One year on and no justice
It is a year since security forces cleared remaining red shirt protesters from the Rajaprasong site. A year on and the Abhisit Vejjajiva government continues to deny that anyone was killed by its forces in April and May 2010. Worse, its officials have repeatedly slowed and inhibited investigations into the events of that period.
According to The Nation, one of the mothers of a nurse gunned down at Wat Pathum Wanaram has pieced together evidence of her daughter’s murder and now plans to take the government to court in order to seek clarity. The report states that “Phayao Akkahad, mother of nurse Kamolkate … will this week file a civil lawsuit against the government. It will ask the court to order relevant agencies to provide more evidence to reveal the truth behind who and what killed her daughter.”
She explained: “I have only a half of an autopsy report on my daughter and I will use it as evidence to file the lawsuit before the court to get justice for my daughter…”. She says that evidence has “been totally destroyed during the past year…”.
It is widely believed that Kamolkate was shot by soldiers operating from the elevated Skytrain tracks outside the temple. There is plenty of evidence from witnesses and video clips that shows soldiers operating in the area and shooting into the temple.
More recently, the recent Human Rights Watch report “Descent into Chaos: Thailand’s 2010 Redshirt Protesters and the Government Crackdown” has concluded that soldiers were responsible for at least 3 of the 6 deaths at the temple on 19 May.
State investigators continue to withhold results of their investigations. Phayao explains that this is why she needs “a court’s jurisdiction to order relevant agencies to give me a clue and evidence to find the truth and bring justice for my daughter…”. She has previously filed complaints with “with several state agencies including the National Police Office and National Anti-Corruption Commission Office – to conduct another investigation into her daughter’s death, but no agency has responded.”
Phayao is not the only one seeking justice: “Pansak Srithep, whose 17-year-old son Samaphan Srithep was killed on May 15 at Soi Rang Nam, said he would also file a civil lawsuit asking for compensation from the government.” He wants the government to take responsibility for his son’s death “as he was killed during a military operation on May 15…”.
A police officer who had conducted an investigation into the deaths in Soi Rang Nam “said during the past year he had tried to collect more evidence, especially from military officers on the Army operation and crackdown on protesters. But only a few persons had cooperated with him.”
At the anniversary of these deaths there has been no justice. The impunity enjoyed by state officials is a festering sore on the Thai body politic. Abhisit trumpets rule of law but the reality is that there is none when state officials are allowed to torture and murder while they protect the existing order.
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