Redshirt leaders seek assurance of fair death probe from DSI



BANGKOK: -- Core leaders of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) today sought assurance from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) that the investigation into the deaths of 99 people during the violent anti-government protests in 2009 would be fair and transparent.

Led by Jatuporn Promphan, the UDD chairman, they voiced concern of the investigation as seven army officers were added to the original team of investigators comprising mostly from the police, and justice officials.

They also asked the DSI director general Suwanna Suwanjuta to ensure justice and transparency when the new team handles the probe.

Jatuporn claimed that the UDD never interfered in the probe during the previous governments but voiced concern when the military get involved.

He also asked for progress in the autopsy of 27 people who included Gen Romklao Thuvatham, killed during the violent protest at the Democracy Monument which was handled by the Metropolitan Police Bureau.

Mrs Suwanna later than explained to redshirt core leaders that the investigation team probing the 99 deaths in 2010 remained unchanged particularly members of the them who are state prosecutors.

But she admitted the military officers who were named to the team replaced members who have retired.

They were named so as to facilitate coordination with the military as investigation that involved the military has not yet completed, she said and added that if Mr Jatuporn feared it would be unfair, he could petition to the DSI.

Meanwhile the UDD chairman insisted that UDD will go ahead with its plan to hold alms offering ceremony to make merits to the 99 people killed in 2010.

He said he would assign his representative to submit a letter to the Army chief for permission to hold the religious ceremony on April 10.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/redshirt-leaders-seek-assurance-of-fair-death-probe-from-dsi


-- Thai PBS 2015-04-07

Oh the irony!!

Jatuporn asking for fairness!!

>>Mrs Suwanna later than explained to redshirt core leaders that the investigation team probing the 99 deaths in 2010 remained unchanged particularly members of the them who are state prosecutors.

But she admitted the military officers who were named to the team replaced members who have retired.<<

So in other words, if they drag their feet long enough, all the original investigators will have retired and been replaced by military officers!!

Pure genius!!

The usual suspects.

" We just want peace"

Yeah!!

And let's hope the UDD get their punishment for their involvement in deaths also.

Investigations will be fair, impartial, and transparent--unless the military is implicated, in which case transparency will become invisibility.

Investigations will be fair, impartial, and transparent--unless the military is implicated, in which case transparency will become invisibility.

You man of little faith.

Just think of the Tak Bai Massacre................Oh silly me, you did just that.............

Ironic that mr "burn, Bangkok burn" is crying now about fairness.

This has nothing to do with "fairness", and everything to do with the real truth (maybe) actually coming out about who did what.

When that truth is finally acknowledged, it's not going to put Thaksin and his gun toting terrorists in a very good light.

2010 Crackdown: Army Investigators to Join Inquest Teams
By Khaosod English

BANGKOK — Military representatives will assist with an investigation into the deaths that resulted from a military crackdown on Redshirt protesters in 2010, a senior official said.

Suwanna Suwanchuta, director of the Division of Special Investigation (DSI), said seven retired officers from Thailand’s military court – formally known as the Staff Judge Advocate – will serve as "coordinators" between the DSI and the army in the inquest procedures.

"The DSI wants these investigators to coordinate with the military when it comes to interrogating soldiers because we have received complaints that soldiers had not been treated fairly," Suwanna said today.

More than 90 people, mostly civilians, died in clashes between security officers and Redshirt demonstrators between April and May 2010. Later in that year, the DSI began assisting with court inquests to determine the causes of the deaths. Then-Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who is facing possible impeachment for authorizing the crackdown, has blamed the violence on militants who were allied to the protesters.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1428401940


-- Khaosod English 2015-04-07

'99" is a lucky number in Thailand, but the death toll was an unlucky 93 'only'.

there will be no justice for 2010 just as there was never any justice for 1976

Fairness? Oh dear. I think Jutaporn means find that the Red Shirts/UDD were peaceful unarmed protesters who would never hurt a fly.

Could he be worried that the real truth (not the red shirt version of the truth) might come out?

Hypocrite

yes, didnt worry about the investigation under the ptp because they had put the fix in to ignore what the reds did and to only concoct evidence against abhisit and the soldiers. Now he is scared they will find out the truth so he wants in, wonder how long he will last before he takes an extended holiday to be with his boss

Is there a problem with people asking for fairness?

If the investigation isnt seen to be fair then theybare just as bad as those they are accusing.

Edited April 7, 201511 yr by Linky

I wonder why the head of the DSI, Tarit, under the Yingluck government didn't clear this up already? Could it be because he was part of the problem when serving former PM Abhisit?

Tarit Pengdith: As director-general of the Department of Special Investigations, Tarit helped gather evidence and file charges against Thaksin, his supporters and the red shirts. The DSI was in charge of gathering all evidence against the former PM so he could be brought back home to serve his jail term.Tarit also went after the red shirts, filing charges of lese majeste and terrorism on several. He also ordered an investigation and was behind the freezing of 83 bank accounts belonging to individuals, including Thaksin, his ex-wife Pojaman and two of their three children, as well as some companies. This was done after Abhisit Vejjajiva's government suspected that these funds were being used to fund the red-shirt protests last year.Tarit is also believed to have helped the Democrats pull out of a sticky Bt258-million donation case and the 91 deaths caused by the military crackdown last year. https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/26/2627717_thailand-asia-pacific-certain-officials-agencies-fate.html via http://www.nationmultimedia.com

The fact that this very same Tarit was appointed Director General of the DSI under the Yingluck government leads me to believe that the DSI is/has always been nothing but a political tool of whomever is in power and is NOT an independent investigative agency. I don't expect much from the DSI no matter who they appoint to any commission.

Here's another example of the DSI acting on political orders and not motivated by actual criminal activity: The Department of Special Investigation's investigation into the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's extension of the BTS Skytrain concession is a politically motivated vendetta aimed at undermining Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra's run for re-election http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/BMA-files-corruption-complaint-over-DSI-probe-30188975.html

Edited April 7, 201511 yr by rametindallas

Well, here's hoping that they get the fairness and justice which they deserve.

The only thing Pheu-Thai did was to run case after case to come up with a verdict of what type of bullet killed people. No question whatsoever about what they were doing or who actually fired it - except the very deliberate inclusion of the word 'Army' in the findings so that the low-IQ brigade would assume the Army did it. Never mind the UDD had the same weapons.

And Chalerm made it official policy that men-in-black did not exist. Any mention of them in a DSI investigation was forbidden.

Prayuth had to sit quietly while it was inferred the Army killed all these people with no mention of being under fire themselves (and any intelligent person knows the UDD claims that they were all peaceful is utter BS).

I bet he is loving to watch them squirming in their pants now.

That all of these leaders emerged from the riots as millionaires with some as MP's and even given cabinet posts, there is no doubt that they were only paid mercenaries and are probably still on the payroll for they would not be funding their activities themselves.

So where would there loyalty be if the money stopped ? Could come down to saving their own skin and that could involve some real truth.

But then again there has been presidents set in the past as to what happens to those who cross the big boss, or even threaten to testify against him.