Probe says DSI dragged its feet in "men in black" investigation

The sub-committee monitoring the progress of cases related to political violence, which is chaired by Senator Somchai Sawaengkarn, held a press conference on Tuesday to announce its finding into the probe of the clash between red-shirt protesters and troops on April 10 2010.

During the clash, General Romklao Thuwatham, former deputy chief-of-staff of the Second Infantry Division, was killed.

Lt General Nanthadej Meksawat, a member of the sub-committee, said the panel had studied video clips and interviewed over 100 witnesses and came up with four points of conclusion.

First, the panel concluded that the violence on April 10 2010 was not started by the troops.

Second, the panel saw that the troops dispatched to control the protesters had acted properly within the framework of the laws because the protesters expanded their rally site from Phan Fah Bridge to Rajdamnoen Road and later on to the Rajprasong Intersection.

Third, video clips clearly showed there were men in black clothes who joined the red-shirt protesters. Witnesses, who were officials and from the general public, testified to the panel that a van delivered men in black who walked into the group of protesters outside the Sattree Witthaya School.

A foreign reporter recorded a video of men in black but an armed man confronted him with a gun and seized the camera from him.

As a result, several witnesses believed there were men in black who fired at the troops.

Fourth, the panel saw that the DSI was dragging its feet in investigating the killing of Romklao. The panel found that two safety pins of M67 grenades were found at two houses opposite the Sattree Witthaya School. The two safety pins were believed to belong to the two grenades thrown at Romklao, killing him. But the panel wondered why the DSI did not investigate this point, Nanthadej said.

Doctor Wirat Phanitpong, an appointed senator and a member of the sub-committee, said the panel believed that a red-shirt protester, Wasant Phuthong, was shot from behind by one of the protesters.

Wirat said the ballistics trace showed that the bullet did not come from the direction of soldiers and there were no troops near the slain protester.

Somchai told the press conference there was evidence there were men in black among the protesters and they had prepared to fight the authorities with AK 47 assault rifles, M79 grenades and M67 grenades as well as teargas, while troops were armed on that occasion only with shields and batons.

Somchai said the panel also suspected that several of 26 victims were not killed at the scene, but were carried from other areas because blood traces and DNA tests did not match the scenes of violence.

He said the panel also found that the DSI had made no progress in taking action against the protesters, especially former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was suspected of being the mastermind of the violence.

Somchai said the panel also found that the DSI wasslow in probing he deaths of 89 persons killed in 2010.

Somchai said his panel would submit its finding to the Senate committee on human rights, liberty and consumer protection tomorrow.