Examination of human trafficking witnesses to take 5 years: Thai police

[webfact]

Examination of Human Trafficking Witnesses to Take 5 Years: Police
By Khaosod English


Police officers processing the case files for suspected human traffickers in Songkhla province on 30 June.

SONGKHLA — A top police commander said it will take at least five years for the court to examine the testimony of more than 200 witnesses in a massive legal case against alleged human traffickers in southern Thailand.

Pol.Gen. Aek Angsananont, deputy chief of Royal Thai Police, said yesterday that Na Thawee Provincial Court has only completed one witness examination since police started arresting suspects belonging to the human trafficking network in early May.

"The court is open for this special case on every Saturday and Sunday to make the witnesses examination process faster," Pol.Gen. Aek said. "Because there are more than 200 witnesses in this case. It will take at least 5 years to complete the witness examinations. As for the case files, they are still being deliberated on by the Office of Attorney-General, and we expect that they will formally bring the case to the Na Thawee Provincial Court within the next week."

Police have issued a total of 119 arrest warrants in connection to the trafficking ring since 1 May. Nine more suspects were arrested today, bringing the number of suspects in custody to 65. The suspects include local officials, politicians, police officers, and one senior army officer.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1435649980

-- Khaosod English 2015-06-30

[Thai at Heart]

200 witnesses in 5 years

Are they kidding?

[thequietman]

So, that's 40 people to be "disappeared" a year for 5 years. That's doable.

Or 50 a year for 4. Also doable. All's good in the Land of Justice.

[JAG]

Well it won't be long before this particular ball is hit for a six, and lost in some very long grass!

[uty6543]

That's no problem as long as the defendants are held on remand until the conclusion of the case.

[catterwell]

With the right team I could interview 20 per day and, allowing for follow-ups, be done within a month or two. 5 years? Bah humbug!!

[apetley]

Five years, absolutely shameful and then they wonder why they're on the trafficking blacklist.

[Jay Sata]

They need to get their police mates who sorted the Rhohinga trafficking case onboard.

They wrapped the whole thing up in a couple of weeks even though over half those with arrests warrants are no where to be found.

Or maybe get Thaksin to help...he sorted Bangkoks traffic in six months.

[Pattaya28]

5 years

[MobileContent]

Great lets put Thailand on the red list for human trafficking for the next 5 years so no need to ask yeary why the US hasn't taken Thailand off in their yearly report.

[Bluespunk]

200 witnesses in 5 years

Are they kidding?

Unfortunately not.

[Prbkk]

He might as well have said" we don't care what the rest of the world thinks". A variation on the Greek single finger salute.

[Artisi]

200 in 5 years, an absolute sick joke.

Luckily the Nuremberg war crime trials didn't use the same methods to interview all the remaining survives of the holocaust before bring the guilty parties to trial, if they had of gone down this path the trials would be still in progress.

Edited June 30, 2015 by Artisi

[onelasttime]

Or maybe the fantastic police work that speedily solved the Koh Tao / Burmese workers case could be done again.

just my 2 cents worth

[ChrisY1]

This reeks of someone taking the piss oit of the RTA....I'm sure a response will follow

[Oziex1]

200 in 5 years, an absolute sick joke.

Luckily the Nuremberg war crime trials didn't use the same methods to interview all the remaining survives of the holocaust before bring the guilty parties to trial, if they had of gone down this path the trials would be still in progress.

Nuh, they would have long been forgotten and swept under the carpet as is the case here.

[Oziex1]

One of the points in a report by an NGO quoted around the time of the US downgrading Thailand's TIP status was

"The failure to carry out credible investigations into Human Trafficking"

This rings in my ears.

[Jimjim1968]

It was all cleared up in 2 weeks last week.

[Squeegee]

Meanwhile, in the real world, outside of Cryland:

OK. You're sacked.

Clearly there will eventually be Work Permits for foreigners to work as police here, since we will not be taking jobs from Thais (who are incapable of basic functionality themselves).

[casindonet]

And the MFA is crying foul over the US TPI report.....

[canuckamuck]

That's nine days per witness, Are they taking notes with clay tablets?

[Reigntax]

Within 5 years all the military people involved will be promoted to general, the next coup will have occurred and these generals will be granted amnesty.

What trafficking are we talking about, it never occurred and anyone who says it did will be summoned for attitude readjustment!

[prvtdetdave]

Thailand is sorely lacking and apathetic.

I have had highly qualified friends who said they would volunteer their time and skills to NGO's

in the areas of Human Trafficking.

They were rebuffed for their efforts.

Even after I told them so.

The USA is also a big market in Human Trafficking it is a world wide problem.

[Manbing]

Criminal, and I don't mean the traffickers

[Srikcir]

Would five years be a problem if the US banned Thai seafood from the US during that time because of Thailand's Tier 3 listing?

[NCC1701A]

lets see... 5 attorneys, five stenographers, 5 paralegals, five video camera, five rooms, forty hours a week per witness. 5 witnesses per week. 200 divided by 5 is 40. 40 weeks to depose everyone. about ten months. then another year to prepare the case which would over lap the 40 weeks. so say a year.

life sentence in a thai prison, next case.

[JAG]

This reeks of someone taking the piss oit of the RTA....I'm sure a response will follow

No need (to take the piss), they seem to be managing perfectly well themselves.

Let's face it; police investigatiing army was never going to happen.

Edited July 1, 2015 by JAG

[Seastallion]

Within 5 years all the military people involved will be promoted to general, the next coup will have occurred and these generals will be granted amnesty.

What trafficking are we talking about, it never occurred and anyone who says it did will be summoned for attitude readjustment!

I suspect that you are not far off the mark......the only addition I would make is that it includes police and politicians moving up the ranks too.

[Seastallion]

Would five years be a problem if the US banned Thai seafood from the US during that time because of Thailand's Tier 3 listing?

Yes...Boycott, divestment and sanctions is the way to go for rogue states.

It certainly helped South Africa.

[Ulic]

I have no idea what they expect from eye witness cross examination 3-4-5 years

after the fact but they should not expect much. But then again maybe that is what

they are hoping for.