Criticism of 'men in black' arrests; previous research scuppered
Bangkok Post makes it difficult for me today to distinguish fact from fiction and to give a clear summary of the most important news: the aftermath of last week's arrest of five so-called 'men in black'. The four men and a woman are suspected of involvement in the fighting between red shirts and the army on April 10, 2010 at the Khok Wua intersection. I'll try.
The newspaper criticizes the way in which the police publicized the case with a presentation in which the suspects were dressed in a black jacket and balaclava (balaclava), and with a reconstruction where a suspect could be photographed with an M79 grenade launcher. "Obviously orchestrated to gain publicity rather than evidence." The newspaper also finds it strange that the female suspect was missing both times.
A second 'news fact' is attributed in the opening article to a source at the Department of Special Investigation (DSI). According to this source, the DSI has files on all 'men in black', heavily armed men who were in the red shirt ranks in 2010. The investigation into the black brigade, which the red shirts say is an invention, is said to have been stopped by a 'powerful' politician during the reign of Prime Minister Yingluck. The instruction was: the men in black did not exist and there were no armed elements. The DSI personnel who had investigated it would have been transferred.
A third piece of news comes from a group calling itself the People's Information Center on the April-May 2010 Crackdown Impact (PIC). In a statement, the group calls on the population not to be misled by the arrests. The PIC acknowledges the existence of 'men in black', but says there is no compelling evidence to hold the five suspects responsible for the April 10, 2010 deaths on Din So Road. The soldiers who died in the process died from grenade explosions, not from gunfire as claimed by the police.
Sunai Phasuk, Thailand representative of Human Rights Watch, also talks about misleading the population. "Whether they are the perpetrators or not must be proven in court, not in an orchestrated manner that precedes justice."
Fourth news item: The arrest of Kittisak Soomsri, one of the suspects, is puzzling. He was apprehended by soldiers on September 5, a week before he was presented at the police press conference. The newspaper wonders whose detention he was in and how long he was held by the army before handing him over.
Finally, the newspaper calls it a 'welcome move' that the DSI (the Thai FBI) is taking over the investigation. "Hopefully, this will mean fresher and more independent eyes looking at the evidence before the case goes to court." The newspaper also called the timing of the arrests and presentation "strange" because it coincided with the publication of an Amnesty International report sharply criticizing the state of siege and arrests.
Phew, it's on paper. I hope it's all easy to follow. You may also want to read the previous post: Roodshirt riots 2010: Five 'men in black' arrested.
(Source: Bangkok Post, Sept. 14, 2014)