Lawyer doubts claim just one shot fired in death of Lahu activist

[webfact]

Lawyer doubts claim just one shot fired in death of Lahu activist

 

The site where Chaiyapoom was killed.

 

BANGKOK: -- A human rights lawyer yesterday expressed doubts over a report that a soldier fired just one shot during an incident in which a young Lahu activist was killed in March.

 

Sumitchai Hattasan, of the Human Rights Lawyers Association, said some witnesses told his team that they heard more than one shot during the attempted arrest of Chaiyapoom Pasae in Chiang Mai province on March 17. 

 

The lawyers will request an autopsy report from Nakhon Ping Hospital.

 

Sumitchai was speaking after visiting the site of the shooting at a checkpoint in Chiang Mai’s Chiang Dao district to collect evidence. The association has provided legal advice for Chaiyapoom’s family.

 

A soldier who admitted killing Chaiyapoom reportedly said he fired only one shot at the activist and had acted in selfdefence as Chaiyapoom had a weapon in his hand.

 

Chaiyapoom’s mother has called for the government to provide justice for her son who she said was not a drug smuggler as the army has claimed.

 

According to the soldier’s account, Chaiyapoom was riding in a car with his friend when he was stopped at the checkpoint. Soldiers testified that they found drugs in the car and Chaiyapoom tried to run away.

 

They claimed that he was about to throw a grenade at the soldier, forcing him to act in self-defence by firing at Chaiyapoom.

 

Sumitchai said that on examination of Chaiyapoom’s background, including talking to his friends, it was found that he had was of good behaviour, had good school grades and was helpful to his family. No one believed the allegation that he was involved with drug networks, Sumitchai added.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30311828

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-04-10

[darksidedog]

While there are many people clamouring for the truth in this case, the armies refusal to hand over the video of the event, suggests that the only "truth" we will ever see, will be the armies highly suspect version of it.

[mtls2005]

Release the CCTV footage, after editing/blurring?

 

Op-ed piece in The Nation:

 

Third Army Region Commander Lt-General Wijak Banpasop is typical of high-ranking military officers in appearing less capable of managing his public pronouncements than he is of commanding troops.

 

Wijak pronounced verdict on the affair. “I personally think the soldier involved did not use excessive force. He just fired one shot at an arm, but the bullet happened to be fatal.” Later he added, “If I were the soldier at the scene, I might have fired [the M-16 assault rifle] in automatic mode.” The general seemed to imply that the soldier erred in firing only one shot since the target might have escaped, whereas a spray of automatic fire would have negated that risk.

[yellowboat]

If this was truly self-defense, the army is doing its best to place doubt in everyone's mind.

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Release the CCTV footage, after editing/blurring?

 

Op-ed piece in The Nation:

 

Third Army Region Commander Lt-General Wijak Banpasop is typical of high-ranking military officers in appearing less capable of managing his public pronouncements than he is of commanding troops.

 

Wijak pronounced verdict on the affair. “I personally think the soldier involved did not use excessive force. He just fired one shot at an arm, but the bullet happened to be fatal.” Later he added, “If I were the soldier at the scene, I might have fired [the M-16 assault rifle] in automatic mode.” The general seemed to imply that the soldier erred in firing only one shot since the target might have escaped, whereas a spray of automatic fire would have negated that risk.

If someone pulls a hand grenade on a soldier at close range as alleged by the military, what soldier would respond with a single shot?

That's nonsense.

[AGareth2]

5 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

If someone pulls a hand grenade on a soldier at close range as alleged by the military, what soldier would respond with a single shot?

That's nonsense.

I think the whole of the army report is nonsense