Chalerm queries 'men in black' claim
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Thida agrees with deputy premier, questions commission's credibility
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung yesterday questioned the final report released by the Truth for Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT), which states that “men in black” provoked the Army to use weapons against red-shirt protesters in 2010.
Chalerm said the TRCT, which had been appointed by the Abhisit Vejjajiva government, had no authority to conclude that there were any “men in black” during the protest.
The TRCT report says these “men in black” had received cooperation from red-shirt guards, prompting the Army to use live bullets.
Chalerm countered this by saying authorised investigators from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) had concluded that there were no such “men in black” among the protesters.
He added that these investigators would summon former members of Abhisit’s cabinet who were implicated in the probe into the 2010 crackdown to testify.
The deputy PM said it was Abhisit’s government that set up the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation, which was in charge of the crackdown. Hence it is members of the CRES who should be interrogated, and not the armed forces.
Chalerm said the DSI and the government would wait for the Criminal Court to issue a ruling on Monday on the deaths of red-shirt protesters. He said that if the court rules that soldiers had killed the protesters, then it would make the DSI’s investigative job easier.
Also yesterday, Thida Thavornseth, chairwoman of the red-shirt movement, questioned the authenticity of the TRCT report, which will be released to the public on Monday.
She claimed that the TRCT lacked information and evidence to back its conclusion, which was based on personal opinions of its members.
She also said she did not think the TRCT had dug deep enough for information in about the incidents.
Thida added that TRCT member Somchai Homla-or had said the commission’s final report was based on information about affected people that was provided by a private centre, which lacked credibility. She said the picture included in the TRCT report showing so-called “men in black” was not authentic either.
Meanwhile, Thawil Pliensri, who was with the CRES and was formerly secretary of the National Security Council, testified to the DSI about the crackdown.
Speaking to reporters later, Thawil said he had insisted to the DSI that there were indeed “men in black” – a term used by the CRES to describe people who used military weapons to fight against the authorities. He clarified that these “men in black” were not necessarily dressed in black or wearing black facemasks.
