Army accused of killing boy during crackdown
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The Criminal Court concluded yesterday that a 14-year-old boy, who did not belong to either red or yellow-shirt camp, was indeed killed by troops on May 15, 2010.
The inquest concluded that Kunakorn Srisuwan had been shot dead by troops who were carrying out an operation under the order of the Centre for Resolution of the Emergency Situation.
The court believes that Kunakorn was hit by a hail of bullets when soldiers opened fire at a van that had strayed into an area under Army control near the Airport Rail Link’s Rajprarop station. The boy was shot in the back and the bullet pierced through his abdomen. He succumbed to his injuries on his way to hospital.
In Kunakorn’s case, the court considered recordings, witness testimonies and autopsy results showing that the bullet fragments found in the boy’s body came from an M16 assault rifle to decide he had been killed by soldiers.
Kunakorn was said to be in the vicinity of taxi driver Phan Kamkong, who the court said on September 17 had also been killed by a military bullet.
The Criminal Court said the 43-year-old was caught in a volley of gunfire when he ran out of his apartment to see what was happening. This was when soldiers had opened fire at the van. Phan was found collapsed outside the IDO condominium near the Airport Rail Link’s Rajprarop Station.
