Army and inquests

PPT has lost count of the court inquests that have indicated that the Army is responsible for the deaths of several red shirt protesters in 2010. Certainly, as far as we can tell, no effort has been made to indict any Army commander for ordering his troops to shoot down protesters. Yes, we know that Abhisit Vejjajiva and Suthep Thaugsuban have been charged, but the Army brass just walks free. Army boss and loud mouth General Prayuth Chan-ocha blasts red shirts as criminals and has no shame in doing this even when he was commanding murderous troops.

Khaosod reports that “the South Bangkok Criminal Court, Mr. Narin Srichomphu was apparently shot and killed by military-issued weaponry which was fired from a group of soldiers at Saladaeng Intersection in the Ratchadamri district during the final military assault against Redshirts protesters on 19 May 2010.”

Prayuth and his predecessor General Anupong Paojinda should be held responsible for these murderous acts. Why should the Army continue to enjoy impunity?

The inquest is a part of legal procedure to identify those responsible for over 90 deaths caused by the unrest in March-May 2010.

In this case, “the judges noted that much evidence points to the army’s use of live ammunition against Redshirts protesters on 19 May 2010, such as bullet types, video clips of the clashes, testimony by members of the security forces, and ballistic investigation.” The commander of the troops at Saladaeng at the time, Colonel Noppasit Sitthipongsophon,  “insisted that his unit was only armed with blank rounds,” his own soldiers “testified to the court that they did fire live ammunition at the protesters.”

The court concluded that:

“… the deceased was killed by high-velocity bullet which penetrated his head and nerve system…. A bullet fired from the direction of the military personnel who were operating under orders of the Centre for Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES)”.

That seems pretty darn clear.