handfull of grannies, Bangkok elites. It would seem rather unlikely that they could actually do anything of the sort.

As far as I know, most genocides target minority groups, not the other way around. Hardly a "similar" situation to the examples cited.

Both sides use demeaining language to describe the rivals, both sides issue threats and use violent language.

[In Town]

Why would the anti-government protesters want to stick a label on their victims,

Perhaps to suggest that the dead were PCAD supporters killed by red shirts?

[In Town]

It appears to be a pattern. There is a willingness to kill others (northern adversaries or southern allies) that suggests the level of dehumanisation required for genocide. The constant reference to red shirts as less than human (buffaloes, etc.) is reminiscent of dehumanisation propaganda prevalent before the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Armenia. I hope this is not a similar situation.

A genocide, no less.

Reading TVF, the PDRC (and/or the Democrat Party) are usually portrayed as a minority with dwindling popular support - can't win an election, demonstrators are a handfull of grannies, Bangkok elites. It would seem rather unlikely that they could actually do anything of the sort.

As far as I know, most genocides target minority groups, not the other way around. Hardly a "similar" situation to the examples cited.

Both sides use demeaining language to describe the rivals, both sides issue threats and use violent language.

Its a good point. And it is worrying on both sides. But dehumanisation of majorities does occur. Look at South Africa or India or most other colonised countries and you see a similar pattern. If you think of the ethnic dimension of this conflict, it does fit that model.

[chooka]

Yellow shirts would never do this, these are all self inflicted injuries. Reds love to torture themselves tie themselves in a sack and then hurl themselves into the river.

Maybe the police themselves did this. I don't trust the red police force. Would you trust them if you were a "yellow shirt"?

Not all police support the cause. They have a job to do and police follow orders regardless of their political opinion. I have been at many political/ social demos and had an opinion but I had a job to do and I did it.

[seajae]

until we see any evidence to prove or disprove any of this it is all just guess work and all we have in here is political bias same as we have with the police. They have their red masters to help so they are prepared to lie to do so as we have seen with the so called yl kidnap gang, the total lack of any work being done about protesters deaths, the bullsh*t flows pretty quick with them <snip>, doesnt matter what side you back until we all see the evidence of any wrong doing we are putting the cart before the horse.

Edited March 15, 2014 by craigt3365
Removed rumor

[seajae]

Yellow shirts would never do this, these are all self inflicted injuries. Reds love to torture themselves tie themselves in a sack and then hurl themselves into the river.

Maybe the police themselves did this. I don't trust the red police force. Would you trust them if you were a "yellow shirt"?

Not all police support the cause. They have a job to do and police follow orders regardless of their political opinion. I have been at many political/ social demos and had an opinion but I had a job to do and I did it.

maybe not but they still put their hands out for graft, doesnt matter who they support its who pays them the most that gets their loyalty, same as Australia, a lot of police are just crooks in uniform, thats why the honest ones find ways of getting away from those taking bribes. Only difference is that here they do it openly and leave no guess work as to who they are loyal to.

[animatic]

Why would the anti-government protesters want to stick a label on their victims,

Perhaps to suggest that the dead were PCAD supporters killed by red shirts?

Makes no sense,

since the simplest of background check would she he was just the opposite.

As exactly has proved to be the case.

[In Town]

Why would the anti-government protesters want to stick a label on their victims,

Perhaps to suggest that the dead were PCAD supporters killed by red shirts?

Makes no sense,

since the simplest of background check would she he was just the opposite.

As exactly has proved to be the case.

Well, no one has ever accused the PCAD guards of brilliance, and so far their actions suggest the opposite.

[khunken]

Why would the anti-government protesters want to stick a label on their victims,

Perhaps to suggest that the dead were PCAD supporters killed by red shirts?

Makes no sense,

since the simplest of background check would she he was just the opposite.

As exactly has proved to be the case.

Well, no one has ever accused the PCAD guards of brilliance, and so far their actions suggest the opposite.

No one with any brains would accuse the police of brilliance either.

The police 'investigation' into the guy supposedly thrown into the Bang Pakong river is completely based on believing what the guy said - no questions apparently even there are a few aspects that don't add up.

Now they're linking dead bodies to the same culprits - rather starkly demonstrating their ability to blame one side for the incidents. It tends to be reinforced by their lack of effort in investigating the deaths of protestors and nearby victims of deadly violence. The icing on the cake of bias was escorting Kwanchai to vote in Udon Thani.

[Morch]

It appears to be a pattern. There is a willingness to kill others (northern adversaries or southern allies) that suggests the level of dehumanisation required for genocide. The constant reference to red shirts as less than human (buffaloes, etc.) is reminiscent of dehumanisation propaganda prevalent before the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda and Armenia. I hope this is not a similar situation.

A genocide, no less.

Reading TVF, the PDRC (and/or the Democrat Party) are usually portrayed as a minority with dwindling popular support - can't win an election, demonstrators are a handfull of grannies, Bangkok elites. It would seem rather unlikely that they could actually do anything of the sort.

As far as I know, most genocides target minority groups, not the other way around. Hardly a "similar" situation to the examples cited.

Both sides use demeaining language to describe the rivals, both sides issue threats and use violent language.

Its a good point. And it is worrying on both sides. But dehumanisation of majorities does occur. Look at South Africa or India or most other colonised countries and you see a similar pattern. If you think of the ethnic dimension of this conflict, it does fit that model.

Except that Thailand was not colonised, and that in both of those cases there was no genocide.

Also:

Thaksin Inc. got Chinese ancestry, same as countless politicians and Hi So's.

Somchai Wongsawat and Nattawut Saikua are from Nakhon Si Thammarat (the latter also got some major land holdings there, I believe).

Jatuporn Prompan's family comes from Surat Thani.

Edit: Forgot Veera Musikapong - Songkhla.

Edited March 14, 2014 by Morch

[rickirs]

"Mr. Issara has refused to surrender himself to the police." This attitude of refusing to comply with law enforcement seems to be a common element among the PDRC. And people actually support these accused to take over the government representing democratic principles. It looks like there will be a repeat of 2007-2010 violence if Democrats come back into power by circumventing once again a democratic system of government and the Constitution.

[Morch]

"Mr. Issara has refused to surrender himself to the police." This attitude of refusing to comply with law enforcement seems to be a common element among the PDRC. And people actually support these accused to take over the government representing democratic principles. It looks like there will be a repeat of 2007-2010 violence if Democrats come back into power by circumventing once again a democratic system of government and the Constitution.

Arisman Pongruangrong, Thaksin Shinawatra, Vorayuth Yoovidhya.....non of them a PDRC member.

Ignoring the law when it doesn't suit you is more of a general Thai thing when it comes to the rich and connected.