Court acquits a member of “Men in Black” charged with illegal possession of war weapons

[webfact]

Court acquits a member of “Men in Black” charged with illegal possession of war weapons



BANGKOK: -- A man who was charged with possessing war weapons which were found hidden in a Honda Civic in May 2010 was acquitted by the Criminal Court due to insufficient evidences.

The court noted that a key prosecution witness, the housekeeper of an apartment in Ram-inthra area where the car was found, gave conflicting testimonies regarding the defendant, Mr Kittisak Soomsri, and, therefore, was not credible.

Also, tests of DNA specimens from Mr Kittisak did not match with the DNA specimens found on the war weapons which include an AK47 assault rifles, TNT explosives, bottle bombs, fire extinguisher tank filled with urea fertilizer and M79 grenades.

Hence, the court found the prosecution evidences not strong enough to prove the guilt of the defendant and decided to acquit him.

Mr Kittisak was one of the four men and one woman accused of being “Men in Black” who fought against government troops at Kok Wua intersection during the violent protests against the Abhisit government by red-shirt followers on April 10, 2010.

The five suspects were charged illegal possession of war weapons and the case is still pending with the Criminal Court. They pleaded guilty during their detention at an army camp but they, afterward, changed their guilty plea claiming that they were tortured and forced to make the confessions.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/court-acquits-member-men-black-charged-illegal-possession-war-weapons/


-- Thai PBS 2016-06-15

[canuckamuck]

Now we know which side the men in black were on.

[macksview]

gone from tortured, pleading guilty, pleading not guilty to acquited.

some really good pla raa about this.

[z42]

No DNA on the weapons is one of the grounds for appeal. Shame that didn't seem to be the case down on koh tao

[bobmac10]

Agent provocateurs

[Winniedapu]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

[halloween]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

"everyone else" - that would be you?

[Winniedapu]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

"everyone else" - that would be you?

In this case... yes, I think it probably would be. Though in this case that's not the important thing. The important thing is it isn't you.

Isn't October 31st All Hallows Eve? You know, the night all the pestilential demons and hobgoblins come out to play?

Winnie

[Strangebrew]

What!! Will Smith is involved with this?

[TPI]

Amazing Thailand, so the weapons and bombs and the car didn't belong to anyone........right?

[Rayk]

Thailand doesn't use torture in order to gain confessions from suspects.

Who am I kidding, of course they do.

[PS2]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

Found them.

[Winniedapu]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

Found them.

But but but. That's only 2 people. And one of them's a foreigner.

Odd though, I thought genuine MiB would have covered their faces These two are just cheap fakes! Chizz!

Winnie

Edited June 15, 2016 by Winniedapu

[Ricardo]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

Former-DPM Chalerm seemed to believe in their existence ?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Men-in-black-are-policemen-Chalerm-claims-30171725.html

Journalist Nick Nostitz also seems to have believed in them.

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/News/92964/Canadian_writer_injured_in_Bangkok_in_serious_condition

And these journalists claimed to have interviewed them.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE29Ae02.html

Were they all mistaken then ?

Edited June 15, 2016 by Ricardo

[Winniedapu]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

Former-DPM Chalerm seemed to believe in their existence ?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Men-in-black-are-policemen-Chalerm-claims-30171725.html

Journalist Nick Nostitz also seems to have believed in them.

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/News/92964/Canadian_writer_injured_in_Bangkok_in_serious_condition

And these journalists claimed to have interviewed them.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE29Ae02.html

Were they all mistaken then ?

*shrug*

lots of 'seemed to'

and 'seems to'

and 'claimed to'

Perhaps you're persuaded. I wouldn't be, but perhaps you are...

Urban legend with some self-fanciers taking on the mask on demand.

Personally I am unpersuaded as to their reality and I am completely unpersuaded as to all the feudal barons blaming them for everything except Dengue Fever.

Up to you what you're prepared to believe, some people to think the Earth is flat and UFO's are real...

Nothing like a good conspiracy theory.

Winnie.

[jayboy]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

Former-DPM Chalerm seemed to believe in their existence ?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Men-in-black-are-policemen-Chalerm-claims-30171725.html

Journalist Nick Nostitz also seems to have believed in them.

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/News/92964/Canadian_writer_injured_in_Bangkok_in_serious_condition

And these journalists claimed to have interviewed them.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE29Ae02.html

Were they all mistaken then ?

*shrug*

lots of 'seemed to'

and 'seems to'

and 'claimed to'

Perhaps you're persuaded. I wouldn't be, but perhaps you are...

Urban legend with some self-fanciers taking on the mask on demand.

Personally I am unpersuaded as to their reality and I am completely unpersuaded as to all the feudal barons blaming them for everything except Dengue Fever.

Up to you what you're prepared to believe, some people to think the Earth is flat and UFO's are real...

Nothing like a good conspiracy theory.

Winnie.

No, it's quite clear there was an armed element within the Red encampment.That is confirmed by all reliable reports.The great mystery is rather different.Why have they never been apprehended and interrogated? I don't pretend to know the answer though my hunch is all this relates to rivalries within the military.

[Winniedapu]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

Former-DPM Chalerm seemed to believe in their existence ?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Men-in-black-are-policemen-Chalerm-claims-30171725.html

Journalist Nick Nostitz also seems to have believed in them.

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/News/92964/Canadian_writer_injured_in_Bangkok_in_serious_condition

And these journalists claimed to have interviewed them.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE29Ae02.html

Were they all mistaken then ?

*shrug*

lots of 'seemed to'

and 'seems to'

and 'claimed to'

Perhaps you're persuaded. I wouldn't be, but perhaps you are...

Urban legend with some self-fanciers taking on the mask on demand.

Personally I am unpersuaded as to their reality and I am completely unpersuaded as to all the feudal barons blaming them for everything except Dengue Fever.

Up to you what you're prepared to believe, some people to think the Earth is flat and UFO's are real...

Nothing like a good conspiracy theory.

Winnie.

No, it's quite clear there was an armed element within the Red encampment.That is confirmed by all reliable reports.The great mystery is rather different.Why have they never been apprehended and interrogated? I don't pretend to know the answer though my hunch is all this relates to rivalries within the military.

That's as may be, but I saw nothing like men in black when I was there, reliable reports notwithstanding. Perhaps they knew I was coming...

What you suggest is possible, but would that not suggest the MiB were actually military? I think I've heard that idea floated before; it seems to have some traction and would certainly explain how/why they've never been found outside 'reliable reports'.

Then again, there are some 'reliable reports' of flying saucers. I guess we'll never know...

W

[halloween]

That's as may be, but I saw nothing like men in black when I was there, reliable reports notwithstanding. Perhaps they knew I was coming...

What you suggest is possible, but would that not suggest the MiB were actually military? I think I've heard that idea floated before; it seems to have some traction and would certainly explain how/why they've never been found outside 'reliable reports'.

Then again, there are some 'reliable reports' of flying saucers. I guess we'll never know...

W

The answer is blowing in the wind..............along with a lot of smoke. Keep blowing.

[jayboy]

That's as may be, but I saw nothing like men in black when I was there, reliable reports notwithstanding. Perhaps they knew I was coming...

What you suggest is possible, but would that not suggest the MiB were actually military? I think I've heard that idea floated before; it seems to have some traction and would certainly explain how/why they've never been found outside 'reliable reports'.

Then again, there are some 'reliable reports' of flying saucers. I guess we'll never know...

W

The answer is blowing in the wind..............along with a lot of smoke. Keep blowing.

In a way you are right since it's hard to grasp exactly who these people were, who recruited them and how they were financed.To uncover these aspects provides the possibility of demonstrating once and for all what was Thaksin's role, if any.If hard evidence could be produced it would be all over for him.And yet regimes - both democratic and military - oppoosed to him have come up with nothing.The military involvement seems most likely but I wouldn't bet much money on it.

Of course there will always be some - mainly out of the main picture - who will insist the MIB were paid assasins hired by Thaksin.

[Winniedapu]

That's as may be, but I saw nothing like men in black when I was there, reliable reports notwithstanding. Perhaps they knew I was coming...

What you suggest is possible, but would that not suggest the MiB were actually military? I think I've heard that idea floated before; it seems to have some traction and would certainly explain how/why they've never been found outside 'reliable reports'.

Then again, there are some 'reliable reports' of flying saucers. I guess we'll never know...

W

The answer is blowing in the wind..............along with a lot of smoke. Keep blowing.

In a way you are right since it's hard to grasp exactly who these people were, who recruited them and how they were financed.To uncover these aspects provides the possibility of demonstrating once and for all what was Thaksin's role, if any.If hard evidence could be produced it would be all over for him.And yet regimes - both democratic and military - oppoosed to him have come up with nothing.The military involvement seems most likely but I wouldn't bet much money on it.

Of course there will always be some - mainly out of the main picture - who will insist the MIB were paid assasins hired by Thaksin.

I seriously doubt that's what they were, but even if they were and evidence to that effect could be found, I doubt oit would change the opinions and/or intentions of very many Thaksin-voters in the NE. I believe they would, to a person say "Som nam na. That's what happens if you kick a dog often enough". Not much empathy for the plights of Prayuth and the rest of the thieving class up here.

Win

Edited June 15, 2016 by Winniedapu

[rubl]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

Former-DPM Chalerm seemed to believe in their existence ?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Men-in-black-are-policemen-Chalerm-claims-30171725.html

Journalist Nick Nostitz also seems to have believed in them.

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/News/92964/Canadian_writer_injured_in_Bangkok_in_serious_condition

And these journalists claimed to have interviewed them.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE29Ae02.html

Were they all mistaken then ?

*shrug*

lots of 'seemed to'

and 'seems to'

and 'claimed to'

Perhaps you're persuaded. I wouldn't be, but perhaps you are...

Urban legend with some self-fanciers taking on the mask on demand.

Personally I am unpersuaded as to their reality and I am completely unpersuaded as to all the feudal barons blaming them for everything except Dengue Fever.

Up to you what you're prepared to believe, some people to think the Earth is flat and UFO's are real...

Nothing like a good conspiracy theory.

Winnie.

Tjeez winnie you even refuse to believe our very own local photo journalist Nick Nostriz?

"Several of us, including me, met armed Red Shirt militants during the fighting, and non of us were killed by them, even though in cover of darkness it would have been easy for them to do so. I, for example, was only asked by them not to photograph them (quite politely, actually), and i won't argue with this point with heavily armed people. I didn't either when heavily armed soldiers asked me the same (not very polite) after their unit killed a protester in front of me. Sorry, but i fear that i may lack hero qualities - in those situations my life is more dear to me than my rights as a journalist."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/541283-red-shirts-to-mark-2nd-anniversary-of-protests/page__st__300#entry5308387

[Winniedapu]

Hmmm. Perhaps some of the slightly bonkers anti-Thaksin brigade might offer a comment? They seem to know all about the Men in Black even though just about everyone else thinks they're an urban legend and nobody can find any of them...

Winnie

Former-DPM Chalerm seemed to believe in their existence ?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Men-in-black-are-policemen-Chalerm-claims-30171725.html

Journalist Nick Nostitz also seems to have believed in them.

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/News/92964/Canadian_writer_injured_in_Bangkok_in_serious_condition

And these journalists claimed to have interviewed them.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE29Ae02.html

Were they all mistaken then ?

*shrug*

lots of 'seemed to'

and 'seems to'

and 'claimed to'

Perhaps you're persuaded. I wouldn't be, but perhaps you are...

Urban legend with some self-fanciers taking on the mask on demand.

Personally I am unpersuaded as to their reality and I am completely unpersuaded as to all the feudal barons blaming them for everything except Dengue Fever.

Up to you what you're prepared to believe, some people to think the Earth is flat and UFO's are real...

Nothing like a good conspiracy theory.

Winnie.

Tjeez winnie you even refuse to believe our very own local photo journalist Nick Nostriz?

"Several of us, including me, met armed Red Shirt militants during the fighting, and non of us were killed by them, even though in cover of darkness it would have been easy for them to do so. I, for example, was only asked by them not to photograph them (quite politely, actually), and i won't argue with this point with heavily armed people. I didn't either when heavily armed soldiers asked me the same (not very polite) after their unit killed a protester in front of me. Sorry, but i fear that i may lack hero qualities - in those situations my life is more dear to me than my rights as a journalist."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/541283-red-shirts-to-mark-2nd-anniversary-of-protests/page__st__300#entry5308387

This so deceitful it takes my breath away. The thread is about Men in Black, that's as clear as crystal, and yet you still cannot risk being shown to be wrong so you divert into a conversation about alleged redshirt militants, which is not at all the same thing.

Civilised conversation relies upon a few things, one of which is a certain level of assumed trust, otherwise, no conversation is reasonable. You'll excuse me, but with this level of mendacity and deceit, the best thing I can do is just leave you to it. You will doubtless find people who can't see straight through you and your dishonesty, though who they might be I can't easily imagine - only that the laws of probability suggest they're out there, the same as there will be more people with your political views out there. Probably not many but then I'm sure this is not the first time in your life that honesty and a certain tendency to right-wing views have been a problem for you, so you'll accept that. Good luck.

Disappointing.

Winnie

[The Deerhunter]

Lots of words Winnie. Wouldn't it be easier to just say you do not agree,like you told me a few days ago?

[halloween]

This so deceitful it takes my breath away. The thread is about Men in Black, that's as clear as crystal, and yet you still cannot risk being shown to be wrong so you divert into a conversation about alleged redshirt militants, which is not at all the same thing.

Civilised conversation relies upon a few things, one of which is a certain level of assumed trust, otherwise, no conversation is reasonable. You'll excuse me, but with this level of mendacity and deceit, the best thing I can do is just leave you to it. You will doubtless find people who can't see straight through you and your dishonesty, though who they might be I can't easily imagine - only that the laws of probability suggest they're out there, the same as there will be more people with your political views out there. Probably not many but then I'm sure this is not the first time in your life that honesty and a certain tendency to right-wing views have been a problem for you, so you'll accept that. Good luck.

Disappointing.

Winnie

Oh dear. Can't possibly have people suggesting that MIB and "red shirt militants" might be the same, or connected in any way, can we? That doesn't fit the BS agenda at all. Quick, throw a hissy fit! Even though the MIB were seen walking around the red camps, photographed next to the red leaders, keep suggesting they might be military, a third party, or even a boy scout troop that lost their way. Sure the probability factor is close to absolute zero, but if you repeat it often enough someone might believe it.

And, here's a surprise for you, not one of the people I know in the NE would condone murder and political violence in their name as you suggest. But then, they're on the Thaksin gravy train.

Hope you didn't find this offensive. Or not, who cares.

[smutcakes]

I remember being told countless times on TVF about these highly trained'Ronin' warriors, trained in the jungles in the dark arts of urban warfare who were paid mercenaries of Thaksin.

The last i heard they had arrested a 23 year old girl as the ring leader and about 3-4 other lads fresh out of diapers.

If these people were in any way related to TS, as with all the other 'rumours' of his paying this and that I am sure the powers that be would have brought out the evidence long ago!

[rixalex]

In a way you are right since it's hard to grasp exactly who these people were, who recruited them and how they were financed.To uncover these aspects provides the possibility of demonstrating once and for all what was Thaksin's role, if any.If hard evidence could be produced it would be all over for him.And yet regimes - both democratic and military - oppoosed to him have come up with nothing.The military involvement seems most likely but I wouldn't bet much money on it.

Of course there will always be some - mainly out of the main picture - who will insist the MIB were paid assasins hired by Thaksin.

Until evidence is forthcoming, nobody can claim to know that Thaksin hired them, but the fact that the red shirts happily allowed the black shirts to roam amongst them, rather suggests that they were fighting together on the same "team", although motivations for being on the "team" may have varied.

With unsolved crime it's usual to look at those who had the most motive and work backwards. Who had most to gain from ratcheting up the violence and bloodshed? Who would have gained by putting the government and the armed forces under greater pressure? Who later went on to try and use the blood that was shed over those weeks as a bargaining chip to offset against their own crimes?

People can draw their own conclusions.

I know myself who i would have as chief suspect number one, but i'm also aware that things in Thailand are not always as they seem, and it is as you say odd that no link has been proven, so who knows...

[jayboy]

In a way you are right since it's hard to grasp exactly who these people were, who recruited them and how they were financed.To uncover these aspects provides the possibility of demonstrating once and for all what was Thaksin's role, if any.If hard evidence could be produced it would be all over for him.And yet regimes - both democratic and military - oppoosed to him have come up with nothing.The military involvement seems most likely but I wouldn't bet much money on it.

Of course there will always be some - mainly out of the main picture - who will insist the MIB were paid assasins hired by Thaksin.

Until evidence is forthcoming, nobody can claim to know that Thaksin hired them, but the fact that the red shirts happily allowed the black shirts to roam amongst them, rather suggests that they were fighting together on the same "team", although motivations for being on the "team" may have varied.

With unsolved crime it's usual to look at those who had the most motive and work backwards. Who had most to gain from ratcheting up the violence and bloodshed? Who would have gained by putting the government and the armed forces under greater pressure? Who later went on to try and use the blood that was shed over those weeks as a bargaining chip to offset against their own crimes?

People can draw their own conclusions.

I know myself who i would have as chief suspect number one, but i'm also aware that things in Thailand are not always as they seem, and it is as you say odd that no link has been proven, so who knows...

I don't disagree with most of this.

[rubl]

Former-DPM Chalerm seemed to believe in their existence ?

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Men-in-black-are-policemen-Chalerm-claims-30171725.html

Journalist Nick Nostitz also seems to have believed in them.

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/News/92964/Canadian_writer_injured_in_Bangkok_in_serious_condition

And these journalists claimed to have interviewed them.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE29Ae02.html

Were they all mistaken then ?

*shrug*

lots of 'seemed to'

and 'seems to'

and 'claimed to'

Perhaps you're persuaded. I wouldn't be, but perhaps you are...

Urban legend with some self-fanciers taking on the mask on demand.

Personally I am unpersuaded as to their reality and I am completely unpersuaded as to all the feudal barons blaming them for everything except Dengue Fever.

Up to you what you're prepared to believe, some people to think the Earth is flat and UFO's are real...

Nothing like a good conspiracy theory.

Winnie.

Tjeez winnie you even refuse to believe our very own local photo journalist Nick Nostriz?

"Several of us, including me, met armed Red Shirt militants during the fighting, and non of us were killed by them, even though in cover of darkness it would have been easy for them to do so. I, for example, was only asked by them not to photograph them (quite politely, actually), and i won't argue with this point with heavily armed people. I didn't either when heavily armed soldiers asked me the same (not very polite) after their unit killed a protester in front of me. Sorry, but i fear that i may lack hero qualities - in those situations my life is more dear to me than my rights as a journalist."

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/541283-red-shirts-to-mark-2nd-anniversary-of-protests/page__st__300#entry5308387

This so deceitful it takes my breath away. The thread is about Men in Black, that's as clear as crystal, and yet you still cannot risk being shown to be wrong so you divert into a conversation about alleged redshirt militants, which is not at all the same thing.

Civilised conversation relies upon a few things, one of which is a certain level of assumed trust, otherwise, no conversation is reasonable. You'll excuse me, but with this level of mendacity and deceit, the best thing I can do is just leave you to it. You will doubtless find people who can't see straight through you and your dishonesty, though who they might be I can't easily imagine - only that the laws of probability suggest they're out there, the same as there will be more people with your political views out there. Probably not many but then I'm sure this is not the first time in your life that honesty and a certain tendency to right-wing views have been a problem for you, so you'll accept that. Good luck.

Disappointing.

Winnie

Ah, so the nightly encounters some had was with just the 'ordinary red-shirt terrorists' ? Till now all were grouped into 'Men in Black', but you try to distract as usual.

So, very deceitfull, my dear Winnie. After less than 20 posts your former self shone through and by now has completely taken over. Accusing others of 'having a problem with honesty' is like hearing my departed friend phiphidon calling himself 'honest John'.

You start to become very provocative and deceitful, my dear Winnie. Does the side you defend need all this?

So, nothing deceitful or dishonest, terrorists associated with the UDD have been seen in 2010 and the head seems to have been that renegade general "no one saw me" Seh Daeng. Long forgotten by most as his usefulness has dropped when his daughter abstained in the "blanket amnesty bill" vote.